Lucid unveils its new Lucid Air Sapphire Edition which is claimed to have the capacity to go zero to 60mph within two seconds. And Zero to 100mph in four seconds and the quarter mile in under nine seconds. This impressive full-size fully electric sedan is said to be the most powerful production sedan on the market. It will potentially beat the Tesla Model S Plaid if that is proven to be true.
Furthermore, the new Sapphire Edition, which was revealed Friday during Monterey Car Week, pairs a number of the features from Lucid’s lower-trim models like the Dream Edition and the Grand Touring Performance Edition. First, the new version of the Air gets three motors, two at the rear and one at the front, that Lucid says brings the estimated horsepower up to 1,200.
At the time of release, Lucid didn’t offer up any torque numbers, but as Eric Bach said during an early briefing for journalists, “Lucid is redefining what the family sedan can do,” with the release of the new model. The twin rear-drive unit gets two 500kW inverters that are based on those in the Dream Performance Edition, plus custom planetary gear reduction units. That rear setup allows for torque to be applied to each wheel in opposite directions so that the Sapphire Edition will get more stability and control. The system can also apply regenerative braking to individual rear wheels to make the large sedan corner more precisely.
Technology behind
Lucid says that the twin rear-drive unit also gets new heat exchanger technology and an increased coolant flow rate. While the company said that they’ve upgraded the battery system for higher power and better thermoregulation, it didn’t release specific details at the time of release.
When going big on power, you have to go big on brakes, suspension setup, and tires, too. To that end, Lucid upgraded to carbon ceramic brakes, changed the spring rates, gave the Sapphire higher damping, added sway bars, and upgraded the power steering and ABS system. The Sapphire Edition will also get custom composite wheels and a special set of tires (20 inches at the front, 21 inches at the back) made of a compound that offers a combination of low rolling resistance and high grip, similar to a Cup 2 tire. Lucid will also offer a set of wheel shields that can be attached via the center locks to the wheels to help make them more aerodynamic and efficient for longer, more leisurely drives.
Credits- The Verge