Blog Lucid Air Makes Debut, Deliveries Planned for Spring 2021

Lucid Motors debuted the production-bound version of its Lucid Air sedan, saying the vehicle is an attempt to “make the electric car better.”

Range is a huge selling point for electric vehicles and Lucid intends to take top honors in that category. It expects an EPA-rated range of 517 miles on a single charge. The company also plans neck-jerking power with with up to 1,080 horsepower available in a dual-motor, all-wheel-drive configuration capable of a quarter-mile pass in 9.9 seconds. It is the only electric sedan able to achieve a quarter-mile time under 10 seconds.

Lucid also says the Air will be the fastest charging electric vehicle ever offered, up to 20 miles per minute when connected to a DC Fast Charging network. The says the car can add 300 miles of range in just 20 minutes of charging.

Lucid has given special attention to the interior, touting a 34-inch curved “Glass Cockpit” 5K display that “floats” above the dashboard. Touch screen panel in the console offers vehicle controls.

The Lucid Air will be available initially in North America in four model ranges:

The Air, the starting point for the lineup, available in 2022 and starting below $80,000 ($72,500 after USA federal tax credit)The Air Touring model, available late 2021, from $95,000 ($87,500 after USA federal tax credit)The fully equipped Air Grand Touring, available mid 2021, from $139,000 ($131,500 after USA federal tax credit)The all-inclusive, limited-volume Air Dream Edition, available spring 2021, at $169,000 ($161,500 after USA federal tax credit)

The Lucid Air Dream Edition packs 1,080 horsepower. It’s available in Stellar White, Infinite Black, or a Dream Edition-exclusive Eureka Gold finish. Each color will come with an exclusive “Santa Monica” themed interior trim package, including full Nappa grain Bridge of Weir leather throughout and silvered Eucalyptus wood accents. The Dream Edition will also feature 21-inch “AeroDream” wheels.

The Touring and Grand Touring Editions offer 620hp and 800hp, respectively. The Air Grand Touring will have range available up 517 miles. Full details of available configurations and all Air models can be found on the Lucid Motors website following the reveal show on September 9, 2020.

Production at the Lucid Motors factory in Casa Grande, Arizona, will begin in the coming months, with deliveries of the Lucid Air to North American customers to commence in spring of 2021.

 

[lightningrob]

When they call the Dream model "low volume", it means they will make one that will be bought by Larry David to drive around LA yelling at fire trucks.

 

[Gigabyte]

Lucid Motors debuted the production-bound version of its Lucid Air sedan, saying the vehicle is an attempt to “make the electric car better.” Range is a huge selling point for electric vehicles and Lucid intends to take top honors in that category. It expects an EPA-rated range of 517 miles on a single charge. The...
[WPURI="https://teslamotorsclub.com/blog/2020/09/10/lucid-air-mades-debut-deliveries-planned-for-spring-2021/"]READ FULL ARTICLE[/WPURI]

I stopped reading at $80,000....

 

[waiting4used]

Me-too car company; hard pass.

 

[T3SLAROD]

A $100k + Luxury Sedan.... oh the horror..

 

[prism]

There were some neat touches that I appreciate such as the one dash screen that can be tucked away and the Model X-esque panoramic windshield.

The charging network is invariably lacking relative to the Tesla supercharger network. This carries less weight though due to home charging or other network options. The largest question mark clearly is the service support over time.

Once the first few production iterations mature a few years, say, 2022-2023, I can see myself compelled enough to go in for one.

 

[strider]

Ok, so I finally watched the entire 1:22 video. They are following Tesla's plan TO THE LETTER, minus building their own charging network. They simply took Tesla's talking points from 2010-2012 and updated them to current tech. Expensive car to start, trickle down to mass market. Industry standard cylindrical cells. The layout of the car w/ batteries in the floor, frunk, and deep well in the rear. Powerwalls. Autonomous driving. Comically large wheels. Motorized door handles. Smartphone app to monitor charging. It looks like a Model S w/ the Model X windshield. Heck the key fob looks like an MS fob.

In the early days, Tesla took exquisite care of their customers. Their stores were the same as what Lucid is showing (complete w/ displays of the battery packs, motors, etc). They had the same little trays with the all the different colors and materials you could select from.

