Results above omit 1-ft rollout of 0.2 sec.Efficiency is the last thing on my mind out on Skyline Blvd. Motors: 2 permanent-magnet synchronous ACīattery Pack: liquid-cooled lithium-ion, 118.0 kWhīrakes, F/R: 15.0-in vented disc/14.8-in vented disc Vehicle Type: front- and rear-motor, all-wheel-drive, 5-passenger, 4-door sedan The 520-mile EPA range of the Air Dream Range is 28 percent more than the Model S's 405 miles. On 19-inch wheels the Air Dream Performance enjoys a 471-mile EPA-estimated range, while a Model S Plaid on 19s does 396 miles. The efficiency gains and a 19 percent larger battery add up to more range. The Air requires 12 to 25 percent less power to maintain highway speeds than the Tesla Model S. It all combines for a claimed 0.20 coefficient of drag (on 19-inch wheels) and zero lift at top speed. When maximum cooling is required, air accelerates through patented front air inlets into twin vortexes to be evenly distributed over the radiator. The underside of the battery pack rises roughly a half-inch from its midpoint to the back and, with the help of small end plates on the sides, directs air just so to the rear diffuser. Twin passages on the outside edge of the hood channel air up and over the car. A low roof height (0.6 inch lower than the Model S Plaid) decreases the Air's frontal area. To get the most out of every kilowatt-hour of energy in the battery, Lucid's designers and engineers employed a few clever tricks. It's nevertheless remarkable that Lucid could pull off such a compelling car in its first go-no matter how many barrels of cash it burned to get there. We also experienced small electronic glitches-sluggish screen-response time, pop-out door handles that sometimes resisted our advances-that are a software update away from resolution, according to Lucid. At this price, the exterior panel fits are not as tight as they should be. The transition from regen to power when easing into the go pedal is abrupt, and the brake pedal takes a long push to get to the disc brakes. We found the adaptive dampers a touch too floaty in the default setting and a bit overdamped in more aggressive modes. Ride quality is luxury-sedan good, but the bobbing of the 21-inch wheels resonates through the structure. While the Air doesn't drive with the verve of a Porsche Taycan Turbo S, its combined efficiency rating is a whopping 59 percent better. Maximum cornering of 0.92 g and stopping from 70 mph in 163 feet are behind the best, likely a trade-off for efficiency. We do appreciate the ability to dial back the stability control, creating the possibility of big, lurid tailslides. But the fun terminates in steady-state understeer. When you start pushing hard, it seemingly sheds half a ton of its 5282 pounds. But we made it, using 82 percent of the Air's EPA range running mostly at highway speeds-a solid showing.Įven better than the straight-line juice is the Air's lithe and organic moves when wending a winding road. Each mile felt like a hundred, with sweating induced not only by mounting anxiety, but also by the climate control shutting down when the charge got too low. After 369 miles, the battery went to an indicated zero per-cent, leaving three high-stress miles to go. In the downhill section, we went nine miles for each 1 percent of the battery's charge-about three times our overall average. Luckily, we made up for it on the descent. With about 90 miles to go to our destination, the battery lost 8 per-cent of its charge in the 12-mile climb from 1200 to 4100 feet. All was going swimmingly until we hit the Tejon Pass, a climb into the mountains known to locals as the Grapevine. Running at 75 mph down I-5, through the flatness of the Central Valley, we were feeling good about our range, although a “Next gas on freeway 35 miles” sign made us wonder how far the nearest EV fast-charging station might be. LOWS: Supremely expensive, some teething gremlins, not as fun to drive as the Porsche Taycan.
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