So Lucid evolved a proprietary “spice up” era—it declined to present WIRED actual main points—to boost incoming 500-volt energy to compare the pack’s 926 volts. It says most effective that it makes use of the rear motor unit to take action, probably via one of the vital windings performing as a DC-DC inverter. The spice up serve as delivers as much as 225 kW from a v3 Supercharger.Lucid additionally moved the Gravity’s charge-port door from the left-front fender to the left rear, simply as it’s as of late on Tesla vehicles—permitting the Gravity to make use of present Tesla v3 Superchargers with their characteristically quick cables. Whilst two preproduction vehicles on the power match had each ports, any Gravity you’ll purchase comes with a NACS connector—in conjunction with a CCS-NACS adapter. And, laudably, the corporate labored with Tesla to do the tool integration that permits right kind Plug and Rate at Tesla chargers: plug within the automobile, stroll away, and all of the authentication and billing is completed at the again finish, routinely.Conserving 12-Volt Batteries HealthyAnother electric trick: The Gravity makes use of a “Micro DC-DC converter” to trickle-charge the Gravity’s 12-volt batteries from the traction battery quite than recharging them most effective periodically. That a great deal extends the lifetime of any 12-volt battery, a century-old era now not designed for normal deep discharges ahead of recharging. Why two 12V batteries? For redundancy, so it might probably park safely along with the street despite the fact that one battery is broken in a crash.Lucid says the Gravity’s sensor suite—12 external and two internal cameras, 5 radars, one lidar, and 12 ultrasonic sensors— will “permit Degree 3 autonomy,” it’s nonetheless rolling out sure of its top class ADAS options by means of over-the-air updates. The total function set of DreamDrive 2 Professional is deliberate for a fall supply; that incorporates now not most effective hands-free enhanced cruise keep an eye on, but in addition the original “Curb Rash Alert” to sound an alarm if a motive force is in peril of scraping a wheel on a curb.No longer a Butch SUV, however What Is It?EV design once in a while takes good thing about the packaging alternatives, with a brief beveled nostril and an extended cabin (see the Tesla Style 3, Jaguar I-Tempo). Different makers (like BMW) shy clear of the rest that means their EVs aren’t “common” vehicles, that means proportions that would area a combustion engine up entrance. Lucid sits firmly within the first camp. The rear doorways are massive, entry to the 3rd row is as simple as any car we’ve examined, and a 6’6″ colleague was once in a position to climb into that 3rd row and take a seat with some semblance of convenience.
Courtesy of Lucid Motors
Courtesy of Lucid MotorsIt’s all in regards to the drag, or extra exactly, lessening it to each and every closing conceivable level to wring higher vary out of a given battery capability. Lucid quotes a drag coefficient of 0.24, outstanding for a car this huge—although Cd figures from other makers can’t be when put next because of various strategies of size. Mixed with a remarkably mild weight of simply 6,000 kilos (due to aluminum development), the slippery design produces an potency of as much as 3.6 miles/kWh (450 miles from a 123-kWh pack). It varies with wheel dimension (smaller is healthier) and passenger configuration (5 seats is healthier than seven).Drives Smaller Than It IsOur car, the seven-seat style with 20- and 21-inch wheels (entrance and rear), confirmed simply 2.22 miles/kWh after an lively power during the foothills of Los Olivos, California. However our riding was once rarely conventional of the rich suburbanite-family tasks the Gravity will possibly see.We did some acceleration runs, took it in short to extra-legal speeds on limited-access highways, and cycled continuously a few of the 3 power modes: Clean (commonplace), Swift (recreation), and Dash (quickest). Clean gave a rather busy journey, whilst Swift felt extra managed and actual. Dash was once essentially the most “German” of the 3. We most commonly toggled between the closing two, however the variations amongst them had been extra delicate and far much less pronounced than in different EVs WIRED has pushed.
