Lucid Group Inc. | |
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Partner Information | |
Based | ![]() |
Founder | Bernard Tse Sam Weng |
Announced | 23 October 2016 - Battery[1] 8 January 2021 - Powertrain[2] |
Role | Spark Technical Partner |
Official Website | Lucid |
Lucid Group Inc., otherwise known as Lucid Motors and originally as Atieva, Inc., is an American battery and electric vehicle manufacturer, based in Newark, California, USA.[3] Founded in 2007 to develop EV batteries, Lucid first joined the ABB Formula E Championship as an OEM ahead of the 2018/19 season, when the group was approached by McLaren Applied Technologies to co-develop the battery for the Spark SRT05e.[1]
In 2021 Lucid would lose its battery role as Williams Advanced Engineering won the tender to supply batteries for the Generation 3 FE design, although the American firm later secured a deal with Spark Racing Technologies to develop the front powertrain system the Gen 3 instead.[2]
Background[]
Lucid were formed as Atieva in 2007 by Bernard Tse and Sam Weng, intending to develop and build batteries and powertrains for electric vehicles.[3] The group subsequently hired former Vice President of Engineering at Tesla and Lotus Cars Peter Rawlinson to be the CEO of the group, as well as former Head of Design at Mazda North America Derek Jenkins to serve as VP.[3] Their acquisition led Atieva to rebrand itself as Lucid Motors in October 2016, alongside a move to entering the full automotive car manufacturer market, rather than as an OEM.[3]
Funding and Factories: 2016 - Present[]
In 2016 Lucid began seeking funding to build a factory, obtaining a 500 acre site in Casa Grande, Arizona, with the first phase of the factory opening in 2020 after a significant investment from the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia.[3] Lucid also moved to make itself a direct competitor with Tesla upon opening its factory, with the Lucid Air the firm's first commercially available saloon car.[3] Variations of the Lucid Air would also appear once production began in 2020, with Lucid also promising a SUV dubbed Project Gravity in 2023 - 2024.[3]
Formula E History[]
Lucid, in their original guise of Atieva, first joined the ABB FIA Formula E Championship in October 2016, having signed a deal with McLaren Applied Technologies as an original equipment manufacturer.[1] The deal, which stemmed from MAT securing the battery supply tender for the Second Generation FE car, saw Lucid construct the base battery unit and the battery management software on behalf of MAT.[1] The partnership would also see Sony supply the energy storage cells, leaving MAT to manage the day-to-day running, support and logistics of the batteries, although the partnership would dissolve during the 2019/20 season.[1][4]
A Spark Partner: 2022/23 - Present[]
After losing out to Williams Advanced Engineering in the tender to supply batteries for the Generation 3 ruleset, Lucid would seek another technical partnership within FE, as well as hint at a possible entry as a manufacturer.[5][6] Despite this, in January 2021 Lucid would sign a deal with Spark Racing Technologies, the designers of the Generation 3 base chassis, to supply the new design with front powertrains, after the Gen 3 ruleset added re-generative braking to the front axle of the FE car.[2] Lucid would hence design and build the MGUs and driveshafts for the front end of the Gen 3 car, which would be universal across the FE field from 2022/23 until the end of the Gen 3 ruleset in 2025/26.[2]
Products[]
Lucid currently provide the battery pack for all of the Spark SRT05e cars that have competed in the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship since the 2018/19 season.[1] From the 2022/23 season, Lucid would supply the Generation 3 design by Spark Racing Technologies with front powertrains, through to the end of the Gen 3 ruleset.[2]
Generation 2 Battery: 2018 - 2022[]
Lucid Motors secured a deal with McLaren Applied Technologies and Sony to co-develop the battery for the Second Generation Formula E car, named the Spark SRT05e.[1] Lucid would develop the battery internals and software, while Sony would handle the development of the energy storage cells.[1] The battery would have to meet improved specifications compared to the Generation One design, weighing 340 kg, storing 54 kWh, and be able to recharge and discharge at 250 kW while in race mode.[1]
Generation 3 Front Powertrain: 2021 - Present[]
In January 2021 Lucid would obtain a deal with Spark Racing Technologies, the winners of the Generation 3 FE car chassis tender, to develop and build a front powertrain for the new car.[2] The new design would feature a front axle MGU, capable of harvesting 250 kW of energy, in addition to 350 kW being harvested from the rear-axle.[7] The front MGU would not, however, be capable of deploying energy, after FE rejected an AWD design for its third Generation design.[2]
References[]
Videos and Images:
References:
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 [Archived] 'Three-way partnership for Formula E battery supply', apexracingpr.com, (Apex Racing PR, 23/10/2016), https://web.archive.org/web/20170602204628/https://apexracingpr.com/2016/10/23/three-way-partnership-for-formula-e-battery-supply/, (Accessed 23/05/2022) - Original
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 Sam Smith, 'POWERTRAIN TECH SUPPLIER PICKED FOR GEN3 FORMULA E CAR', the-race.com, (The Race, 08/01/2021), https://the-race.com/formula-e/powertrain-tech-supplier-picked-for-gen3-formula-e-car/, (Accessed 08/01/2021)
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 'COMPANY', lucidmotors.com, (Lucid Group Inc., 2022), https://www.lucidmotors.com/company, (Accessed 23/05/2022)
- ↑ Sam Smith, 'WILLIAMS LIKELY TO RECLAIM FORMULA E BATTERY DEAL FOR GEN3', the-race.com, (The Race, 16/06/2020), https://the-race.com/formula-e/williams-likely-to-reclaim-formula-e-battery-deal-for-gen3/, (Accessed 18/06/2020)
- ↑ Sam Smith, 'US MANUFACTURER PLANNING NEW FORMULA E ENTRY', the-race.com, (The Race, 29/06/2022), https://the-race.com/formula-e/us-based-manufacturer-lucid-evaluating-formula-e-entry/, (Accessed 23/05/2022)
- ↑ Sam Smith, 'HANKOOK GRABS FORMULA E TYRE DEAL FOR GEN3', therace.com, (The Race, 01/07/2020), https://the-race.com/formula-e/hankook-grabs-formula-e-tyre-deal-for-gen3/, (Accessed 01/07/2020)
- ↑ 'GEN3 FACTS: PERFORMANCE X EFFICIENCY X SUSTAINABILITY', fiaformulae.com, (FIA Formula E, 28/04/2022), https://www.fiaformulae.com/en/news/2022/april/gen3-facts, (Accessed 23/05/2022)
FIA Formula E Partners |
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Institutional |
Formula E Holdings • Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile • ABB |
Founding |
BMW • DHL • Michelin • Qualcomm • Renault • TAG Heuer |
Other |
Allianz • Antofagasta Minerals • Bosch • Copper Co. • Enel • Heineken • Hugo Boss • Julius Bär • Modis • Saudia |
Spark Technical Partners |
Spark Racing Technologies • Brembo • Dallara • Hankook • Hewland • Lucid Motors • McLaren • Williams |
Former Partners |
1st Round • CNBC • Rimac Automobili • Umicore • voestalpine |