IT'S THE SAME EXACT THING THAT TESLA DID. Seriously. As I sat there for over an hour I just kept paraphrasing that line from Southpark, "Tesla did it!"

Don't get me wrong. I want to see competition in the EV space. Tesla has numerous problems and only competition will solve them as Tesla will need to get its act together or die.

Tesla couldn't (or chose not to) maintain that level of customer service and quality control. The early models (Ss and Xs) were perfect. 3s and Ys, not so much. I think Tesla moved too quickly in too many different directions and have become distracted and/or don't have the human or physical capital to deliver everything they have on their plate. For Lucid it is all about execution now. Can they out-Tesla Tesla? I think not having Elon as their leader gives them a huge advantage. Elon has the attention span of a 9-year-old.

 

[BlindPass]

Ok, so I finally watched the entire 1:22 video. They are following Tesla's plan TO THE LETTER, minus building their own charging network. They simply took Tesla's talking points from 2010-2012 and updated them to current tech. Expensive car to start, trickle down to mass market. Industry standard cylindrical cells. The layout of the car w/ batteries in the floor, frunk, and deep well in the rear. Powerwalls. Autonomous driving. Comically large wheels. Motorized door handles. Smartphone app to monitor charging. It looks like a Model S w/ the Model X windshield. Heck the key fob looks like an MS fob.

In the early days, Tesla took exquisite care of their customers. Their stores were the same as what Lucid is showing (complete w/ displays of the battery packs, motors, etc). They had the same little trays with the all the different colors and materials you could select from.

IT'S THE SAME EXACT THING THAT TESLA DID. Seriously. As I sat there for over an hour I just kept paraphrasing that line from Southpark, "Tesla did it!"

Don't get me wrong. I want to see competition in the EV space. Tesla has numerous problems and only competition will solve them as Tesla will need to get its act together or die.

Tesla couldn't (or chose not to) maintain that level of customer service and quality control. The early models (Ss and Xs) were perfect. 3s and Ys, not so much. I think Tesla moved too quickly in too many different directions and have become distracted and/or don't have the human or physical capital to deliver everything they have on their plate. For Lucid it is all about execution now. Can they out-Tesla Tesla? I think not having Elon as their leader gives them a huge advantage. Elon has the attention span of a 9-year-old.

Another way to put it, this isn’t Rawlinson’s first rodeo.

As a premium/expensive nascent tech, it would be tough to be a startup beginning with the mainstream- you’ve got to get to mainstream by starting as aspirational.

I don’t think they can out-Tesla Tesla, but I do think they can make and sell better EVs.

Musk’s attention span has facilitated Tesla’s future being so much more than an auto manufacturer. I get the vibe Rawlinson is more focused on being a premium EV manufacturer.

 

[strider]

Another way to put it, this isn’t Rawlinson’s first rodeo.

As a premium/expensive nascent tech, it would be tough to be a startup beginning with the mainstream- you’ve got to get to mainstream by starting as aspirational.

I don’t think they can out-Tesla Tesla, but I do think they can make and sell better EVs.

Musk’s attention span has facilitated Tesla’s future being so much more than an auto manufacturer. I get the vibe Rawlinson is more focused on being a premium EV manufacturer.

Agreed. I'm not knocking the path. I think Tesla had the right path but has since left it (when it comes to being a car company) and Lucid is following it as well. That's why I wrote that it's all about execution for Lucid.

 

[BlindPass]

Agreed. I'm not knocking the path. I think Tesla had the right path but has since left it (when it comes to being a car company) and Lucid is following it as well. That's why I wrote that it's all about execution for Lucid.

Being an owner of a Tesla was a different experience 5-7 years ago, that’s for sure.

“production hell” is transformative. I don’t mind the “perfection is the enemy of good” lean production, but combined with little post-sales infrastructure, and the “greater good” quickly becomes greed.

