2022 Lucid Air Grand Touring aero tricks

[aerohead]

On page 70 of the January, 2022 MOTOR TREND, there's a QR Code on the bottom-right of the page, for 'Learn more about Lucid's design and aerodynamic tricks'
We tried Al's phone app here at the copy center, but struck out.
If any of you happen across an issue at your local library, perhaps you'll have some luck with it.
The article mentioned:
* 'vortex airflow to help suck extra air into the car's front cooling ducts and to keep air attached to the smooth underbody's diffuser fences. The wing shape of its fascia air curtain ducts actually produces negative drag, and its hood ducts exhaust high-pressure air from the front. Narrow tires and a low roofline minimize frontal area.'
* ' inverted-jellybean shape'
* ' lowering the roofline to minimize drag'
* 'Cd 0.200'
'Go small, or go home!'

[freebeard]

* ' inverted-jellybean shape'

Like the Oscar Meyer Weinermobiles?

[kach22i]

This article?

Nov 15, 2021
How the Lucid Air’s Aerodynamic Tricks Gain It Access to the .200 Club
Lucid leverages tricks used in Formula 1 racing and Dyson vacuums to hit a remarkable drag coefficient
https://www.motortrend.com/news/2022...n-aero-tricks/

From 2020 some wind tunnel images:
https://www.greencarreports.com/news...ent-luxury-car








What gets me about all of the "aero-trickery" and gimmicks is that they cannot be seen with old fashion wind tunnel and smoke. Their function can only be explained with CFD imagery and automotive prose. I'm sure they usually work as advertised, but it does take some faith in what cannot be seen.

[aerohead]

Originally Posted by kach22i

This article?

Nov 15, 2021
How the Lucid Air’s Aerodynamic Tricks Gain It Access to the .200 Club
Lucid leverages tricks used in Formula 1 racing and Dyson vacuums to hit a remarkable drag coefficient
https://www.motortrend.com/news/2022...n-aero-tricks/

From 2020 some wind tunnel images:
https://www.greencarreports.com/news...ent-luxury-car








What gets me about all of the "aero-trickery" and gimmicks is that they cannot be seen with old fashion wind tunnel and smoke. Their function can only be explained with CFD imagery and automotive prose. I'm sure they usually work as advertised, but it does take some faith in what cannot be seen.

This must be the article they referenced. Thanks!
* the erratic smoke streams suggest sub-critical Reynolds number, which if the case, what we see is not how it would actually be with the turbulent boundary layer.
* the explanation for the vortex-induced duct flow sounds just like NASA's explanation for the submerged NACA inlet.
* the 'square-to-round-to square', with fully attached interior duct flow would not seem remarkable in lieu of ASHRAE duct construction standard practice.
* headlight cooling, then extraction atop the hood is reminiscent of the Morelli/Pininfarina CNR 'banana' car cooling system of 1976, something I borrowed for SPIRIT.
* Stagnation pressure is always a good thing, and why Lucid didn't have to stoop to powered-cooling fan operation like Porsche had to do.
* Cd 0.200 is good, but the Tesla Model S plaid, with aero wheels might come in below that ( The 1987 GM Impact was Cd 0.19. The 1996 GM EV1 was Cd 0.197, and 1993 EV1, LSR car was Cd 0.137 ).
* By New Years, we'll be celebrating the 1st- Centennial of Paul Jaray's Cd 0.13 form.
* I think the 'aero trickery' would sound different coming straight from the mouth of the aerodynamic engineer. And the pretty, artificial colorization of CFD probably has a higher visual psychological impact on the viewer than low contrast smoke imaging. Just an opinion.
* And the aero trickery doesn't impact the 'appearance' ( design / styling ) of the form, and as Wolf Hucho informed us, would not jeopardize sales ( to the un-initiated ).
* I'm glad to see the gentlemanly aero competition among auto makers, and recognition by the press, that aerodynamics is a 'performance' feature of the design, not just some effete, fashion aesthetic, passing fad.

[aerohead]

1) The Lucid Air blueprint was scaled for my photon table.
2) It's a near-perfect match to Walter Lay's 1933 wind tunnel research model of Cd 0.12, At Michigan University ( Wolf H. Hucho credits it at Cd 0.13, which implies that Volkswagen AG tested a duplicate model of Lay's ).
3) Lucid's contour is also close to that of GM's 1999 Precept concept, Cd 0.163.
4) Lucid's contour is also close to the 2010 Porsche Panamera, Cd 0.29.
5) Extrapolating Lucid's tail, allowing for a 'slow' low-drag diffuser, puts a long-tail at 277.54-inch length.
6) 40.58% forebody.
7) 59.41% aft-body.
8) Lucid's roofline allows a 'bulge' for rear seat headroom, a criticism of of Tesla's Model S, for which Lucid directly competes.

[aerohead]

1) Out of curiosity, I gave the Lucid the shape of the Cd 0.1716, 2022 M-B EQXX concept. Using the actual MOTOR TREND road test values for 67-mph cruising, yielded:
A) 218.5 Wh/mi fell to 201.3 Wh/mi
B) 154.3 mpg-e HWY actual increased to 167.3 mpg-e ( gasoline )
C) 199.1 mpg-e ( diesel )
C) 4.6 miles/ kWh increased to 4.96 miles/kWh
D) Range of 517 miles increased to 560-miles
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2) Installing the modified-transom 'baby' template body, Cd 0.121 yielded:
A) 170.7 Wh/mi
B) 197.3 mpg-e ( gasoline )
C) 234.8 mpg-e ( diesel )
D) 661.7 miles range
E) BSFC-e 0.1358 pounds/bhp-e-hour
F) 9-hours, 52-minutes drive time
G) Road Load horsepower = 14.576
* 6.248-hp aero
* 8.327-hp RR
H) Bhp-e = 15.343 ( @ 95% B-T-W efficiency )
I) 0.3395-gallons-e / hour
J) 2.084-pounds gasoline-e / hour
K) Four ( 4) of these cars could drive on the electricity of one (1) GMC HUMMER EV

[aerohead]

According to Peter Rawlinson, The Grand Touring's high mpg is predicated upon having the narrower 245mm tire width on the 19-inch wheels.
The Tesla Model S Plaid, which is criticized for it's lower range has 295mm rear tires and engineered for a safe 163-mph.
The Mercedes-Benz EQXX low-drag/mpg leader has 185mm tires.
RIVIAN R1T uses 275mm tires.

[aerohead]

While roaming the grocery store to absorb some of their air conditioning, I passed the MATTEL Hot Wheels display and found a newly-released miniature of Peter Rawlinson's Lucid Air.
It's as close as I've been to one, and for a buck-twenty-five, figured I could take one home.
Like with their CYBERTRUCK, MATTEL seemed to pay a lot of attention to detail, considering the small scale of these offerings.

[Phase]

3rd one spotted in last few weeks. This time in seattle

[kach22i]

Originally Posted by Phase

3rd one spotted in last few weeks. This time in seattle

I've only seen one of those on the road, and think the Tesla Model S is far sexier.

I'd like to do an up close walk-around on the Lucid Air.

This week I got to talk to a Rivian owner who previously owned a Mach-E, said the Rivian is in a different class, and I think it should be considering its twice the price.

My impression is Rivian is high on quality control at least fit and finish wise. However, who really needs a $90,000 +800HP pickup truck?