The Lucid Air is one of the most impressive electric vehicles (EVs) on the road. But its price has kept it out of reach for many. The company’s latest move won’t exactly bring prices down to the level of the average car. But it will put the Air on the shopping list of more Americans.
Lucid this week introduced a new, rear-wheel drive (RWD) version of the Air with a starting price of $77,400 — the first time any version of the car has carried an asking price under the $80,000 line.
A Car Known for Big Numbers
The Air is a luxury electric sedan known for its record-setting range. The longest-range version of the car, called the Dream Edition, can travel an EPA-certified 520 miles between charging sessions.
That’s not the Air’s only jaw-dropping number. A pricey high-performance version, the Air Sapphire, puts out 1,234 horsepower (cute) and claims a 0-60 time of 1.89 seconds. Yes, it’s a 5-seater that will let you out-accelerate a Formula 1 car in a straight line (assuming you have a quarter of a million dollars to spend on one).
The newest edition, the Air Pure RWD, won’t match those extraordinary numbers. But the ones it can post are impressive. It uses a single motor on the rear axle, producing 430 horsepower, good for a 0-60 sprint in 4.5 seconds. Its range is 410 miles — 5 miles farther than the Tesla Model S, its most logical nemesis.
The Air Pure RWD ships with Apple CarPlay, a 34-inch curved glass display for the driver, heated seats for four, and an infotainment system “designed to grow and improve over time with regular over-the-air software updates.”
Buying a Lucid brings with it all the logistical challenges of obtaining service on a rare car. But it gives you bragging rights over the Model S and access to what our expert test driver calls “ingenious engineering, attention to detail, high build quality, and a finely developed aesthetic sense.”
