We’re not too far away from the official September 9 reveal of the 2021 Lucid Air. After announcing a staggering EPA-estimated range of 517 miles, the automaker announced the actual battery capacity on Wednesday.
Thanks to the “miniaturization” of its in-house drivetrain, Lucid says, the Air houses a large 113-kWh battery pack under its sedan body. That beats Tesla’s current Model S, which uses a 100-kWh battery to achieve its 402 miles on a charge.
For Tesla’s part, CEO Elon Musk hinted at more energy-dense battery packs for future models ahead of the company’s Battery Day on September 22.
According to its statement, Lucid also claims developing a compact solution allows for class-leading interior space. That includes the passenger area, as well as the largest frunk offered in an electric car, at 9.8 cubic feet (280 liters). The Tesla Model S, for comparison, offers 5.8 cubic feet.
In total, Lucid says its sedan has 739 liters of luggage space, or 26 cubic feet. CEO and CTO Peter Rawlinson focused on maximizing interior space, saying: “It’s relatively easy to achieve more range by adding progressively more batteries, but gaining ‘dumb range’ that way increases weight and cost, and reduces interior space.”
On the performance front, the Lucid Air packs up to 1,000 horsepower from its dual-motor setup. Lucid claims that makes the car capable of sprinting from 0-60 in under 2.5 seconds. Bear in mind, both the performance and range figures are likely to carry a hefty price tag. The 2021 Lucid Air should start somewhere in the $60,000 range, but that’s for an entry-level version that won’t have the same range or power onboard.
Lucid Motors will build its first EV at its new factory in Casa Grande, Arizona. The first customer deliveries will begin early next year.
