Lucid Air electric vehicle smashes Tesla's range record

Emerging EV startup Lucid has dealt another slap to rival Tesla following independent battery range testing, that demonstrates its imminent Air luxury sedan will go significantly further on a single charge than the Model S Long Range.Slated for a US launch early next month, the Lucid Air will be positioned in terms of price, specification and performance similarly to Tesla’s Model S, but range testing by global vehicle development specialist FEV (to an EPA-certified standard) has revealed a significant advantage over its fellow Californian EV.While the Tesla Model S Long Range has previously clocked a maximum range of 647km (the furthest in EPA testing), the Lucid Air has now smashed that result with a figure of 832km.

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The announcement follows confirmation that the Lucid is also more slippery than the Tesla with a drag coefficient of 0.21Cd vs the Model S’s 0.23Cd.All of this has unsurprisingly provoked Tesla founder Elon Musk into a dismissive response in which he claims the new Roadster model (expected next year) will manage 1000km on a single charge.

While it’s highly likely that the EV leader has developed more efficient drivetrains with boosted range, let us not forget that the company also claims it will deliver level-five autonomous capability inside this year…

The Multi Cycle Test (MCT) from the SAE J1634 standard requires electric vehicles to be driven on a rolling road and subjects them to a series of driving cycles that simulates day-to-day use most drivers would subject their vehicle to.

While it might not get the attention of the world’s biggest EV manufacturer Tesla, that may not remain the case for long and, like fellow Californian start-up, Lucid has been many years in the making.

With its first model already in production and ready launch on September 9, the company is about to unleash its assault, but this story actually starts in 2007 when the company was founded as Atieva with initial plans to only develop batteries and powertrains for other manufacturers.

All other critical details are being withheld until the big reveal, but you’ll only have to wait three weeks.

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