Nearly every automaker – big or small – has at least a foot in the world of racing. Lucid is part of that world with the debut of its new electric drive unit (EDU), developed specifically for motorsports. It’s not just a concept, as this compact system is already in use with “the world’s leading single-seater electric racing series.”
While Lucid doesn’t name the series directly, we’re talking about the Formula E World Championship. The series has a new race car for 2023 that features a front drive unit in addition to a rear motor for better regenerative braking. The EDU from Lucid combines the motor with transmission, differential, and inverter in a compact package that weighs just over 70 pounds.
According to Lucid, EDU has a maximum rotor speed of 19,500 RPM. It uses the same continuous winding waves and microjet cooling system found in the luxury sedan Lucid Air. The company didn’t elaborate further other than to say EDU is proprietary and manufactured entirely in-house at Lucid’s California headquarters.
“With an incredible power density of 14.7 hp/kg and excellent energy recovery, this drive unit will once again redefine electric motoring, following in the footsteps of our revolutionary battery packs from previous race seasons,” said Peter Rawlinson, CEO and CTO Lucid Group. .
The 2023 Formula E World Championship starts on January 14 in Mexico City. The second and third rounds moved the field to Saudi Arabia for back-to-back races at Diriyah on 27 and 28 January. The third generation of Formula E cars were said to be more efficient and quicker on track, managed for a top speed of 199 mph (380 km/h).
“For Lucid, the transfer of technology between motorsports and street cars is a two-way symbiosis,” says Rawlinson. “This new motorsports propulsion unit builds directly on groundbreaking powertrain technology developed internally by Lucid and proven on the road in every Lucid Air. I am excited at the prospect that some of the technical advances introduced will in turn lead to future Lucid road cars. “
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