Out of Spec new YT video: Road to Gravity

[jace]

Kyle Conner just posted a 45min podcast style video on the latest updated on the Gravity. Great watch! Can't wait as we get closer to being able to place orders.

Here are some of the nerdy details discussed in the video:

• The Lucid Gravity has been in the works since 2016. The design team started working on the car alongside the Lucid Air with the goal of creating a car that offers both efficiency and space.
• The car has a short nose design which is uncommon for three-row SUVs. This design choice was made to optimize aerodynamics and efficiency.
• The designers overcame the challenge of creating a sleek and aerodynamic design while also providing enough cargo space by using a sloping roofline and a carefully designed rear end.
• The Lucid Gravity will come with a long spoiler which is not just for aesthetics but also helps with aerodynamics.
• The Lucid Gravity is designed to be a one car solution for all your needs, offering efficiency, space and performance.
• The car will be equipped with bi-directional charging which means it can not only be charged by plugging it in, but can also feed power back into the grid.
• The designers are still working on minor details and finalizing material testing. There will also be some accessories available for the car such as storage units for the frunk and cargo area.
• Lucid is planning to do mid-cycle refreshes for the Gravity, introducing new colors and features over time.

 

[Bobby]

Kyle Conner just posted a 45min podcast style video on the latest updated on the Gravity. Great watch! Can't wait as we get closer to being able to place orders.

Here are some of the nerdy details discussed in the video:

• The Lucid Gravity has been in the works since 2016. The design team started working on the car alongside the Lucid Air with the goal of creating a car that offers both efficiency and space.
• The car has a short nose design which is uncommon for three-row SUVs. This design choice was made to optimize aerodynamics and efficiency.
• The designers overcame the challenge of creating a sleek and aerodynamic design while also providing enough cargo space by using a sloping roofline and a carefully designed rear end.
• The Lucid Gravity will come with a long spoiler which is not just for aesthetics but also helps with aerodynamics.
• The Lucid Gravity is designed to be a one car solution for all your needs, offering efficiency, space and performance.
• The car will be equipped with bi-directional charging which means it can not only be charged by plugging it in, but can also feed power back into the grid.
• The designers are still working on minor details and finalizing material testing. There will also be some accessories available for the car such as storage units for the frunk and cargo area.
• Lucid is planning to do mid-cycle refreshes for the Gravity, introducing new colors and features over time.

Just to clear up one point: they did discuss feeding back to the grid but the car will not be equipped with that when it ships.

 

[DeaneG]

The video had a good discussion of the throwback 400V Tesla charging network issue.

 

[DeaneG]

Updated cell chemistry gives Gravity a ~120kWh pack!

 

[xponents]

Just to clear up one point: they did discuss feeding back to the grid but the car will not be equipped with that when it ships.

What about V2H?

 

[jace]

Funny how the Tesla network is now “legacy”

 

[DeaneG]

Funny how the Tesla network is now “legacy”

It has been technically behind CCS for years. But it's been a great network for Tesla products, reliable and ubiquitous.

 

[Bobby]

What about V2H?

watch the video

 

[hmp10]

Updated cell chemistry gives Gravity a ~120kWh pack!

I was a little surprised by this. Our 2022 Air DE, with the same number (6600) of 2170 cells as the Gravity, has a 118-kWh pack. A 2-kWh increase after three years seems kind of underwhelming, especially in a heavier vehicle with considerably more aerodynamic drag (higher Cd combined with greater surface area).

The longest range Air -- a Dream Edition Range on 19" wheels -- had an EPA rating of 520 miles. Assuming the 440-mile range Lucid is teasing for the Gravity means the longest-range version on the narrowest tires, that means about 15% less range for the Gravity.

As always, figuring out just which cells any EV uses -- and why -- can be a real puzzle.

The DE used Samsung cells (as, I think, does the Sapphire). The 6-kWh difference between the Samsung pack and the 112-kWh LG Chem pack derived from not needing an upper buffer in the Samsung pack due to its chemistry's being more resistant to damage from full DC fast charging, not from greater energy storage of its chemistry compared to LG Chem. (It was two years into Air production before a Lucid engineer let this little tidbit slip in an interview.)

The Grand Touring and Touring used (and, I think, still use) LG Chem cells.

The newest Pure uses Panasonic cells.

In this video Eric Bach, after mentioning the Pure uses Panasonic cells, said the Gravity would use different cells, but he didn't say which.

I read an article a few months back about Lucid still having a sourcing agreement with Samsung for their newest cells. Are those what will be in the Gravity?

 

[DeaneG]

I assume that Gravity will be using the cost-effective cells of its time, as did the Air GT and Touring (112kWh pack), rather than the high-end cells of the Dream. That would be a 7% increase in capacity for those reasonably-priced cells (=120/112), not bad.

 

[hmp10]

I assume that Gravity will be using the cost-effective cells of its time, as did the Air GT and Touring (112kWh pack), rather than the high-end cells of the Dream. That would be a 7% increase in capacity for those reasonably-priced cells (=120/112), not bad.

In February 2023 Samsung SDI announced a $1B deal to supply batteries for the Gravity. It's not clear, however, whether that deal still holds or why Bach would have specifically mentioned Panasonic as supplier for the Pure but not mention Samsung as supplier for the Gravity when saying it would use a different battery if, indeed, that were still the plan.

 

[hmp10]

Kyle Conner just posted a 45min podcast style video . . . .

