Lucid Motors, which seeks to set new standards for sustainable transportation with its advanced luxury EVs, today announced the Lucid Air will be the fastest charging electric vehicle ever offered with the capability to charge at rates of up to 20 miles per minute.
For owners charging their Lucid Air in real-world conditions on the road, that can translate into 300 miles of range in just 20 minutes of charging.
This new benchmark for speed of charging is possible through an ultra-high 900V+ electrical architecture, custom lithium-ion battery cells, a highly sophisticated battery and thermal management system, and the Lucid Air’s incredible powertrain efficiency. This efficiency plays a direct and invaluable role in the Lucid Air’s charging rate, determining the rate of mileage as distinct from the rate of energy flow.
Furthermore, Lucid’s unique and innovative “Wunderbox” onboard charging unit combines several usually separated functionalities into one package-efficient and structurally integrated housing. This gives Lucid Air full interoperability with public charging infrastructure, including the ever-growing, 350kW fast-charging infrastructure being built-out nationwide.
“We designed every aspect of the Lucid Air and its platform in-house to be hyper-efficient, from the powertrain to the aerodynamics, and we’ve set several new benchmarks through these efforts including the longest range EV with an estimated EPA range of 517 miles,” said Eric Bach, Vice President of Hardware Engineering, Lucid Motors. “With our ultra-high voltage 900V+ electrical architecture and the proprietary Wunderbox, we have significantly increased the speed of energy getting into, around, and even out of the vehicle, delivering the world’s fastest charging EV packed with future-ready charging features.”
The Lucid Air will be a groundbreaking EV in terms of charging capabilities and will include:
- DC fast charging at up to 20 miles per minute, with a peak charging rate of over 300kW
- Ultra-high voltage 900V+ electrical architecture
- 19.2kW AC onboard charger that can support AC charging speeds up to 80 miles per hour
- Integrated boost charging and the broadest range of charging compatibility from AC Levels 1 and 2, up to the most powerful Level 3 DC fast charging, utilizing the universal CCS connector standard for connectivity to, and fast charging at, any public charging network.
- Full bi-directionality for advanced Vehicle-to-Everything (V2X) capabilities built-in for future enablement of Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G) and Vehicle-to-Vehicle (V2V) features
On-the-Road Charging
Designed to Combined Charging System (CCS) standards and compatible with any open DC fast charging station, the Lucid Air automatically boosts its voltage when needed to charge at the quickest possible rate at any location. By teaming with Electrify America, Lucid Air owners who take U.S. delivery will be offered three years of complimentary charging at speeds faster than any other production car available today. Electrify America is building the most extensive nationwide network of ultrafast 150kW through 350kW charging stations, with its rapidly expanding nationwide network currently boasting 2,000+ individual chargers. Lucid owners will be able to easily locate and see real-time availability of Electrify America charge locations across the USA as well as navigate to the locations via pre-planned routes.
Home Charging with Car-to-Grid Bi-Directional Functionality
Home charging is one of the key benefits of EV ownership. In addition to the standard Lucid Mobile Charging Cord that comes with every Lucid vehicle, Lucid has also developed the Lucid Connected Home Charging Station, one of the first AC charging stations with bi-directional charging ever offered. With bi-directional charging, owners can enjoy a more cost-effective charging method and also use their Lucid Air as a temporary energy reserve to power their homes, including off-grid vacation properties. Lucid has developed an integrated partnership with Qmerit that provides for a more seamless installation process for the Lucid Connected Home Charging Station. Lucid Air owners begin by completing a simple digital survey and Qmerit uses the results to manage the entire installation process through its nationwide network of highly trained and licensed electricians.
Looking to the Future
Lucid is developing static Energy Storage Systems (ESS) using its in-house battery, power electrics, and its renowned Battery Management System (BMS) software technology to develop the building blocks of advanced energy storage. It’s a way for Lucid to create a sustainable lifecycle for re-purposing Lucid Air batteries, as well as contributing to a world where sustainable storage of energy will have tremendous advantages for peak usage, balanced grids, cost savings, and for the environment. The first ESS prototype is already installed at Lucid’s Silicon Valley HQ where the team is actively working on productionizing a range of ESS products.
The production version of the Lucid Air will debut in an online reveal on September 9, 2020. In addition to the vehicle’s final interior and exterior designs, new details about production specifications, available configurations, and pricing information will also be shared.
