First Impressions

Startup Lucid Motors has begun sales of their all-electric Air luxury sedan. And it is hot! Not only does it break through the thousand horsepower and torque levels, but it has the longest EPA EV driving range yet; 520 miles. 

Next year a base single motor Air Pure arrives for $77,400 before tax incentives; more than competitive with the Tesla Model S. Lucid’s twin-motor all-wheel drive launch model, the Air Dream Edition, starts at well over twice that. Actually, the Air Dream and its 118 kWh battery pack comes in two tunes…performance with a mind bending 1111 horsepower and a 471 mile range…and the aptly named…Range…with only 933 horsepower and the peak 520 mile range. 

Lucid is also in the process of opening showrooms, mostly in upscale shopping malls, with their latest Lucid Studio in the Tysons Corner Center, where we met up with the air.  

“I had a chance to drive Lucid’s top model, the Air Dream Edition Performance, for about 45 minutes around the Virginia suburbs of Washington, DC and several things popped out to me.”

Starting with power. Despite over 1100 horsepower, it is easy to control the throttle in traffic. But if you need to scoot, boy can it. 0 to in 60 2.4 seconds.

It has real style and personality too. The handsome 4-door coupe has a real face…complete with wrap around trim, thin headlights, and even grill work. 

“Moreover…it drives like a European inspired luxury sedan. You feel very connected to the car and the road with good feedback through the steering wheel, pedals, and seats. Very agile for 5000 pounds plus. It's not just a piece of rolling technology.”

And there is a real luxury car interior too. Think Scandinavian more than German. Materials look rich with an eye to sustainability. Touch screens, yes, but also plenty of real switches for basic controls. The rear seat has great legroom, but you do have to duck to get in. Lots of storage space in the front frunk and rear trunk too. 

We hope all of this makes it to their upcoming EV SUV. But for now, the Lucid Air sedan is an impressive first effort. And, we’ll have more on an upcoming edition of MotorWeek.