Lucid’s “Space Concept” Delivers Class-Leading Interior and Storage Space

[Joe]

There’s a Full-Size Luxury Cabin in the Lucid Air’s Agile, Mid-Size Body

The Lucid Air is the first true luxury car ever designed from the ground up as an EV — and from the start of its development we used the Lucid Space Concept to maximize interior space. This new approach to sedan architecture takes full advantage of Lucid’s miniaturized EV drivetrain to deliver full-size interior volume with a mid-size exterior footprint.

As a result, when we begin customer deliveries early next year, the Lucid Air will offer class-leading interior space, a sculpted 113kWh battery pack, and the largest frunk ever offered in an electric car.

“It’s relatively easy to achieve more range by adding progressively more batteries but gaining ‘dumb range’ that way increases weight and cost, and reduces interior space,” said Peter Rawlinson, CEO and CTO, Lucid Motors. “Lucid Air has achieved its remarkable range whilst also reducing battery size through its in-house technology, resulting in a breakthrough in overall vehicle-level efficiency.”

In addition to unprecedented interior passenger space for its compact exterior footprint, the Lucid Air also comes with the largest frunk ever offered in a production EV. With a capacity of over 280 liters, the Lucid Air’s frunk is 89 percent larger than the current leader in its vehicle class and 40 percent larger than the current EV leader in the SUV class. In combination with its trunk, Lucid Air offers a total of 739 liters of luggage space, best in class for both electric and internal combustion engine vehicles by some margin.

The luxurious space and comfort realized by the Lucid Space Concept layout is tangible once inside the Lucid Air. The LEAP (Lucid Electric Advanced Platform) skateboard platform, integrates Lucid’s race-proven battery technology beneath occupants while the glass canopy roof opens its cabin to the sky, enhancing the Space Concept’s luxurious sense of space as it sweeps over passengers.

Be sure to RSVP for Dream Ahead on September 9, 2020 — when we launch the Lucid brand and reveal the Lucid Air to the world. Please visit our Dream Ahead site to RSVP and personalize your playlist of bonus content with topics that include in-depth discussions of Lucid’s design, performance, and technology.

 

[Hawk]

With an estimated EPA range of 517 miles and a 113kWh (useable) battery pack Lucid has set the bar (once again) with 4.575 miles per kWh. An amazing efficiency achievement.

 

[BlindPass]

Great info. Thank you.

The Air continues to impress, at least what’s released.

The frunk space is nice, but I don’t anticipate it’ll match my S in regards to functional space. I love the utility of the hatchback.

 

[hmp10]

I love the utility of the hatchback.

I, too, have liked the hatchback for ease of loading. However, Rawlinson thought it was the hatchback design that heavily contributed to the subpar torsional stiffness of the Model S, which is why he opted to put bracing structure across that opening and use a conventional trunk lid.

I have a 2015 Model S and once checked out where it stood on torsional stiffness. Not all manufacturers release that data, but as of 2016 the majority of sedans that did publish that data had significantly higher torsional stiffness. I never had any cowl shake or squeaks or rattles in my car the related to body flexion, but it did show up in the relatively stiff suspension which had to compensate for some of the "springiness" of the body. A typical German sedan with its higher torsional stiffness attains taut handling with a more compliant suspension.

 

[BlindPass]

I, too, have liked the hatchback for ease of loading. However, Rawlinson thought it was the hatchback design that heavily contributed to the subpar torsional stiffness of the Model S, which is why he opted to put bracing structure across that opening and use a conventional trunk lid.

I have a 2015 Model S and once checked out where it stood on torsional stiffness. Not all manufacturers release that data, but as of 2016 the majority of sedans that did publish that data had significantly higher torsional stiffness. I never had any cowl shake or squeaks or rattles in my car the related to body flexion, but it did show up in the relatively stiff suspension which had to compensate for some of the "springiness" of the body. A typical German sedan with its higher torsional stiffness attains taut handling with a more compliant suspension.

I’ll be interested in just how much losing the hatchback improves that, as measured by drive feel. The 3 is much better with its sedan trunk.

I agree about the German makes, but I’ve thought it also largely due to how much heavier the S was, and the fact Tesla simply isn’t a luxury brand, (despite the premium price inherent to the drive train tech). In other words, regardless of hatch, such a heavy, large car will need the type of engineering perfected over decades by legacy manufacturers.

Do you know how the Panamera did in torsional stiffness? I think that’s an apt comparison, although maybe just shows you need to have elite conventional car engineering and throw a lot of money at it to mitigate having a hatch on a large heavy car. I would have thought, though, that if the drive quality would greatly improve simply by having a trunk, Porsche would have gone with it...or in true Porsche form, have artistically designed braces offered as a premium package option costing thousands of dollars.

 

[hmp10]

I can't find the Panmera's numbers. Here is a list of some of the cars I did find that, in one aspect or another, might be relevant for comparison to the Model S:

Tesla Model S 19,000 N-m/º
Audi A8 38,230
BMW 5 Series 30,200
Cadillac CT6 36,600
Chevrolet Malibu 23,600
Fisker Karma 35,000
Genesis G90 42,930
Honda Accord 23,345
Jaguar I-Pace 28,700
Mercedes S-Class 40,500
VW Passat 30,000

Some of these figures go back as far as 2016 in cars that have since had redesigns, which almost always increase torsional stiffness. The Tesla Model S body dates to 2008.

