Lucid Motors won’t be the first luxury automaker with a sleek electric sedan. But the company debuts this fall with a lot of promise and hype — and in the large shadow of Tesla Inc.
Lucid CEO and Chief Technology Officer Peter Rawlinson — an engineer with major stints at Tesla, Corus, Lotus and Jaguar — was the brains behind the Tesla Model S.
Under Rawlinson, the Silicon Valley startup has already claimed the honor of marketing and selling the first EV with an EPA-estimated range of more than 500 miles.
The $169,000 Lucid Air Dream Edition R, a 933-hp version of the Air sedan, when fitted with 19-inch wheels, is rated at 520 miles. And it is already a sellout.
But Lucid is readying several other, less expensive versions of the Air. The Dream Edition Performance and Grand Touring models have a range of 469 to 516 miles, depending on specific wheels.
The Air will be followed by an SUV, the Gravity.
Like Tesla, Lucid plans a direct assault on the ultra-luxury segment that has long been the domain of the Mercedes-Benz S-Class, BMW 7 Series, Audi A8, Lexus LS and, more recently, Tesla’s Model S.
Over time, as new Air models are introduced, Lucid will compete on power, range, comfort and opulence. We’ve collected some early reviews of the Air from the automotive media.
“”eeping in mind the fact a more powerful version of the Air exists, the 2022 Lucid Air Grand Touring is among the quickest sedans we’ve ever tested. Even without a dedicated launch-control function, stomping on the accelerator from a standstill brings the Air from 0 to 60 mph in just 3.0 seconds and on through the quarter-mile in 10.8 seconds at 130.1 mph. While expectedly slower than something like a Tesla Model S Plaid (2.07 seconds to 60 mph), the Lucid is just 0.1 second slower to 60 mph than the Audi RS E-Tron GT, and 0.75 second quicker than the rival Mercedes EQS, while posting a quicker quarter-mile time and faster trap speed than both Germans.
“While on paper it appears there’s a chasm between the acceleration of something like the Model S Plaid and the Lucid Air, we doubt the trusty butt dyno will reveal such a difference. Nine-tenths of a second is significant in drag racing but relatively insignificant in the real world, where the Air Grand Touring will still routinely pin you back hard into its plush seats, its relatively narrow tires (chosen in the interest of efficiency and range) still delivering impressive levels of grip.”
— Christian Seabaugh, MotorTrend
“”e’ve now driven the 1111-hp Air Dream P (the P is for Performance). At an estimated 5,200 pounds, it’ll never shuffle-step like a Lotus, but the Air steers with soul. The feedback flowing into your hands makes it possible to detect change in pavement types.
“The chassis, not exactly groundbreaking, features a multilink setup with coil springs, adaptive dampers, and anti-roll bars in front and back. With no air springs, active anti-roll bars, or rear-wheel steering, the Air feels natural and predictable unraveling corners. Driving it quickly is certainly easy, as is probing the high limits of the tailor-made Pirelli P Zero PZ4 Elect tires. The three-position dampers never introduce harshness, even in their most aggressive setting.
“The low center of gravity, a byproduct of the battery pack in the floor that boosts the aluminum structure’s rigidity, helps keep body motions in check. The Air might not have the unfiltered flavor of a Lotus, but for a heavy car with a supple ride, it is connected and secure on a fun road.”
— Tony Quiroga, Car and Driver
“” spent a few hours … driving one of the investor early-bird specials: the limited-edition, all-sold-out Air Dream Edition Performance, with a dual-motor array maxing out at 1,111 hp, which turns out to be enough. Hunkered down on optional 21-inch summer Pirellis, and with a center of gravity seemingly at the center of the Earth, the Air DEP hurtled through miles of California-redwood country like a mag-lev roller coaster, after which I needed a high-tech luxury bucket. Oh yeah, it hustles. The car’s 0-60 mph acceleration (2.42 seconds) would draw a roughing-the-passer penalty in football. Superb brakes, too.
“Anatomically, the Air and Model S are not dissimilar: Both use rock-solid, aluminum-intensive body structures with large, cast-aluminum sub-frames under front and rear electric motors, and a load-bearing battery pack slung between.
“But, emotionally, the Air is across the universe from the Model S. Can someone explain how this swank, smart, distinctly Gallic design for a five-meter executive limousine wandered off from Citroën’s studios, or Renault’s? The Lucid’s headlamps alone are a City of Lights.”
— Dan Neil, The Wall Street Journal
“”ere in the Sonoran Desert, near the abandoned Lost Dutchman gold mine, the Lucid makes fast friends as it breaks cover in public. They include a posse of young outlaws in a high-horsepower convoy — Corvette Z06, Mustang Shelby GT500 and Dodge Hellcat, all painted black. Go hang, fellas: Lucid’s sprawling five-passenger sedan will beat them all in a drag race. And it won’t be particularly close; Lucid figures 0-60 takes just 2.5 seconds.
“If Lucid does strike it rich, the Air’s curb and cabin appeal will deserve due credit. This sweet lozenge of a sedan recalls a Citroen DS for the electric age, with deep-set LED headlamps, a clamshell hood, corseted waist and full-width animated lighting front and rear. An aluminum monocoque and body (with a composite decklid) is capped with an atrium-like glass canopy and brushed-aluminum roof pillars. Even the Lucid’s one visual scar, an awkward shut-line that borders its hatch-like trunk, marks a pragmatic benefit: an uncommonly low lift-over and a conveniently wide opening. Another deep storage space rests below the cargo floor. The industry’s largest frunk is more than double the size of a current Miata’s trunk, at 9.9 cubic feet. Lucid claims a best-in-class 26.1 cubic feet of total cargo space.
“The Lucid, Model S and Porsche Taycan are closely matched in size, nearly identical in length. The Lucid is the narrowest of the bunch, but feels the roomiest, especially in its sprawling back seat. Compared with high-roofed sedans—including the S-Class, roughly a foot longer and 3.7 inches taller—the Lucid’s rear seat cushions are positioned relatively low to carve out space. Rear passengers must duck below the curling roof for ingress and egress, but once aboard, even taller riders won’t complain.”
— Lawrence Ulrich, Road & Track
“”ow factor is going to be one of those things for Lucid, and there’s plenty of visual punch here. Sliding into the backseat — and bumping my head on the low roof — I’m met with so much glass. The windshield extends nearly halfway up the roof, with another massive glass panel above the back seats. The Air may have less rear legroom than a Honda Accord, but all that sunlight pouring in makes it feel more expansive.
“Aesthetics play a big part in the Air. The cabin is filled with interesting materials, including both leather and high-quality fabrics, and the general layout is clean and uncluttered. As with other new EVs, screens abound, with the dashboard sprouting a 34-inch display that covers standard gauge cluster stuff in addition to a unique infotainment system I didn’t get any time to fiddle with. A center console screen covers vehicle functions, climate control, all the other usual things. Perhaps the weirdest part of it all is that the electric steering column can only be moved via this display, which feels unnecessarily complicated.”
— Andre Krok, Roadshow by CNET