In the 15 years since Tesla debuted, potential competitors have swiftly arrived and departed without any appreciable impact. Lucid Motors, about two years into its luxury electric sedan life, is an exception.
The Lucid Air—designed in Newark, California; built in Casa Grande, Arizona; and majority owned by a Saudi Arabian sovereign investment fund—at least equals the omnipresent Tesla in a dozen criteria. It also outdoes the Electric Vehicle stalwart in several ways. It’s new, powerful, industry-bending and has limited availability, traits Tesla also had in its infancy.
Unveiled in October 2021 as a 2022 model, Lucid produced 7,180 vehicles last year—about one-third of its original estimate—after industry-wide supply chain issues. The 2023 edition is now also available without substantial changes from the debut year. Lucid said it will manufacture 10,000 vehicles this year.
Available in Pure, Touring, Grand Touring, Grand Touring Performance and the new-for-2023 Sapphire trims, the Lucid Air is a high-performance, handsome, the-future-is-now vehicle that provides a new definition of a sedan.
Spacious and wide-bodied, the Lucid Air (Grand Touring) has unrivaled EV horsepower and a 112-kWh battery that provides the dual-motor, all-wheel-drive wonder with industry-best range and acceleration. Its state-of-the-art charging system called the Wunderbox has a 900-volt architecture, with fast charging as quick as 20 miles per minute and AC charging of 80 mph.
The system features regenerative braking, reducing the occasions when a driver has to brake, and personal-preference options for the “one-pedal” operation.
A 34-inch touchscreen envelops most of the dash and is home to gauges and infotainment functions. A smaller standalone vertical touchscreen in the console houses the base climate control, the three drive modes and the touch-only control for the glove box. Navigation options are available simultaneously on both screens.
Safety features, called DreamDrive ($10,000), include adaptive cruise control, automated parking, blind-spot assist, driver-attention warning and front and rear parking sensors. A front-collision warning with automatic emergency braking, lane centering, lane-keep assist, rear cross-traffic alert and traffic sign recognition further enhance the Air’s technological prowess.
The Grand Touring trim also includes 21-inch wheels ($2,000), massaging seats, Nappa leather upholstery, a power-opened frunk and trunk, soft-close doors and the vehicle’s most unique feature: a glass canopy-style roofline that combines in one piece, a windshield and glass roof.
