Earlier today, electric carmaker Lucid Motors unveiled their upcoming Air models. The Lucid Air is a monstrous electric sedan, with a maximum power output of 1,080 horsepower from two electric motors. Lucid says that it develops its own electric drive units in-house and they’re more advanced than any other on the market.
The ultra-efficient permanent-magnet electric motor used in the Lucid Air is combined with its own inverter, transmission and differential to create a compact drive unit that weights just 163 lbs (74 kg) and, according to Lucid, is small enough to fit into an overhead carry-on bag. Power? Lucid claims each drive unit is capable of 650 horsepower and 20,000 rpm.
It gets even better. The Lucid Air uses a 900-volt architecture, combined with what the brand calls its “Wunderbox” on-board charging unit. The charging unit is capable of charging at a variety of different voltages and is said to be capable of adding 300 miles of range in just 20 minutes when using a DC fast charger.
According to the California-based brand, a whopping 517 miles of range. That range isn’t EPA-tested but Lucid representatives are confident the EPA rating will match. What’s shocking about that number is that it comes from a 113 kWh battery pack, which isn’t much larger than the battery pack found in the Tesla Model S 100D Super Long Range Plus, yet has more than 100 miles of range.
Lucid has confirmed the price range of its Air electric sedan. Depending on the configuration and packages, the Lucid Air will cost between $80,000 and $169,000 before incentives.
Here is the actual pricing for the different options of the Lucid Air:
- The Air, the starting point for the lineup, available in 2022 and starting below $80,000 ($72,500 after federal tax credit)
- The Air Touring model, available late 2021, from $95,000 ($87,500 after federal tax credit)
- The Air Grand Touring, available mid 2021, from $139,000 ($131,500 after federal tax credit)
- The Air Dream Edition, available spring 2021, at $169,000 ($161,500 after federal tax credit)
In comparison, the Tesla Model S has a price range of $75,000 to $111,500, fully equipped.
Furthermore, here is the rundown on some of the specs:
- 113 kWh battery pack
- 517 miles of range
- 20-miles of range per minute of fast charging
- 60 percent of range in 20 minutes of fast charging
- 1,080 horsepower
- 0-60 mph in 2.5 seconds
- Quarter-mile in 9.9 seconds
- 280-liter frunk
- 32-sensor advanced driving assistance system, including cameras, radar, ultrasonic, and LIDAR
Lucid is now accepting refundable reservations for the Air: $1,000 for the base model, $7,500 for the Dream edition. The company will begin deliveries In spring 2021. The vehicles will be built at the 820,000 square foot factory in Casa Grande, Arizona.
