Lucid, the ambitious US EV maker, has released details of its motorsport-specific electric drive unit, which is used as the spec front drive motor (though currently only for regen) in Formula E.
“With incredible power density of 14.7hp/kg and immense energy recuperation, this drive unit will once again transform electric motorsports, following in the footsteps of our revolutionary battery pack in prior race seasons,” said Peter Rawlinson, CEO and CTO at Lucid. “For Lucid, the transfer of technology between motorsports and road cars is a two-way symbiosis. This new motorsports drive unit builds directly upon the groundbreaking powertrain technology developed in-house by Lucid and proven on the road in every Lucid Air. I’m excited by the prospect that some of the technical advancements introduced may in turn make their way to future Lucid road cars.”
Comprising a motor, inverter, differential and transmission in an integrated unit, the motorsports drive unit produces 469bhp, weighs just 32kg and can run at a peak speed of 19,500rpm. It features the same high-voltage continuous wave winding and proprietary microjet cooling system that can be found in the motors powering the Lucid Air sports sedan.
