Saudi-backed electric car makers Lucid Motors are celebrating after one of its models smashed Tesla’s record for distance covered without needing a recharge.
The company’s Lucid Air Dream Edition R has been given a rating of 520 miles by the Environmental Protection Agency, making it the longest-range electric vehicle ever rated by the organisation.
The rating means the US-based company, which received $1 billion from Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund in April 2019, has beaten Tesla’s longest range vehicle by more than 100 miles.
Earlier this month it was announced that Lucia Motors will produce vehicles in Saudi Arabia by 2024, with the paperwork still being finalized.
Commenting on the EPA-rating, CEO Peter Rawlinson said: “I’m delighted that our Lucid Air Dream Edition Range has been officially accredited with a range of 520 miles by the EPA, a number I believe to be a new record for any EV. Crucially, this landmark has been achieved by Lucid’s world-leading, in-house EV technology, not by simply installing an oversize battery pack.
“Our race-proven 900V battery and BMS technology, our miniaturized drive units, coupled with our Wunderbox technology endow Lucid Air with ultra-high efficiency, enabling it to travel more miles from less battery energy. The next generation EV has truly arrived!”
In an exclusive drive with car review site MotorTrend, the Lucid Air Dream Edition R was taken from Los Angeles to San Francisco and back down to Lucid HQ in Newark — a 445-mile trip — with 72 miles to spare.
Lucid Motors described this as “real-world testing, air conditioning on, pacing with the flow of traffic. The cruise control was set at a practical 67 mph”.
After the journey, MotorTrend’s Jonny Lieberman said: “Remember range anxiety? As with the internal combustion engine, it's a thing of the past.”
Lucid Motors — which is 67 percent owned by the Public Investment Fund — will be hoping the rating drums up pre-orders for their vehicles.
Its flagship Lucid Air model, priced at over $70,000, is due to launch early next year but has received only 11,000 orders to date.
That’s about half as many Teslas have been sold every month in the US alone this year, and just under 388,000 cars in total were sold in Saudi Arabia in 2020.
