Key points;
Rivian and Lucid, 2 new start-up companies announcing they will begin customer deliveries.
Lucid Air Dream edition is now the world's longest-range electric car.
Rivan R1T will be the world's longest-range electric dual-cab ute EV
The month of September 2021 will be remembered as a real turning point for EVs, with Rivian and Lucid, 2 new start-up companies announcing they will begin customer deliveries. In addition, both have been rated by the EPA in the US with outstanding class-leading range capabilities. The numbers tell the story, we’ve entered a new stage of long-range electric vehicles, the Rivian R1T has been rated at 512km range and the Lucid Air Dream edition has been accredited with a massive 830kms driving range which would make it, the world's longest-range electric car.
Below outlines some pre-launch specifications on both brands and no doubt, as they start hitting the roads we’ll have a detailed review on them both.
Rivian
Both the R1T and R1S are underpinned by the same all-electric 'skateboard' platform, offering just over 500km ( rated by the EPA in the US at 314 miles of range) from a 180kWh battery pack for the dual-cab ute, and around the same kms from a single charge for the seven-seat SUV.
Four electric motors will deliver a claimed 0-100km/h sprint time in around three seconds, with up to 550kW of power and 1124Nm of torque said to be available.
On sale dates
Clearly, the focus for this EV start-up is the US market at the moment while it plans to enter Europe in 2022 via the export route. RHD plans will follow suit in the second leg of the expansion including setting up a second plant- rumoured to be in the UK or Europe. Hence, an Australian launch could be in 2022 or beyond that.
While the Australian specifications are yet to be announced, in the US the R1T is available in three variants, with the $US73,000 ($A100,000 converted ) “Launch” edition deliveries commencing next month.
Lucid
While the Lucid average range of an EV has been moving higher during the past few years, the company announced it has set a new high bar. Significantly, the start-up did without simply relying on a larger battery pack. At 113 kilowatt-hours (kWh), the Lucid Dream Edition’s battery is large (Tesla’s biggest is 100 kWh), but that’s not the most important feature. EPA also published the Lucid motors’ efficiency, which was calculated to be 27 kWh/160 Kms, beating Tesla’s Model S. Also, one of Lucid’s upcoming models, the Air Grand Touring, was even more efficient at 26 kWh/160 Kms, almost as good as the smaller Tesla Model 3.
Wheels and other items will dictate the range
Due to different motor ratings and different size tires, Lucid’s Air models have a variety of range estimates. Here is the lineup as found on the US EPA’s website:
Lucid Air Dream Edition Range – 19-inch wheels – 682 kW – 832 kms
Lucid Air Dream Edition Range – 21-inch wheels – 682 kW – 769 kms
Lucid Air Dream Edition Performance – 19-inch wheels – 817 kW – 753 kms
Lucid Air Dream Edition Performance – 21-inch wheels – 817 kW – 721 kms
Lucid Air Grand Touring – 19-inch wheels – 588 kW – 825 kms
Lucid Air Grand Touring – 21-inch wheels – 588 kW – 750 kms
The ratings underscore the variables of an electric car with regards to a number of elements that affect EV driving range. The impact of the larger wheel size, which affects aerodynamics, rolling resistance, and adds weight, is substantially more than would be seen on a less efficient internal combustion engine vehicle. This should also serve as an important reminder that whatever size tire you have, keeping the inflation at the manufacturer’s suggested rating is also critical to maximizing fuel economy.
While Lucid has previously suggested it plans to engineer its line-up for right-hand-drive markets, an Australian launch appears unlikely anytime soon.
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