After what seems like an eternity, the Lucid Air is finally here. Lucid has unveiled its first product, the Air, that is arguably the most complete EV we’ve ever seen. It comes with a luxurious interior, strong powertrain specs, 500-plus mile range, and performance figures that can put even some hypercars to shame.

Although it squares up against the Tesla Model S, the Lucid is priced a lot higher, thus creating a niche for itself.

How Is The Lucid Air On The Outside?

On the outside, the Lucid Air wears a very clean design. The sedan is devoid of any sharp curves and creases and isn’t too loud either. However, it sure feels futuristic, especially with the slim headlight and taillight setup. ‘LUCID’ branding is seen at the tip of the hood up front and in between the LED light bar setup at the rear. It is proportionate from all the angles and sits very close to the ground. The Air is equipped with a Micro Lens Array headlight system that comprises of thousands of “light channels.” The automaker has developed this in-house and claims it is the “brightest, most precise, and advanced lighting system ever.”

From what we know so far, the Air will come with 19- and 21-inch ‘Aero’ range wheels. There will be more wheel sizes and designs on offer and you can expect Lucid to throw light on this in the future. Its rival, the Tesla Model S, boasts a rating of 0.24.

How Is The Lucid Air On The Inside?

The cabin of the Air feels very airy and spacious. The Canopy Glass Roof offers an open-air kind of experience. There’s a cross-beam in between, but apart from that, it’s an all-glass roof. In fact, in some of the images, it feels like the visors and sensor housing are hanging in the air. The center console houses the extended digital instrument cluster at the top, HVAC controls and vents in the middle, and a tilted infotainment screen below. There is a storage space here as well.

Lucid has paid a lot of attention to optimize the space inside the cabin. The automaker calls it “Lucid Space Concept” which is “the result of a revolutionary approach to automotive packaging.” The Lucid Air comes with standard rear seating, but you can also opt for executive seating that allows you to recline the seats up to 55 degrees. This, however, will be available later on.

The Air also features a 9.9 cubic-feet frunk, which is by far the biggest one seen on a production vehicle. With the rear luggage area taken into the account, Lucid Air offers a total cargo space of 26.1 cubic-feet.

Lucid Air Technology

As expected from an EV, the cabin is also high on technology. There is a two-spoke, flat-bottom steering wheel with a roller, toggle switches, and buttons on it. Behind this is a floating 34-inch curved ‘Glass cockpit’ 5K screen that extends to the center console as well. However, this isn’t the main touchscreen infotainment system. The is located at a tilted angle between the front seats. I like this over the standard setups as there isn’t a huge tablet slapped on top that stares in your face the whole time.

The automaker has collaborated with Amazon to offer an advanced built-in Alexa experience. Apart from the standard calling, navigation, and infotainment control functions, it also offers stuff like smart home control and adding items to a shopping cart, making a to-do list, etc. Even HVAC settings can be controlled using voice commands. Lucid has also mentioned that this system will constantly receive over-the-air updates.

The Air also comes with ‘Lucid DreamDrive’, which is the company’s advanced driver-assistance system. The comprehensive system offers 32 sensors in total that include sensors for covering vision, radar, and ultrasonics. It also boasts a high-res LiDAR system. For now, the Lucid Air comes with Level 2 and Level 3 driver assistance technologies.

What Powers The Lucid Air?

The Lucid Air is based on the skateboard-style platform called LEAP (Lucid Electric Advanced Platform). The Air’s drivetrain was developed by Lucid in-house and features ultra-efficient electric motors with an integrated transmission, differential, and inverter. The automaker further said that “each unit packs over 650hp and can spin to 20,000RPM, yet weighs only 163lb (74kg) and is small enough to fit inside a standard airplane carry-on bag.” It features a dual setup motor that churns out 1,080 horses in the limited Dream Edition model. In the Grand Touring trim, it makes 800 ponies, whereas, in the Touring model, the motors produce 620 horsepower. The power figures for the base Air trim are still not announced.

Lucid Air 0-60 MPH And Top Speed

2021 Lucid Air
Lucid Motors
 

This trim even recorded a sub-10-second quarter-mile time recently, taking just 9.9 seconds. The Grand Air Touring takes three seconds flat to silently gallop to 60 mph and also has a top speed of 168 mph. This model takes 0.9 seconds more than the Dream Edition to cover the quarter-mile distance.

