Lucid Air challenges Tesla Model S with more than 500 miles range

The California-based Lucid was founded in 2007 and unveiled a concept version of its electric car in 2016. The company originally focused on making electric vehicle batteries before it decided to produce its own car. The company's battery operations are now a separate division called Atieva, Lucid's original name, that supplies the batteries used in Formula E race cars.

The startup, which once teetered on the brink of collapse before being thrown a lifeline in the form of Saudi investment cash, it also continued to advance its own technology. Lucid, an electric vehicle company headed by former Tesla engineer Peter Rawlinson, has announced that its upcoming Lucid Air car is expected to get an EPA-rated range of at least 517 miles.

Compared to other EV,Lucid air beats even the giant Tesla Model S Long Range Plus which has an EPA rated range of 402 miles. Tesla's was the first electric car widely available to consumers to have a driving range of more than 400 miles on a single charge.The final production version of the Lucid Air is expected to be unveiled on September 9. The cars will be built in Lucid's Casa Grande, Arizona, factory. The first ones will be delivered to customers early next year.

The EV will be able to sprint from 0-60 miles an hour in just 2.5 seconds. The size of the battery pack has not been released yet but what we know is it will be  smaller than 130 kilowatts- hour whereas the Tesla Model S Long Range Plus has a 100 kWh battery packet.

In a statement, Rawlinson called it “a landmark in the history of EV” and thanks the company’s engineering team. “I believe that our 900-volt architecture, our race proven battery packs, miniaturized motors and power electronics, integrated transmission systems, aerodynamics, chassis and thermal systems, software, and overall system efficiency has now reached a stage where it collectively sets a new standard and delivers a host of ‘world’s firsts,’” Rawlinson said.

Not much details have been released of this luxurious EV but we know  it has credited aerodynamics, electronics, temperature control systems, as well the car's 900 volt electrical system which is very high for an EV. If we compare it with Porsche, Porsche boasts 800 volts  system. Voltage is analogue,it's a measure of how much power can be pushed through an electric car's cables and wires and how quickly.

Lucid will join a number of startup companies, such as Nikola, Lordstown Motors and Rivian, looking to compete with Tesla not established automakers such as General Motors, Volkswagen and Ford.