American electric carmaker Lucid Motors, Inc. said its new Lucid Air had set a new Environmental Protection Agency rating for a 517-mile trip on one charge
The range, verified by engineering consulting company FEV North America, Inc., is farther than top-of-the-line models offered by Tesla, General Motors, Ford and others, it said. Lucid Motor's chief executive and chief technology officer Peter Rawlinson said Tuesday the Lucid Air represented a giant leap forward.
An EPA-rated range of 517 miles for an electric vehicle was unheard of before details of Lucid Motor's achievement were released. Most electric vehicles have ranges of close to 300 miles. Tesla and GM predicted future vehicles may have ranges of up to 400 miles and would be available within years.
Tesla has been working on a variant of its Model S sedan which it said would have an EPA-rated range of up to 402 miles per charge.
In a video released last week Lucid Motors takes a jab at Tesla. It shows an odometer reaching 402 miles -Tesla's proposed maximum. The counter speeds on to 517 miles. Lucid claims the Lucid Air is now the world's longest-range electric vehicle.
Lucid, backed by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, is expected to present a final version of its Air sedan Sept. 9. It is scheduled to go into full production early next year at the company's Arizona factory.
Rawlinson, who was previously Tesla's chief engineer, said in April the Air would have a range of more than 400 miles. He said Tuesday Lucid was able to extend that as a result of advances in electric-vehicle technologies including the manufacture of an in-house electric motor and new batteries from its Atieva division.
