That’s what happens when you remove the software speed limit on a 1,000-hp luxury EV
You may remember that Lucid Motors unveiled their Air luxury EV late last year. So what happened since then?
Well, it has reached 235 mph (379 km/h) during testing, among other things. To be honest, it's not the production car that has achieved that, but a pre-production prototype: the Lucid Air Alpha Speed Car.
Lucid Motors recently took it to the Transportation Research Center (TRC) facility in Ohio for a series of tests, including a set of tire assessments with Pirelli. But the tests we're most interested in are velocity tests, especially since they were undertaken with the software speed limit removed.
The automaker did that because it wanted to evaluate performance at higher speeds, more specifically to "explore the limits of the platform and uncover any behaviors that may not be discovered in lab testing."
And so, the Lucid Air prototype reached speeds of up to 235.44 mph (378.90 km/h), after successfully hitting 217 mph (349 km/h) during a previous run in April. Not bad for an electric car, right? As you'll see in the video, for safety reasons, the car featured aerodynamic aids and a parachute to slow it abruptly when needed.
The test was deemed a success, with Lucid Air Alpha Speed Car proving itself "perfectly stable in corners and on the straight" and the thermal levels of the powertrain staying within specification throughout the run.
Now, you may think Lucid Motors would be satisfied with a top speed of 235 mph for its Air EV, but "it is not the final production top speed" for the model. While we have no idea what their target is, we do know the production-spec Air is supposed to go from 0 to 60 mph (0-96 km/h) in 2.5 seconds when it launches next year. These folks certainly know how to keep our attention.