Park Jae-hyuk is a seasoned journalist who has provided comprehensive coverage of South Korea's corporate dynamics, economic policies, industry challenges and the global positioning of Korean companies. Based on the articles he has written since joining The Korea Times in 2016, his investigative approach has helped readers understand corporate governance, economic trends and business strategies shaping South Korea’s economy.
Samsung SDI batteries power world’s longest journey by EV on single charge
The Lucid Air Grand Touring electric vehicle / Courtesy of Lucid Motors
By Park Jae-hyuk
Samsung SDI said Thursday that Lucid Motors’ Lucid Air Grand Touring electric vehicle (EV), equipped with the Korean firm’s 21700 cylindrical batteries, set a Guinness World Record for the longest journey by an electric car on a single charge, traveling 1,205 kilometers during a test drive last month.
The test was conducted between St. Moritz, Switzerland, and Munich, Germany. It included alpine roads, highways and secondary roads. The U.S. EV maker exceeded the previous record of 1,045 kilometers set in June.
This milestone was attributed to the synergy across Samsung SDI’s cutting-edge battery technology combined with Lucid’s in-house powertrain platform, outstanding design and engineering.
“With Samsung SDI’s cylindrical battery powering the world’s longest-range vehicle, we have proven our technological prowess,” a Samsung SDI official said. “We will strengthen our partnership with Lucid to expand our global market share and accelerate the development of products that combine differentiated performance and safety.”
Samsung SDI's 21700 cylindrical batteries / Courtesy of Samsung SDI
Lucid Air Grand Touring is the longest-range variant of Lucid’s flagship sedan.
In addition to its industry-leading driving range, the high-performance EV can accelerate from zero to 100 kilometers per hour in as little as 3.2 seconds, deliver up to 831 horsepower and reach a top speed of 270 kilometers per hour.
The battery pack can gain up to 400 kilometers of range in just 16 minutes due to its advanced battery cell, pack and ultrafast charging architecture.
Samsung SDI and Lucid have been collaborating since 2016, when the EV company developed and launched the Lucid Air Dream Edition and subsequent models.