The Lucid Air, the first luxury electric car from California-based Lucid Motors, was officially unveiled Wednesday evening. From the presentation, we learned that the model delivers an impressive maximal output of 1080 hp, a 0-96 km/h acceleration time of 2.5 seconds and 9.9 seconds for the quarter mile, and a top speed that can reach 270 km/h.
As for range, it's estimated at a maximum of 832 km by the EPA (Environment Protection Agency) and with a 20-minute quick charge, it will be possible to recover some 500 km of range.
These are the kinds of capabilities that could well change the game for electric cars.
"With the Lucid Air, we have created an industry-wide benchmark car that demonstrates the advances that are possible by pushing the boundaries of electric vehicle technology and performance to new levels," said Peter Rawlinson, CEO and CTO of Lucid Motors.
What is interesting about the design of this car is that Lucid Motors refused to use existing components in the creation of its model. Instead, it designed its own motors, inverters and batteries, all on a vehicle running at over 900 volts. The design maximizes interior space while offering the best aerodynamics in the industry, allowing the company to effectively meet the challenges of efficiency, range and performance faced by electric vehicles.
There's one catch, of course, and that had to do with the price. The first version to hit the market, the Lucid Air Dream Edition, debut in the spring of 2021 at a price of $169,000 USD.
The cheapest version, which gets a sticker price of under $80,000 USD, won’t be available before 2022.
The Dream Edition will be offered in a choice of three colours: Stellar White, Infinite Black or the Eureka Gold, exclusive to the high-end version. On the edge, the Santa Monica theme will be applied with Bridge of Weir Nappa grain leather and silvery Eucalyptus wood. 21-inch AeroDream wheels are on hand to give it even more panache.
“Only”
The 1080-hp Dream Edition variant will not offer the maximum possible range with those 21-inch AeroDream wheels; buyers with a taste for snazzy over-sized wheels will have to make do with “only” 748 km. The 19-inch AeroRange tires translate into a range of 810 km.
The Grand Touring version will follow in the summer of 2021 and cost $139,000 USD. It delivers the longest range of the Lucid Air variants, estimated at 832 km, but has “only” 800 hp to play with, along with a 0-100 km/h acceleration time of around 3 seconds. Battery size is the same at 113 kWh.
Only after that will the most affordable Lucid Air Touring version make its debut. Scheduled for the last quarter of 2021, it will certainly be the lineup’s top seller, and it gets a price of $95,000 USD. It will have a range of 653 km and an output of 620 hp. We'll still be under 3.5 seconds for the 0-100 km/h trick.
Inside
The Lucid Air offers a sleek, elegant yet uncluttered interior environment. The highlight is a curved 34-inch touchscreen that dominates the dashboard and offers a, shall we say, expansive view of all the vehicle's functions. There’s full compatibility with Amazon Alexa will be total, too, which promises to be interesting.
A set of active safety features and drive assist systems called DreamDrive is part of the package; it includes 32 sensors that work in concert with cameras, radar and ultrasonic sensors. DreamDrive also includes a driver-monitoring system.
Production of the model is scheduled to begin in early 2021 at company’s Casa Grande, Arizona plant. In the meantime, 20 Lucid outlets and service centres are scheduled to open by the end of 2021. The company is accepting refundable deposits of $7,500 for Dream Editions or $1,000 for other models.
