Electric Lucid Air Sedan Notches Record Drag Coefficient, More Aerodynamic Than Porsche Taycan, Model 3

Electric vehicle startup Lucid Motors said Tuesday that it has achieved the lowest drag coefficient of any production car.

What Happened: The company said it achieved an industry record drag coefficient of 0.21. 

The previous production vehicle to hold the record was the Porsche Taycan at Cd=0.22, and before that the Tesla Inc TSLA Model 3 at Cd=0.23.

Why It's Important: As the EV market heats up, becoming the best is increasingly important.

Lowering the drag of the car can extend the electric range without increasing the size of the battery, saving on costs.

Lucid used the design of racing cars from Formula One to achieve the milestone. Special attention was paid to the surface of the car, ensuring that the airflow across the vehicle was as efficient as possible. Even the shape of the car’s battery aids in its aerodynamics.

Lucid's employees include former Tesla engineer Peter Rawlinson and Jean-Charles Monnet, former aerodynamic engineer for Redbull Racing.

In part thanks to its aerodynamic efficiency, the Lucid Air can achieve a range of 400 miles and clock out at speeds as fast as 235 mph.

What's Next: The production version of the Lucid Air is set to debut Sept. 9 in an online reveal. 

Picture courtesy of Lucid Motors.