EV Universe

Welcome to our Lucid Air EV review!

Lucid Motors, a Silicon Valley-based company that initially focused on developing EV batteries, has made a big splash in the electric vehicle market with their first model, the Lucid Air sedan. Despite not being the expected fruit-named company, Lucid Motors has quickly gained attention for their commitment to sustainable technology and innovation.

Lucid began developing their own vehicle around 2014 and began production in September 2021 at their Arizona factory. Lucid Air release date and deliveries began in October of the same year. While Lucid is currently a single-model company, the Air sedan is available in a range of trims to suit different preferences.

Lucid is poised to release other models soon, with the Lucid Air Touring being one of the upcoming offerings. The company’s focus on electric vehicles and cutting-edge technology makes them a strong contender in the rapidly growing EV market.

As more consumers look for sustainable transportation options, Lucid Motors’ commitment to innovation and sustainability could make them a top player in the EV industry. The company’s unique approach to design and engineering has already made a significant impact, and they’re poised to continue shaking up the market in the years to come.

Lucid Air Overview

The Lucid Air sedan has a unique and striking design that sets it apart from other midsize sedans. Its low roofline and horizontal lightbars wrapping around the front and rear create a sleek and aerodynamic appearance, while recessed door handles add to its modern aesthetic. The Lucid Air is roughly the same size as a BMW 5 Series, but its design gives it a longer and wider appearance.

Inside the 5-seater cabin, the Lucid Air is remarkably light and airy, thanks to a glass canopy roof. Unlike many other EVs, the Lucid Air specs include a trunk rather than a hatchback, adding to its practicality and convenience.

The Lucid Air Touring is powered by a pair of electric motors that drive the rear wheels, providing a smooth and powerful ride. Its battery, mounted under the floor, is sized to provide the longest range of any EV currently on the market, making it an ideal choice for drivers looking for a sustainable and practical vehicle.

Overall, the Lucid Air’s unique design, practicality, and sustainable technology make it a strong contender in the growing EV market. Its commitment to innovation and sustainability will likely continue to attract attention and set it apart from other midsize sedans.

Lucid Air EVU Hot Take

Pros:

• Beautiful design both inside and out
• Top of the line range and performance
• Luxurious interior

Cons:

• Odd trunk entry
• First model from a new, relatively unknown brand

Lucid Air Versions

The Lucid Air sedan has a range of trims to suit different budgets and preferences. The initial Dream Edition trim was priced at almost $170,000, featuring luxury features and high-end materials. However, reservations for this model are now closed, and interested buyers will have to look on the used car market.

The base trim for the Lucid Air is the Air Pure, priced around $90,000. The Air Touring is the next step up at around $108,000, followed by the Air Grand Touring priced from $154,000. At the top of the lineup is the recently announced Air Sapphire, with a price tag of $249,000.

Despite the differences in Lucid Air price, all trims share the same body style and appearance, featuring a striking and aerodynamic design. The main differences between trims are in their powertrain and performance.

Here’s a run through the main features:

Lucid Air Pure

Starting with the Air Pure, it features a single electric motor that powers the rear wheels, providing up to 480 horsepower and an estimated range of 406 miles on a 112kWh battery. The Air Pure also offers fast charging capabilities that can add back 300 miles of range in just 22 minutes.

Lucid Air Touring

The Air Touring features a dual-motor layout that sends 620 horsepower to all four wheels in an AWD design, providing an estimated range of 406 miles.

Lucid Air Grand Touring

The Air Grand Touring also features a dual-motor setup and AWD but delivers a standard 819 horsepower, which can be increased to 1,050 horsepower with the Performance variant. The Air Grand Touring has a range of up to 516 miles on 19″ wheels, which reduces to 469 miles on 21″ rims. The Performance variant has a range of 446 miles.

Lucid Air Sapphire

For those looking for the ultimate in performance, the Lucid Air Sapphire is the top-of-the-line model. It features a three-motor drivetrain and an incredible 1,200 horsepower, with a claimed 0-60 time of under 2 seconds and a top speed of over 200mph. Range for the Air Sapphire has yet to be announced, but it is expected to be significantly reduced when using all the available power. The Air Sapphire also comes with carbon ceramic brakes to ensure optimal stopping power.

Overall, the Lucid Air’s range of trims and performance options make it a highly appealing choice for drivers looking for a sustainable and luxurious EV.

Lucid Air Interior

The Lucid Air sedan’s interior strikes a balance between luxury and futuristic design, creating a comfortable and elegant space for passengers. The cabin is dominated by a sweeping windshield that extends into a glass canopy roof, providing a light and airy ambiance.

