8 Things to Know about the Lucid Air EV
Marc UrbanoCar and Driver
The first time we got behind the wheel of one of Lucid’s 1111-hp EVs, it shocked us. Out of nowhere, here was a soulful 5200-pound EV with as much interior space as a Mercedes S-class. On top of that, the Lucid Air Dream Edition Range has the most EPA range of any EV sold today at 520 miles. Not even Tesla, the only company to sell more EVs last year than Nissan sold Rogues, can beat that range.
The Dream Edition Performance we’ve tested cranks the heat to 1111 horsepower with an EPA-estimated max range of 451 miles (with 21-inch wheels; it’s 471 miles with 19-inchers). Even in its most powerful form, the Lucid Air bests the Model S’s range by 46 miles. Only where max performance is concerned does Tesla start to dominate. Still, the Dream Edition Performance joins the list of the quickest cars we’ve ever tested. It matched the acceleration times from street-legal race cars like the $450,000 Lamborghini Huracán STO and the 710-hp carbon-fiber McLaren 720S. Not bad for a first car. Here are some extra features and details you should know about the Lucid Air.
All about the Lucid Air
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The Lucid Air achieved some pretty important honors during our testing. In our fast-charge test from 10 to 90 percent battery, we saw a peak rate of 297 kilowatts. The Lucid took just three minutes to get to a 20 percent state of charge, an extremely impressive initial leap. Its overall average rate of 135 kW beats the Tesla Model S Plaid by more than 10 kW. Its acceleration time to a quarter-mile betters the Porsche Taycan Turbo S and every electric four-door short of the Model S Plaid—and the brand says the Air isn’t meant to be an answer to the Tesla. Lucid designed the rear subframe to accommodate two motors in the back, creating a three-motor configuration that would provide a theoretical horsepower number nearing 2000, should a battery be able to output the juice.
The Dream Edition Performance has a top speed of 173 mph, the highest of any EV. During high-speed testing of the Model S Plaid, we experienced some nerve-racking high-speed wandering and discovered that despite the advertised 200-mph top speed, the car was limited to just 162 mph. The Dream Edition Performance we tested was confident and stable in its top-speed efforts.
Lucid’s head aerodynamicist is Jean-Charles Monnet, who previously optimized the winglets on Sebastian Vettel’s championship Red Bull Formula 1 car. The competition is just as important in the realm of EVs, because to get the most range out of a car requires fierce attention to aero. Twin passages on the outside edge of the hood channel air up and over the car. The underside of the battery pack rises roughly a half-inch from its midpoint to the back end and, with the help of small end plates on the sides, directs air just to the rear diffuser. When maximum cooling is required, air accelerates through patented front air inlets into twin cortexes to be evenly distributed over the radiator. It all combines for a claimed 0.20 coefficient of drag (on 19-inch wheels) and zero lift at top speed. The Air requires 12 to 25 percent less power to maintain highway speeds than the Tesla Model S. It’s part of how the Air Dream Range ekes out 520 miles of EPA range versus the Model S’s 405.
The trunk is often a bastion for all kinds of groceries, sports bags, and luggage. This clamshell trunklid has late-’30s Buick or current Lincoln Corsair vibes and opens to a huge 32-cubic-foot cargo area. That’s as much room as the rear cargo space of SUVs such as the Lexus RX.
The Santa Monica interior has dark-gray front buckets and light-gray rear seats, and it’s sold exclusively on the top Dream Edition models. The hues are inspired by the SoCal beach town’s early-morning light. Interiors on other Lucid Air models have dark oak (Mojave), saddle leather (Tahoe), and white seats with walnut trim (Santa Cruz).
Lucid’s motors use hairpin windings that are as pretty as bent copper gets. The windings fold over themselves in a multilayered weave, eliminating joints that would need to be welded together. To keep the motor cool, pinhole channels shoot an ATF-like oil directly onto the windings. In the middle of the motor lives a tiny differential. Lucid’s motor uses less than half the copper that’s in a Model 3 motor while offering 56 percent more power.
Lucid calls its onboard charging unit the Wunderbox because it handles AC charging (Levels 1 and 2, up to 19.2 kilowatts) of power to another EV or your home. That’s more than the Ford F-150 Lightning’s 9.6 kilowatts. With so much power flowing through it, there’s no wonder why it has its own coolant circuit.
In addition to the $170,500 Dream we tested, Lucid plans to launch three less-expensive versions of the Air by the end of the year, giving customers a choice of three battery sizes, tow drivetrain configurations, and five power levels.
Air Pure:
$78,900480 horsepowerRWD (AWD opt)88.0-kWh battery (C/D est)406 miles of range (mfr est)
Air Touring:
$96,500620 horsepowerAWD88.0-kWh battery (C/D est)406 miles of range (mfr est)
Air Grand Touring:
$140,500800 horsepowerAWD112.0 kWh battery516 miles of range
Air Dream Edition Range:
$170,500933 horsepower118.0 kWh battery520 miles of range
Air Dream Edition Performance:
$170,5001111 horsepowerAWD118.0 kWh battery471 miles of range
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