Lucid Air EV achieves 378km/h top speed

American car maker Lucid is extracting the maximum out of its debut model.

With a gradual shift from chemical energy to electrical energy in automotive technology, numerous new car makers are giving a shot to the Electric Vehicle (EV) segment. Lucid Motors, another amateur EV maker, has been trying hard to prove its EV making prowess to the world.

In late 2016, the alpha prototype of Lucid’s debut saloon - the Air, created quite a buzz when it hit 217mph (350km/h) on a circuit in Ohio, USA. Now, the California-based company has surpassed its own record and managed to make the Air saloon propel at a hypercar rivalling 235mph (378km/h).

Aiding the Lucid Air’s kinematics are a variety of electric motor configurations. The lowest spec version comes with a single motor that produces ‘just’ 400bhp, which can be increased by 600 additional horses in a twin-motor, four-wheel drive setup. The latter version, with a total of 1000bhp on tap, can accelerate to 100km/h from standstill in 2.5 seconds.

There is a catch though. The 378km/h achieving prototype is very likely developed to test the Air saloon’s mettle by pushing the car to its extreme limits. The car that Lucid tested for top-speed purposes was equipped with a roll-cage, which is pretty unlikely to be seen in the production version - especially considering the Air’s four-door saloon positioning.

Lucid Motors wants to establish itself as a formidable player in the EV game - a space that has been long dominated by Tesla. With its rapid acceleration combined with traditional luxury saloon amenities, Tesla’s Model S has proved to be a benchmark in the EV segment. The Lucid Air aims to disrupt Tesla’s monopoly. The car is available for pre-order in the US with a starting price of $52,500 (Rs. 33.8 lakh).