Lucid Air came out all guns blazing and looked like the only serious threat to the Tesla Model S in all these years. It countered the Model S like-for-like in most of the features and specs. But, in one spec – that probably matters the most in EVs – it has killed the Tesla. I’m talking about the range. The Lucid Air was officially tested by the EPA and it managed to achieve a rating of 520 miles! This is 114 miles more than the Tesla Model S, which used to be the production car with the best range EV until now.

First EV To Breach The 500-Mile Mark

2021 Lucid Air
Lucid Motors
 

The 520-mile EPA-rated range is for the top-spec Air Dream Edition Range. Last month, the automaker announced that the top-of-the-line Dream Edition will be offered in two trims – one focused on performance, and the other, the range. This, however, is when equipped with 19-inch wheels. Opt for the 21-inch shoes and the range will drop to 481 miles.

The Tesla Model S was the first EV to officially boast of a range of 400+ miles, but instead of offering to break the record by a few miles, Lucid has now shattered its record by 115 miles! This makes the Lucid Air the first production EV that’s up for sale to breach the 500-mile range mark.

The Air was said to have a 113 kWh battery pack earlier, but Forbes has reported that it’s a 118 kWh pack. This means the Air offers 4.4 miles of range per kWh in its best form, whereas the Tesla Model S offers 4.05 miles per kWh (405 miles of range with 100 kWh battery pack).

Here’s the rating of the other trims:

-* Pure: 406 miles

-* Touring: 406 miles

-* Grand Touring: 516 miles

-* Dream Edition Performance: 471 miles

What Makes The Lucid Air So Special?

The Lucid Air will be offered in five trims in total:

-* Pure: $77,400

-* Touring: $95,000

-* Grand Touring: $139,000

-* Dream Edition Range: $169,000

-* Dream Edition Performance: $169,000

Here are the salient features of the Lucid Air in its top-spec model:

-* Dual-motor, all-wheel-drive setup

-* Up to 1,111 horses on the tap

-* Glass canopy roof

-* 34-inch glass cockpit floating curved screen

-* 19-inch aero-range wheels or 21-inch aero dream wheels

-* Nappa full-grain leather interior

-* Natural wood trim

-* Alcantara inserts

-* DreamDrive Pro driver-assistance system

-* Sub-10-second car

-* 2.5 seconds from 0 to 60 mph

-* Top speed of 168 mph

-* Designed by Peter Rawlinson, the brains behind the Tesla Model S!