Turns out this was something of a short. He just posted a video review of the Volvo EX90: one hour and 37 minutes long. I've seen shorter feature-length movies.

 

[hmp10]

I just watched a new video on the Gravity from Yahoo Finance.

I remain perplexed at the amount of print and video attention given to sitting in the frunk. Yeah, it has some utility in certain settings, but reviewers go on about it as if it were something truly groundbreaking and one of the main attractions of the vehicle.

I have seen far more time spent on sitting in that frunk than I have seen talking about the powertrain, the suspension, or even the efficiency of the Gravity.

 

[borski]

I just watched a new video on the Gravity from Yahoo Finance.

I remain perplexed at the amount of print and video attention given to sitting in the frunk. Yeah, it has some utility in certain settings, but reviewers go on about it as if it were something truly groundbreaking and one of the main attractions of the vehicle.

I have seen far more time spent on sitting in that frunk than I have seen talking about the powertrain, the suspension, or even the efficiency of the Gravity.

What's amazing to me is I completely agree with you, and what a huge win it has been, for being something of a random middle-of-the-night Peter-ism. There are plenty of times that sort of 'midnight crazy thought' doesn't work, but when it does it's just *chef's kiss*

It's so dumb, lol, but the media simply cannot stop talking about it, and I'd be lying if I said I wouldn't try it for a drive-in movie.

 

[hmp10]

. . . I'd be lying if I said I wouldn't try it for a drive-in movie.

We had a 1963 Chevy II station wagon with a rear-facing third row seat. My parents used to back it into the space at the drive-in, lower the tailgate window, and drop the tailgate. They'd put out their folding lawn chairs and park my brother and me in that rear seat. No steering wheel to look over. No movie reflecting off the hood. Coolest kids on the lot.

Maybe that's why I don't view frunk-gating as such a ground-breaking novelty?

 

[MGRMLN]

What's amazing to me is I completely agree with you, and what a huge win it has been, for being something of a random middle-of-the-night Peter-ism. There are plenty of times that sort of 'midnight crazy thought' doesn't work, but when it does it's just *chef's kiss*

It's so dumb, lol, but the media simply cannot stop talking about it, and I'd be lying if I said I wouldn't try it for a drive-in movie.

Then you haven't been to a large sporting event or concert. Americans love to hang out in parking lots of big stadiums and grille bar food and drink beer hours before the event.
Having a designated seat like this is a big deal for that use case.

 

[hmp10]

Then you haven't been to a large sporting event or concert. Americans love to hang out in parking lots of big stadiums and grille bar food and drink beer hours before the event.
Having a designated seat like this is a big deal for that use case.

I don't think @borski is saying that the feature is not useful or attractive. In fact, he's saying it turned out to be a great marketing play -- and probably for just the reasons you give.

Nor do I think the feature is not appealing. My frustration is that nine months after the L.A. reveal of the Gravity we still know precious little about what technology features will make it to production, but it's hard to find a video without yet another lengthy segment of people sitting in the frunk.

I do get the likely reasoning here. The most likely early customers for the Air were buyers who would appreciate its technological prowess and pay the necessary premium for it. The customers for a more mass-market vehicle are going more for nifty features than technology, so there's going to be a shift in marketing tone.

But I'm still craving to wake up one morning and log onto the internet to find that video or article or Lucid release that finally tells me the state of play with power specs, range, suspension options, will there be a NACS port and where, will there be rear-wheel steering and when, with there be a HUD display, are captain's chairs (my personal equivalent of the frunk-gating obsession) in the pipeline and how far away . . . .

 

[Professor Y Cars]

What's amazing to me is I completely agree with you, and what a huge win it has been, for being something of a random middle-of-the-night Peter-ism. There are plenty of times that sort of 'midnight crazy thought' doesn't work, but when it does it's just *chef's kiss*

It's so dumb, lol, but the media simply cannot stop talking about it, and I'd be lying if I said I wouldn't try it for a drive-in movie.

I'm not sure I'd ever actually sit in the frunk of the Gravity, but I agree the feature is getting a ton of publicity and that's all good news for Lucid! I really hope the Gravity will be a sales hit!

 

[borski]

We had a 1963 Chevy II station wagon with a rear-facing third row seat. My parents used to back it into the space at the drive-in, lower the tailgate window, and drop the tailgate. They'd put out their folding lawn chairs and park my brother and me in that rear seat. No steering wheel to look over. No movie reflecting off the hood. Coolest kids on the lot.

Maybe that's why I don't view frunk-gating as such a ground-breaking novelty?

Yeah haha - I recognize that “drive in movie” is not a thing most other people do anymore

But there’s a reason I pushed hard for a “lights off” mode and that it was one of the first things we built into Home Assistant with the unofficial API lol, even before Lucid released it as an official feature. I needed the lights off at the theater!

Then you haven't been to a large sporting event or concert. Americans love to hang out in parking lots of big stadiums and grille bar food and drink beer hours before the event.
Having a designated seat like this is a big deal for that use case.

True, I know lots of people tailgate - I don’t. But I see people do it. Looks like fun!

 

[MGRMLN]

Yeah haha - I recognize that “drive in movie” is not a thing most other people do anymore

But there’s a reason I pushed hard for a “lights off” mode and that it was one of the first things we built into Home Assistant with the unofficial API lol, even before Lucid released it as an official feature. I needed the lights off at the theater!


True, I know lots of people tailgate - I don’t. But I see people do it. Looks like fun!

For the record, I don't tailgate either.