The Pure trim offers attractive faux-leather seats, while higher trims feature Nappa leather and real wood trim. The high-quality materials and finishes create a comfortable and modern atmosphere that feels like sitting in a luxurious Scandinavian lounge.

One standout feature of the Lucid Air’s interior is the generous rear seat legroom, which is far more spacious than typical for a car of its external dimensions. This is a result of not needing space for an engine and transmission. However, choosing the optional larger battery raises the floor, which can require back seat passengers to sit with their knees up. Despite this, the space available is still comfortable for most passengers.

Overall, the Lucid Air’s interior design and spaciousness make it a standout choice for drivers looking for a luxurious and practical EV. The attention to detail and high-quality materials used throughout the cabin create a comfortable and modern space that feels both futuristic and timeless.

Lucid Air Charging

The Lucid Air’s 900V architecture allows for a rapid charging capability that’s among the fastest in the EV market. In just 22 minutes, the Lucid Air can charge up to 300 miles, making it one of the fastest charging EVs available, outpacing the Tesla Model S Plaid in many studies. The Lucid Air also supports bi-directional charging with a power flow of 19.2kW, which can be helpful in case of a home power outage. However, these capabilities are still outstanding as of this writing.

Lucid has partnered with Qmerit for home installations and Electrify America for reduced-cost charging when on the road, making it more convenient for drivers to charge their vehicles both at home and on the go. With these partnerships and its rapid charging capabilities, the Lucid Air is an attractive option for drivers looking for a practical and sustainable EV.

Lucid Air Instruments

The Lucid Air’s interior features primarily screen-based instruments, with buttons where necessary for convenience and practicality. The wide horizontal screen in front of the driver stands up on a narrow pillar, providing primary controls for lights on the left and phone, navigation, or infotainment display on the right.

The center console features a large separate touchscreen that can retract up into the dashboard to reveal a spacious storage cubby. It also allows information to move between it and the right side of the driver’s display, providing a seamless and convenient user experience.

To minimize distraction from excessive screen tapping, the Lucid Air also includes physical controls for basic ventilation and audio functions. Seats feature buttons for adjustments, although accessing the seat configuration through the center console screen opens up a wider range of adjustments.

Overall, the Lucid Air’s interior design provides a balance between modern technology and practicality, with physical controls where necessary for ease of use and convenience. The multiple screens and buttons allow for a customizable user experience that can be tailored to individual preferences.

Lucid Air Infotainment

One of the standout features of the Lucid Air is its optional “Surreal Sound” system, which provides an immersive audio experience for passengers. The system uses cutting-edge Dolby Atmos technology to create a 3D acoustic bubble, where each person can hear music exactly the way they want.

For even more advanced sound capabilities, the Pure and Touring trims offer the optional “Surreal Sound Pro” system. This provides an even more enhanced listening experience with advanced features and settings, making it a great choice for audiophiles.

Overall, the Lucid Air’s advanced sound systems are a testament to the company’s commitment to providing a high-quality and modern user experience for drivers and passengers alike. The use of cutting-edge technology and attention to detail in the sound systems help to make the Lucid Air a standout choice in the electric vehicle market.

Lucid Air Cargo

The Lucid Air sedan features a trunk opening that spans the full width of the car, providing ample space for longer items like golf bags. However, with a capacity of 32 cubic feet, the trunk may not be particularly large compared to other midsize sedans.

Fortunately, the Lucid Air also comes with a front trunk or “frunk” with a capacity of 10 cubic feet, providing additional storage space. Together with the rear trunk, these compartments offer ample room for most trips.

For drivers needing even more storage space, the Lucid Air can be equipped with roof rails, making it possible to carry additional boxes or sporting equipment on top of the vehicle. Overall, the Lucid Air provides plenty of storage options for drivers looking to transport items of various sizes and shapes.

Lucid Air Stealth Option

The Lucid Air Pure offers an additional option that’s worth noting: the Stealth appearance package. This package provides a distinctive and sleek blacked-out appearance for the electric car, giving it an almost sinister and unique look that some may find cool and appealing.

The Stealth package is a great way to customize the appearance of the Lucid Air Pure, adding a touch of style and individuality to an already impressive electric vehicle. It’s just one of the many ways that Lucid is offering a customizable and personalized experience for drivers looking to make a statement on the road.

