Today, Lucid Motors announced that its first model, the Air electric car, will become the most aerodynamic car on the market with a drag coefficient (Cx) of just 0.21. This figure has been verified in the Windshear wind tunnel, one of the most advanced in the world, during one of the last testing sessions before the launch of the model, scheduled for September 9.
“Aerodynamic efficiency plays a key role in achieving leading range and performance and is particularly valuable for an electric car by improving range regardless of battery size. So naturally, we focus on aerodynamics throughout the development of the Lucid Air,” says Peter Rawlinson, CEO of the company.
Lucid estimates that the Air will have a range greater than 400 miles under the strict American EPA approval cycle, considered on many occasions as equivalent to the range of a vehicle in real conditions. The most capable variant of the model will have a 110 kWh capacity battery.
Lucid’s aerodynamics team comprises senior technologists and analysts (in fact, they have four Formula 1 world championships to their credit). “We apply the lessons learned in shaping the highest performance race cars as an integral part of the Lucid Air design process,” explains Jean-Charles Monnet, head of aerodynamics at Lucid Motors.
To maximize aerodynamics, the Lucid Air has air intakes on the front bumper’s sides to smooth the flow around the wheels. The tires have also been designed to improve the efficiency of the car, while the hood allows Air to be channeled to the sides of the body. The basses for their part are fairings, and they gradually curl upwards to the rear diffuser. The battery pack itself contributes part of this curvature.
However, the highlight is the patented air intake system located behind the bumper, which is capable of generating vortices to maximize cooling by evenly distributing Air on heat exchange surfaces while minimizing the size of the front air intake. This further improves aerodynamics, as well as giving the design a more elegant touch.