Lucid Motors is due to launch its first ever electric car in the form of the Air electric sedan in September. In a build up to the launch, the company has now shed light on the charging capabilities of the Air and from the numbers, it can easily be seen that the EV will boast of top charging prowess in the EV industry.
After several such industry-leading numbers for the Air, Lucid now claims that the electric sedan will be able to charge for up to 20 miles (~32 km) within a minute through DC fast charging. This is thanks to a peak charging rate of over 300 kW.
At this rate, Lucid Motors claims the Air to be the ¡±fastest charging EV ever.¡±
The company accredits this to the architecture on the electric car among other things. ¡°We¡¯ve achieved this charging speed with an ultra-high 900V+ electrical architecture, custom lithium-ion battery cells, a highly sophisticated battery and thermal management system, and exceptional powertrain efficiency,¡± it says in a new release.
As for the AC charging prowess, the Lucid Air will be equipped with a 19.2 kW AC onboard charger that can propel AC charging speeds to up to 80 miles per hour or 129 kmph. Once fully charged, the car is expected to cover around 830 km on a single charge as per an independent verification done by the company recently.
Lucid Motors claims to have designed the Lucid Air to Combined Charging System (CCS) standards. This makes the battery electric sedan compatible with ¡°any open DC fast-charging station¡± as per the company. The system is automatically able to ¡°boost voltage to charge at the quickest possible rate at any location.¡±
The company is promising Lucid Air owners in the U.S. a ¡°three years of complimentary charging¡± at Electrify America¡¯s network of ultrafast charging stations, mentioned to have 2,000+ individual chargers currently.
As for home charging, Lucid Air comes with a Lucid Mobile Charging Cord as standard. For extended capabilities, Air owners can also purchase and install a Lucid Connected Home Charging Station.
An interesting feature that the home charging station offers is the bidirectional charging capability. For those unaware, bidirectional charging enables energy flow from the vehicle to the grid. This means that the Air electric sedan can also power a home temporarily if needed.
As a much needed initiative in the growing use of EVs across the world, Lucid is coming up with static Energy Storage Systems (ESS) using its in-house technology. The systems will use discarded Lucid Air batteries for energy storage to fight with peak electricity demands and stabilise the grid.