Lucid Air Competition

As a luxury electric vehicle, the Lucid Air has few direct competitors. Its most well-known rival is the Tesla Model S, which offers similar performance and range capabilities. Other potential competitors include the Porsche Taycan, the Audi e-tron, and the Mercedes EQS, all of which come from established manufacturers with proven car-building expertise.

However, the Lucid Air sets itself apart with its unique and striking styling, offering a dramatically different look compared to its competitors. Its stiffer structure may also result in a better and quieter ride, further enhancing its appeal to potential buyers.

Despite the competition, the Lucid Air offers a standout electric vehicle experience that combines performance, luxury, and cutting-edge technology. While there may be some similarities between the Air and its competitors, it offers a unique driving experience that is hard to replicate elsewhere.

Lucid Air Servicing and Warranties

One of the benefits of owning an electric vehicle like the Lucid Air is that they require less maintenance compared to traditional gas-powered vehicles. With no oil changes or complex emissions control systems to worry about, EV owners can enjoy lower maintenance costs and fewer visits to the service department.

In the case of the Lucid Air, the company offers a unique service where they come to the owner’s home or workplace to service the vehicle, making maintenance even more convenient. However, in the event that more extensive work is required, owners can still take their vehicle to a Lucid repair center.

As the Lucid Air is the first vehicle from a new manufacturer, potential buyers should pay close attention to the warranty and repair facility location. The standard warranty covers four years/50,000 miles, with the powertrain getting an extended warranty of eight years/100,000 miles. This provides peace of mind for owners, knowing that they are covered for any unexpected issues that may arise.

The Lucid Air exterior and interior combines a unique and upscale electric vehicle that sets itself apart from its competitors with its long range, high performance, and striking design. Its spacious cabin, innovative features, and sleek exterior styling also make it a standout luxury EV option.

Lucid offers a range of trims across the pricing spectrum, ensuring that there is a Lucid Air model to meet the needs of any driver. However, as a new company, the reliability of the Lucid Air remains to be seen, and this may be a concern for potential buyers.

Overall, the Lucid Air offers an attractive package of performance, luxury, and innovation, making it a compelling choice for those in the market for an electric vehicle. However, as with any new product, buyers should carefully consider their options and do their due diligence to ensure that the Lucid Air meets their needs and expectations.

Popular Lucid Air Comparisons

How does the Lucid Air compare to the Tesla Model S?

The Tesla Model S is a premium electric sedan that comes in a range of configurations, with base prices beginning at $94,990. Boasting an impressive single-charge range of up to 405 miles, the Model S can reach 60 mph from a standstill in a mere 2.1 seconds.

Equipped with a 100 kWh battery pack, the Model S supports charging speeds of up to 250 kW. While rear-wheel drive is standard, an all-wheel-drive option is also available.

Inside the Model S, passengers can enjoy ample legroom and headroom, as well as comfortable, supportive seating and high-quality materials. Standard features include a 17-inch touchscreen display, a 12-speaker audio system, and a panoramic sunroof.

The Tesla Model S is an excellent option for those seeking a high-performance electric luxury sedan with an extensive driving range.

How does the Lucid Air compare to the Porsche Taycan?

The Porsche Taycan is an upscale electric sedan that offers a variety of trims, with starting prices at $83,800. With a maximum single-charge range of 310 miles, the Taycan can sprint from 0 to 60 mph in just 2.6 seconds.

The Taycan is powered by a 93.4 kWh battery pack and supports charging rates of up to 270 kW. Standard rear-wheel drive is offered alongside an optional all-wheel-drive system.

A roomy interior awaits Taycan passengers, featuring generous legroom, headroom, and comfortable seating with high-quality materials. Standard amenities include a 10.9-inch touchscreen display, a 16-speaker audio system, and a panoramic sunroof.

The Porsche Taycan is an attractive choice for those in search of a luxury electric sedan that combines a long range with outstanding performance.

How does the Lucid Air compare to the Mercedes EQS?

The Mercedes EQS is a lavish electric sedan available in various trims, with prices starting at $102,300. The EQS offers a single-charge range of up to 350 miles and can accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in just 4.1 seconds.

A 107.8 kWh battery pack powers the EQS, which supports charging speeds of up to 200 kW. Rear-wheel drive is standard, with an all-wheel-drive option also available.

The Mercedes EQS boasts a spacious interior with ample legroom and headroom. Comfortable, supportive seats and premium materials provide a luxurious experience. Standard features include a 12.3-inch touchscreen display, a 15-speaker audio system, and a panoramic sunroof.

For those seeking a luxury electric sedan that combines a generous range with a sumptuous interior, the Mercedes EQS is an excellent choice.