Lucid Motors released a teaser video last week from the Sonoma Rack Track hinting its Air electric vehicle may have beaten the record 10.4-second time set by the Model S earlier this year.
The automaker has now released the official video, showing its top-of-the-line Air Dream Edition smashing the record and breaking the elusive 10-second barrier, clocking an official time of 9.912 seconds at 144mph (231km/h).
Not only is the time extremely impressive, the top speed during the run is insanely fast. When the Model S using Cheetah stance managed its record time, it did so with a top speed nearly 20mph lower at 126.25mph (203km/h).
According to a press release this morning, that speed comes from a 900V+ electric drive unit that’s small enough to fit in an airline carry-on bag, weighing just 163lbs (74kg). The dual electric motors pump out 1,080 horsepower with a power density of 41hp per liter, beating everything else on the market today.
“This compactness allows for one, two, or even three units to be used to power a Lucid Air. In total, Lucid’s drive units are 45 percent lighter and up to 59 percent more powerful than the closest competitor. For their power, the motors are two and a half times more volumetrically compact than the closest competitor. Also notable is the fact that the motors can spin up to 20,000 rpm, a significant performance advantage over the competition.“
It appears this won’t be the first record the Air EV will break. Lucid says once it is officially rated by the EPA, the Air will be able to travel 517 miles (832km) on a single charge.
Lucid will be holding an official unveiling event for their first EV next week on September 9, 2020.
