As Lucid Motors continues driving toward the launch of its flagship Air sedan, which is expected to occur in the second half of 2021, the company is simultaneously ramping up its marketing efforts while also conducting the standard litany of performance tests necessary for any car before it hits the public roads. Lucid's merger with special-purpose acquisition company (SPAC) Churchill Capital IV (NYSE: CCIV) is scheduled to close in the second quarter ahead of the product's debut. Earlier this week, Lucid released a new video on social media detailing one of the most critical trials: cold weather testing. Image source: Lucid Motors. Freezing the Air Cold weather testing is among the most important aspects of releasing a vehicle to consumers, as the car's performance under those conditions could easily be the difference between life and death. Lucid conducted tests for two of its release candidate vehicles in temperatures of negative 40 degrees Celsius after soaking the cars in water overnight. That freezes "every single molecule" in the car so that the electric-vehicle (EV) start-up can evaluate how various critical components, ranging from lubricants to battery cells, perform in extreme temperatures, according to quality exec Nicolas Minbiole. Compared to gas-powered cars, electric cars are much more susceptible to extreme temperature changes, which can accelerate battery degradation and impact range. That's why it's imperative for EVs to have robust thermal management systems that can keep the battery pack within ideal operating ranges. It's also worth remembering that some of the markets with the highest EV adoption in the world, such as Norway, regularly experience harsh environmental conditions. Lucid says that the Air was able to achieve all of its cold weather testing targets, such as being able to maintain a quiet cabin as the car warms up. Normally, interior systems get louder as they operate in the cold, according to chief engineer and former Tesla exec Eric Bach. Two EV start-ups in a class of their own The testing results come shortly after peer Rivian released a similar video of its own cold weather trials ahead of that company's launch, which is also expected later this year. Rivian is backed by Ford and Amazon, the latter of which has ordered 100,000 custom electric delivery vans from the start-up. Rivian and Lucid are distinguished from other nascent EV start-ups in that they are on the precipice of launching consumer vehicles. Rivian is said to be pursuing a traditional IPO in 2021, while Lucid opted for the SPAC route. Lucid has sold out of its most expensive Dream Edition, with total reservations of over 8,000 as of the end of February. After deliveries start in the months ahead, Lucid hopes to deliver 20,000 vehicles in 2022 to generate $2.2 billion in revenue. 10 stocks we like better than Churchill Capital Corp IVWhen investing geniuses David and Tom Gardner have a stock tip, it can pay to listen. After all, the newsletter they have run for over a decade, Motley Fool Stock Advisor, has tripled the market.* David and Tom just revealed what they believe are the ten best stocks for investors to buy right now... and Churchill Capital Corp IV wasn't one of them! That's right -- they think these 10 stocks are even better buys. See the 10 stocks *Stock Advisor returns as of February 24, 2021 John Mackey, CEO of Whole Foods Market, an Amazon subsidiary, is a member of The Motley Fool's board of directors. Evan Niu, CFA owns shares of Amazon, warrants of Churchill Capital Corp IV, and Tesla and has the following options: long January 2023 $15 calls on Churchill Capital Corp IV, long January 2023 $20 calls on Churchill Capital Corp IV, and short April 2021 $25 puts on Churchill Capital Corp IV. The Motley Fool owns shares of and recommends Amazon and Tesla. The Motley Fool recommends the following options: long January 2022 $1920 calls on Amazon and short January 2022 $1940 calls on Amazon. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.Source