You'll note that one of the other low figures is for the Honda Accord, another car which is noted for its ride stiffness. (My brother has a 2013 Honda Accord and a 2018 Tesla Model 3. He finds that the Model 3 rides noticeably better.)

You can see why Rawlinson would be hung up on the torsional rigidity issue with the Tesla hatchback, especially if he's aspiring to take on the ride quality of big German luxury sedans.

 

[BlindPass]

I can't find the Panmera's numbers. Here is a list of some of the cars I did find that, in one aspect or another, might be relevant for comparison to the Model S:

Tesla Model S 19,000 N-m/º
Audi A8 38,230
BMW 5 Series 30,200
Cadillac CT6 36,600
Chevrolet Malibu 23,600
Fisker Karma 35,000
Genesis G90 42,930
Honda Accord 23,345
Jaguar I-Pace 28,700
Mercedes S-Class 40,500
VW Passat 30,000

Some of these figures go back as far as 2016 in cars that have since had redesigns, which almost always increase torsional stiffness. The Tesla Model S body dates to 2008.

You'll note that one of the other low figures is for the Honda Accord, another car which is noted for its ride stiffness. (My brother has a 2013 Honda Accord and a 2018 Tesla Model 3. He finds that the Model 3 rides noticeably better.)

You can see why Rawlinson would be hung up on the torsional rigidity issue with the Tesla hatchback, especially if he's aspiring to take on the ride quality of big German luxury sedans.

Yes, he may need every design advantage he can get to match in a heavy EV at a startup, at least at a reasonable price.

But it’s a trade off with the advantages of the hatch imo, and so it needs to be notable. My S is like a station wagon that looks as good as any car on the road, imo.

I’m surprised by the I-Pace. I’ve heard good things about it’s drive quality, but I was disappointed. I suppose I didn’t calibrate my mind well enough to it being an SUV/CUV. I felt so much body roll and general weight shift that torsional stiffness was hard to gauge. Of course, in true JLR fashion, it was a 2019 that seemed to have aged poorly in the Fort Myers makeshift lot.

 

[hmp10]

My understanding is that the Dream Edition will be available only with 21" wheels. That's going to put even more of a premium on the compliance of the suspension.

I keep a Honda Odyssey for hauling friends and visitors around and use it for hauling any real cargo, so I've never paid much attention to the hatchback feature of the Tesla. I've been pleased, though, with the actual capacity of the trunk and find the underfloor storage especially useful for carrying groceries and things that can bounce around.

I find the frunk less useful, in part because closing the hood is more aggravating than closing the hatchback and because loading the frunk in a head-in parking space can be difficult . A lot of the Lucid's storage edge over the Tesla lies in its frunk. That's not much of an issue in carrying luggage on a trip, perhaps, but it's not optimal for daily errand-running. I'll be interested in seeing how the Lucid's front hood works, in particular whether it has automatic closing.

 

[BlindPass]

My understanding is that the Dream Edition will be available only with 21" wheels. That's going to put even more of a premium on the compliance of the suspension.

I keep a Honda Odyssey for hauling friends and visitors around and use it for hauling any real cargo, so I've never paid much attention to the hatchback feature of the Tesla. I've been pleased, though, with the actual capacity of the trunk and find the underfloor storage especially useful for carrying groceries and things that can bounce around.

I find the frunk less useful, in part because closing the hood is more aggravating than closing the hatchback and because loading the frunk in a head-in parking space can be difficult . A lot of the Lucid's storage edge over the Tesla lies in its frunk. That's not much of an issue in carrying luggage on a trip, perhaps, but it's not optimal for daily errand-running. I'll be interested in seeing how the Lucid's front hood works, in particular whether it has automatic closing.

We have a SUV, so it’s not a make or break issue, but for many the utility of space is as important as slight torsional rigidly improvements imo. At the likely price, it’s getting in the territory of warranting both.

At 500 miles range, fast charging (and V3G), S Performance quickness and utility, handling and luxury more of the Taycan, it’s a halo car for sure. I’m getting too optimistic!

 

[hmp10]

Okay, it's a slow day, so I've been poring over the cut-away picture of the Lucid frame at the top of this thread.

I'm surprised, but those wheels are starting to grow on me. They are 21-inchers, so not the 19" wheels used in the Windshear Cd measurements. From this picture, you can see they are definitely aero wheels, but of a different design than those used in the wind tunnel. I wonder how much they'll affect the Cd of 0.21.

I'm curious about that strut in the center of the trunk. It looks as if it will lie under the main trunk floor and at the top of the under-floor storage area, cutting a bit into its volume. There's nothing like it in the Tesla, although this under-floor bin does look to be a bit larger than its equivalent in the Model S.

The big news to me, though, is the rear footwells. The original 130-kWh battery pack used this space. That is why the Executive Rear Seating version was not going to have the largest battery pack, as the recessed footwells were necessary for foot rest clearance, and why the original launch edition with the bench seat was going to have a flat floorboard. (You can see that flat floorboard in the pictures that are still on the main Lucid website.) Now it seems that all the versions will have these recessed footwells . . . and they will make a real difference in rear passenger comfort, IMHO.

In one of the darked-out teaser images of the Dream Edition, you could just barely make out a carpet bump in the center of the rear floorboard which was not present in the pictures on the main website. That had me hoping they had figured out a way to recess the rear footwells in the Dream. It seems they have.