Lucid Group CEO Peter Rawlinson reveals some key engineering secrets that allow its midsize Air sedan to compete with full-size rivals for interior space — while housing enough battery modules to travel more than 500 miles on a single charge — in a new video presentation.
Silicon Valley-based Lucid, which is ramping up production of the Air EV at its Arizona factory, released the “Lucid Space Concept” presentation Thursday on YouTube. In it, Rawlinson walks through the development of the body structure to accommodate the EV’s 1,000-horsepower mechanicals while providing seating for five full-size adults.
Lucid, which has highlighted its proprietary technology and in-house manufacturing in promotional material, has achieved a series of industry firsts. They include the longest-range EV ever tested in the U.S. and the biggest front-trunk, or “frunk.”
The latest video is the second in a 10-part series led by Lucid executives and experts. In the debut March video, Rawlinson outlined the details of Lucid’s unique battery pack, which positions modules on two levels beneath the floor of the vehicle and features unique thermal management for efficiency and range.
“The brand-new Tech Talk, the second episode in the series, provides a deep dive into Lucid’s Space Concept,” Lucid said in a statement to Automotive News. “CEO Peter Rawlinson gives an extensive look at Lucid’s approach to vehicle packaging and design when bringing the Lucid Air from concept to reality.”
In each of the first two videos in the series, Rawlinson breaks out a whiteboard and markers to demonstrate some of the math behind developing the battery packs and achieving an ultra-aerodynamic exterior structure.
Future videos in the series will be led by Eric Bach, senior vice president of product; Emad Dlala, vice president of powertrain; Derek Jenkins, senior vice president of design; and Jean-Charles Monnet, technical fellow for aerodynamics.