Lucid Air EV Takes Aim At Tesla Priced From $80K With Up To 517 Miles Of Range And 1,080 Horsepower
The company’s first vehicle will be the Lucid Air, which we first talked about earlier this month when it ripped some seriously fast ¼ mile times (sub 10 seconds to be exact). Interestingly enough, the Lucid Air takes on a sedan body style in an age where sedans are a dying breed. Companies like Chevrolet and Ford have completely abandoned sedans (or will soon do so) in favor of crossovers.
With that being said, the Lucid Air definitely features a rather interesting design that is clearly futuristic without having to adhere to constraints of an internal combustion engine. Up front, there’s a thin cluster of LEDs for the headlights on either side of the Lucid logo, and plenty of silver accents to add a bit of flash the design. Much like the Tesla Model X, the windshield extends far above the front passengers giving an unbroken, panoramic experience to your surroundings.
Inside, the Lucid Air abandons the minimalistic interior of the Tesla Model 3 and Model Y in favor of multiple displays in front of the driver (thank goodness) along with a central screen for the infotainment and other vehicle controls. Premium materials abound (Nappa leather, PurLuxe faux-leather upholstery is available while Alcantera, Wool Blend Textile, and even Eucalyptus and Walnut can be optioned for various interior surfaces), and are a step-up from what you’d find on even the flagship Model S and Model X from flagships. However, materials choice and build quality has never been a real strong point for Teslas compared to similarly priced conventional luxury competitors. There is seating for five passengers inside, and like its chief competitor, there is storage space in the rear trunk and the front trunk, aka frunk.
But what everyone wants to know is how far it will travel per charge and how it performs; needless to say, the Lucid Air is an absolute monster. The vehicle will be available in four trims – Air, Air Turing, Air Grand Touring, and Air Dream Edition – with the latter two featuring 113 kWh battery packs. Using a DC fast charger, it can be juiced up at a rate of 20 miles per minute (60 percent charge in just 20 minutes).
This massive battery pack will be enough to provide up 517 miles of range in the Air Grand Touring (compared to just over 400 miles for the Model S). When it comes to performance, top-spec models will be able to rocket from a standstill to 60 mph in just 2.5 seconds thanks to having all-wheel drive and a staggering 1,080 horsepower on tap.
Lucid Motors says that the base Lucid Air will be priced at below $80,000, but it won’t be available until 2022. Taking a page from Tesla’s book, the most expensive model – the Lucid Air Dream Edition – will be available first (Q2 2021) priced at a staggering $169,000 before federal tax credit. The $139,000 Lucid Air Grand Touring will also be available during Q2 2021, while the $95,000 Lucid Air Touring is scheduled to bow in Q4 2021. However, we wouldn’t be surprised to see all of those launch dates slip given the difficulties in getting a new electric car company up and running.
The company is currently taking refundable deposits for the Lucid Air ($1,000) and the Lucid Air Dream Edition ($7,500). Tell us what you think in the comment section about the Lucid Air and if you think it’s a worthy competitor to the likes of the Tesla Model S and Porsche Taycan.
