There’s a lot going on at Lucid these days. Several new midsized vehicles are on the way, there are new standard features on the Gravity, a new CEO has taken charge, so it’s easy to overlook one of the biggest announcements the company has made in recent weeks. The powertrain of its new vehicles will feature a shockingly small motor that packs a ton of punch.
The Lucid “Atlas” weighs less than 57 kg, which is 23% less than the “Zeus” powertrain it’s replacing. Despite its compact size, each unit can pump out about 279 horsepower. Which means any dual-motor Lucid midsizes you see on the road will likely be rocking over 500, and theoretically a “quad motor” Lucid of the future may even boast over 1,000 horsepower.
Admittedly, both the Gravity Grand Touring and Air Sapphire break the four-figure horsepower barrier already, but it’ll still be an impressive achievement in anything new. It’s 1,000 horsepower.
However, the big news with the new motor isn’t raw power. Firstly, the Atlas has a 37% lower bill of materials than Lucid’s previous motors. Which, if you don’t speak business, means it’s far cheaper to make. It can also use identical horizontal mounts on both the front and rear axles, dropping research costs while simplifying manufacturing. In short, it’s the reason Lucid’s bringing a $50,000 vehicle to market.
Then there’s the obscene efficiency Atlas offers. It allows Lucid to get about 300 miles of range from a relatively small 69 kWh battery pack. It also operates on an 800-volt architecture, enabling greater efficiency and superfast charging. We’re sort of at the point where few top-end EVs launch on a 400-volt architecture these days, so Lucid has definitely gone future-forward with its Atlas motors.
But claiming it’s the most efficient motor in its class is one thing. How does the Lucid Atlas motor actually weigh up against its competitors?
So how does the Lucid Atlas motor weigh up against its competitors?
Tesla is currently using its fourth-generation drive unit, which pumps out a competitive 402 horsepower at its peak, which is 123 more than the Lucid Atlas. But the Drive Unit 4 also weighs around 90 kilograms, meaning its power-to-weight ratio sits at 4.47 horsepower per kg. Close to half a horsepower less per kg than Lucid’s effort.
The same can be said for Porsche’s effort. The PPE motor at the back of a Macan EV produces 380 horsepower on standard models. The version in the Macan EV Turbo cranks out an impressive 450. However, the units weigh 125 kg and 115 kg respectively. So while Porsche has the most powerful motor here, it only produces 3.04 hp/kg in the standard unit and 3.91 hp/kg in the Turbo’s motor. Making it the least efficient on this list.
Finally, at the other end of the price spectrum from Porsche, we have Hyundai. Which shouldn’t be overlooked, the IONIQ 5N is exceptional. That performance comes courtesy of an 85 kg, 378 horsepower motor, which is pretty much equal to Tesla’s effort when it comes to power-to-weight ratio. It works out at 4.44 horsepower per kg of motor weight.
So yes, based on the competition, Lucid’s new Atlas motor does offer the best power-to-weight ratio of any mass-market motor. There are other specialist motors, including Lucid’s own “Zeus,” that outclass it. But none of those are going to end up in a $50,000 EV any time soon.
