Lucid Air Officially Unveiled, Orders Now Open in Canada
After revealing a number of pictures and technical details over the past few months, Silicon Valley-based Lucid Motors officially unveiled its first-ever vehicle yesterday.
The new Lucid Air keeps all of its lofty promises, becoming the most powerful and longest-range electric sedan in the world—ahead of the Tesla Model S and Porsche Taycan. And it will be available in Canada, too.
- Also: The Lucid Air Will Gain 483 Km of Range After a 20-minute Charge
- Also: Confirmed: Lucid Air Crushes Tesla With Record Range
“With the Lucid Air, we have created a halo car for the entire industry, one which shows the advancements that are possible by pushing the boundaries of EV technology and performance to new levels,” said Peter Rawlinson, CEO of Lucid Motors.
Unbeatable Specs
Built on a unique architecture called LEAP (Lucid Electric Advanced Platform) that miniaturizes the EV drivetrain to optimize interior space, the Lucid Air boasts a super-clean body that results in the world’s most aerodynamic luxury car with a drag coefficient of 0.21. It also has the world’s largest frunk, plus headlight units comprised of literally thousands of “light channels” that provide the brightest, most precise and advanced lighting system ever, the company claims.
In terms of performance, the top-line Dream Edition model uses two electric motors generating a combined 1,080 horsepower, accelerating from 0-100 km/h in about 2.5 seconds and achieving the quarter-mile run in just 9.9 seconds—quicker than the vast majority of modern sports cars. The Touring and Grand Touring models deliver 620 and 800 horsepower, respectively. Power is sent to all four wheels.
More importantly, with the available 113-kWh battery, the Lucid Air can travel up to 832 kilometres on a full charge according to tests by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). This is by far the longest range ever offered by a production EV, easily besting the 647 kilometres of the current Model S.
Other Air models provide a range of up to 653 and 809 kilometres. A fourth one will be added as an entry point to the brand at a later date, but specs remain unknown for now.
All of them will be able to charge at rates of up to 32 kilometres per minute when connected to a DC fast-charging network. For owners charging their Lucid Air in real-world conditions on the road, that can translate into 483 kilometres in just 20 minutes of charging. Again, this is unpredecented.
Reach for the Skies
When stepping inside the Lucid Air, occupants will find the generous space to be emphasized by the huge glass roof. It’s almost like open-top motoring, without the elements. An extra-wide 34-inch curved display, similar to the one in the recently unveiled Cadillac LYRIQ, lies in front of the driver. Another display, which neatly retracts into the dashboard when you don’t need it, is found on the centre console and allows deeper control of the vehicle’s functions. Amazon Alexa is also part of the mix.
Naturally, a host of advanced driver assistance features are included in what Lucid Motors calls DreamDrive technology. A total of 32 sensors and the world’s first high-resolution LIDAR system in an electric vehicle make it all work. The car is said to be capable of Level 3 autonomy.
Available in 2021
Production will begin soon in Casa Grande, Arizona, but customers in Canada can already reserve a copy of the Lucid Air by making a $1,300 deposit via the company’s website ($9,800 for the limited Dream Edition). Prices have not been announced yet, but in the U.S. they start under $80,000 and go way up to $169,000.
Deliveries will commence in spring of 2021. The luxury sedan will also be available through the 20 Lucid Studios and Service Centres that are planned to open across North America by the end of next year.
Oh, and Lucid Motors also took the opportunity to tease its second vehicle, a luxury SUV. You can see it in the photo gallery at the top of the page.