Lucid Air Battery Teardown: Cutting-Edge Engineering Secrets Revealed

 

The Lucid Air is one of the most anticipated electric vehicles of 2023, boasting an impressive driving range of up to 516 miles on a single charge. But what makes this luxury sedan so efficient and powerful? A recent battery teardown by Munro & Associates, a company specializing in reverse engineering and benchmarking, reveals some of the secrets behind Lucid’s cutting-edge battery technology.

The Battery Pack

The Lucid Air’s battery pack consists of 22 modules, each containing 300 cylindrical cells, for a total of 6,600 cells. The battery pack has a capacity of 112 kWh and weighs about 1,400 lbs. The modules are mounted on an epoxy glass fiber composite floor, which provides thermal insulation and corrosion resistance. The floor also has machined aluminum castings at the front, rear, and sides for structural support. Another aluminum casting divides the battery pack into two sections.

The Module Design

Each module is divided into 10 parts, each with 30 cells arranged in a 6x5 configuration. The cells are held together by three sheet molding compound (SMC) lids, which are compressed high-strength materials that contribute to the rigidity and safety of the module. The lids also have integrated cooling channels that allow coolant to flow through the module and regulate the temperature of the cells. The modules are connected by busbars, which are solid metal bars that carry current between them. The busbars are coated with a black material that prevents corrosion and electrical arcing.

The Battery Management System

The battery management system (BMS) is the brain of the battery pack, responsible for monitoring and controlling various parameters such as voltage, current, temperature, state of charge, and state of health. The Lucid Air’s battery pack has two BMS circuit boards, each with a large printed circuit board assembly (PCBA) that covers almost the entire surface of the module. The BMS boards have several components such as microcontrollers, sensors, relays, fuses, connectors, and wires. The BMS boards communicate with each other and with the vehicle’s main computer via a CAN bus network.

The Advantages and Disadvantages

The Lucid Air’s battery pack showcases some of the advantages and disadvantages of its design choices. On one hand, the battery pack offers high energy density, high power output, high thermal management, high safety features, and high modularity. On the other hand, the battery pack also has some drawbacks such as high complexity, high weight, high cost, and low serviceability. Some of these drawbacks are due to the use of large central busbars, structural adhesives, and large BMS boards.

The Conclusion

The Lucid Air’s battery pack is a remarkable piece of engineering that demonstrates Lucid’s expertise and innovation in battery technology. The battery pack enables the Lucid Air to achieve its outstanding performance and range without compromising on luxury and comfort. However, the battery pack also poses some challenges in terms of manufacturing, maintenance, and recycling. It remains to be seen how Lucid will address these challenges and how its competitors will respond to its technological edge