The Air Touring is slightly slower than the Grand Air Touring and takes 3.2 seconds to sprint to 60 mph from a standstill. The top speed is rated 155 mph and it covers quarter-mile in 11.4 seconds. The company is yet to announce the 0-60 mph time and top speed for the base model.

Lucid Air Battery and Charging

When equipped with the 19-inch Aero Range wheels, it delivers up to 503 miles on a single charge. The Air Touring delivers up to 406 miles, whereas the Grand Air Touring comes with the best EPA-estimated range of 517 miles! Both these figures are achieved when the Air rides on 19-inch wheels. Specs for the base trim are not announced yet.

Lucid has stated that the Air can add up to 20 miles of range per minute when connected to a DC Fast Charging network. Even though this is achieved under the best circumstances and situations, the automaker has stated that you can still achieve 300 miles of range in 20 minutes, which translates to 15 miles of charge per minute. The 19.2-kW AC onboard charger supports AC charging speeds of up to 80 miles per hour. The specs for the base Air model, however, are yet to be announced.

Lucid Air Dream Edition

White Lucid Air
Lucid Motors

The best Air model that you can buy in terms of luxury and performance is the limited-production Dream Edition. The automaker charges a hefty premium for this model and these are all the things that make it special:

-* Can be had in Stellar White, Infinite Black, or a Dream Edition-exclusive, Eureka Gold finish

-* “Santa Monica” themed interior trim

-* Includes full Nappa grain and Bridge of Weir leather throughout with silvered Eucalyptus wood

-* Special badging

-* Rides on unique 21-inch “AeroDream” wheels

-* Churns out 1,080 horses

-* 0-60 mph in 2.5 seconds

-* Top speed of 168 mph

-* Quarter-mile in 9.9 seconds

How Much Does The Lucid Air Cost?

Here’s how all the four Lucid Airs are priced:


Base Air

$80,000

Air Touring

$95,000

Air Grand Touring

$139,000

Limited-production Air Dream Edition

$169,000


Being a new EV automaker, all Lucid models are eligible for the full $7,500 federal tax credit in the States. So, this effectively brings down the prices to:


Base Air

$72,500

Air Touring

$87,500

Air Grand Touring

$131,500

Limited-production Air Dream Edition

$161,500


When Will The Lucid Air Be Available?

Interestingly, all the four models will arrive at different times, with the expensive models arriving first and the cheaper models later on:

-* The Air Dream Edition will be available in Spring 2021

-* The Air Grand Touring will be available in mid-2021

-* The Air Touring will be available in late 2021

-* The base Air will be available in 2022

Final Thoughts

Reservations for the Lucid Air are now open in the U.S., Canada, and some countries in Europe and the Middle East. You can reserve the Air by placing a refundable deposit of $1,000 for all the models except for the limited-production Dream Edition, which can be booked by placing a refundable deposit of $7,500.

The Air will be manufactured at the company’s factory in Casa Grande, Arizona. Lucid also plans to open 20 Lucid Studios and Service Centers in the U.S. by the end of 2021. The automaker also noted that the delivery dates, pricing, and sales and service center details for the European and Middle East market will be announced sometime later.

2021 Lucid Air specifications

Model

Price (USD)

Est. EPA Range (up to)

Range

HP

0-60 (sec)

1/4 Mile (sec)/ Speed (mph)

Top Speed (mph)

Miles/Time Fast Charge DC

Peak charging speed

Availability

Air

Below $80,000

$72,500

TBA

TBA

TBA

TBA

TBA

300/20 minutes

1200 mph

2022

Air Touring

$95,000

$87,500*

406**

620

3.2

11.4 / 123

155

300 /20 minutes

1200 mph

Q4 2021

Air Grand Touring

$139,000

$131,500*

517**

800

3

10.8 / 133

168

300 /20 minutes

1200 mph

Q2 2021

Air Dream Edition

$169,000

$161,500*

465 (21” AeroDream wheels); 503 (19” wheels)

1,080

2.5

9.9 / 144

168

300 /20 minutes

1200 mph

Q2 2021