Lucid Reveals Cutting-Edge Motorsports Electric Drive Unit - It's Already on the Racetrack

With Tesla spearheading the rise of luxury electric vehicles, other companies have now popped up to fulfill the increasing demand for premium EVs. Aside from big names such as Rivian or Lucid, various established manufacturers such as BMW and Mercedes are also diversifying their range of vehicles. Actually, the whole automotive industry is heading toward electrification, so now is the best time for brands, especially new ones, to make themselves known and take their piece of the pie. One way to do that is to innovate the technology incorporated into vehicles, whether it be for road cars or motorsport vehicles.

Lucid has already broken ground with its Air model - the company claims it's not only the fastest-charging EV on the market but also the one with the longest range. Lucid claims you can drive 200 miles (322 km) after juicing the battery for only 12 minutes. Moreover, the entry-level Lucid Air Pure version provides a range of 410 miles (660 km) - based on the company's estimations, a full charge should take around 25 minutes. Keep in mind that this applies only to DC fast chargers, and only select trims will benefit from the 900 V charging architecture that enables this astonishing feat.

Going forward, the EV-maker will be looking to awe the automotive industry once again with its new motorsport drive unit, comprised of a motor, inverter, differential, and transmission. The new technology boasts an astounding power density of 14.7 hp/kg, with immense energy recuperation.

The transfer between motorsport and road cars is seen by the EV manufacturer as a two-way symbiosis. Even though it has a different use, the new drive unit was developed in-house by Lucid by building upon the already proven units used on the Lucid Air sports sedan. Technological advancements in motorsport will of course serve as a new basis for integration into road vehicles. This way, the company can significantly advance its technology, irrespective of where it's used.

Even though it tips the scales at a mere 70.5 lbs. (32 kg), the new motorsports drive unit can produce 469 hp (350 kW or 476 ps) and a max rotor speed of 19,500 rpm. It boasts the same innovative high-voltage continuous wave winding and proprietary microjet cooling system used on the motors powering the Lucid Air.

By the way, Lucid Air's motors are designed, engineered, and produced in-house by the company. Following the same pattern, the brand-new motorsports front drive unit will also be entirely proprietary. Great efforts went into creating this cutting-edge technology, as the brand relied upon its expertise in design engineering, power electronics, e-motor design, and computer simulation to build the efficient drive unit. Each motorsport drive unit is produced to exact specifications in California, where Lucid is headquartered.

The photo provided by Lucid is a clear indicator - if you want to see the compact electric drive unit in action, check out this year's Formula E single-seater race cars. The season started two weeks ago, and it might be a surprise for you to know that Lucid's technology is already present in all Gen3 EVs competing in the ninth season of the championship series.