Lucid is going to have the same challenge. I hope they have deep pockets. Keeping customers happy is expensive and doesn’t have a quick ROI

 

[Mrk2]

Lucid Motors debuted the production-bound version of its Lucid Air sedan, saying the vehicle is an attempt to “make the electric car better.” Range is a huge selling point for electric vehicles and Lucid intends to take top honors in that category. It expects an EPA-rated range of 517 miles on a single charge. The...
[WPURI="https://teslamotorsclub.com/blog/2020/09/10/lucid-air-mades-debut-deliveries-planned-for-spring-2021/"]READ FULL ARTICLE[/WPURI]

They have Peter H. As the Assemble VP. He didn’t do much for Tesla when I was there, so don’t expect Lucid to meet any production goals.

 

[El joe]

Why they wouldn’t start with the cheaper model to get more adoption is beyond me. Can’t imagine spending anywhere near the $160k for an unproven EV from a new company. Not to mention bring EA into the equation is terrible as I’ve only had terrible experiences with them.

 

[BlindPass]

Why they wouldn’t start with the cheaper model to get more adoption is beyond me. Can’t imagine spending anywhere near the $160k for an unproven EV from a new company. Not to mention bring EA into the equation is terrible as I’ve only had terrible experiences with them.

For the same reason Tesla started with the Roadster then S.

It’s better to start with the higher margin, lower volume first. You’d be surprised what people paid for the first S that had far inferior range, performance, interior, technology, little fast charging, etc. Lucid’s $160k is a lower risk bargain in comparison imo.

 

[T3SLAROD]

You always have to have a flagship model and this is it for Lucid.

 

[bmah]

Ok, so I finally watched the entire 1:22 video. They are following Tesla's plan TO THE LETTER, minus building their own charging network.

My first thought was "This is Tesla 2.0." Nothing wrong with having a similar strategy, as you wrote later. I agree it comes down to whether they deliver on the stuff that they promise.

The chance of me buying an Air is close to zero, but I believe Lucid showed a compelling product, and I hope that other people will partake.

Bruce.

 

[El joe]

You always have to have a flagship model and this is it for Lucid.

Just a huge turnoff to people who have trouble affording a $30,000 car or are living paycheck-to-paycheck when they see the first version coming out at $160k-plus.

 

[T3SLAROD]

Just a huge turnoff to people who have trouble affording a $30,000 car or are living paycheck-to-paycheck when they see the first version coming out at $160k-plus.

Thats true. But its no different than any other Luxury car company, they all have flagship Vehicles over $100k, even Nissan has their over $100K vehicle. This Lucid is for Model S cross shoppers, not for us lowly Model 3/Cybertruck/Model Y shoppers. Tesla wants their brand for the masses like a Toyota or Honda. Lucid looks to be wanting to compete with Mercedes, Audi and Lexus. At least thats what it looks like. I have no problem with that.

 

[BlindPass]

Just a huge turnoff to people who have trouble affording a $30,000 car or are living paycheck-to-paycheck when they see the first version coming out at $160k-plus.

Turning off those likely to be outside consumer base for the foreseeable future isn’t a consideration.

It’ll be awhile until any premium EV brand caters to those that have trouble affording 30k cars or that are living paycheck-to-paycheck. Thankfully used quality EVs are starting to become available.

 

[johnnyS]

Back when I put down a deposit in 2011, Tesla promised the model S would start at less than $50,000. By the time I was able to order the car, I had convinced myself I needed the 85 battery and most of the options. Tesla started with 3 battery options and 3 price points. Lucid is different by mainly talking about the most expensive version. Prices have gone up some since the model S came out in 2012, but not that much. I was so excited when I made the deposit for the model S.

The Lucid Air looks like a nice car, but there is nothing about it that excites me the same way Tesla did.

 

[El joe]

Thats true. But its no different than any other Luxury car company, they all have flagship Vehicles over $100k, even Nissan has their over $100K vehicle. This Lucid is for Model S cross shoppers, not for us lowly Model 3/Cybertruck/Model Y shoppers. Tesla wants their brand for the masses like a Toyota or Honda. Lucid looks to be wanting to compete with Mercedes, Audi and Lexus. At least thats what it looks like. I have no problem with that.

Sure, I’ll grant you that. Just different strokes for different folks, I guess

 

[vickh]

I stopped reading at $80,000....

same here, if you're the new kid on the block you need to have lower prices/value than the competition.

that being said I might check out the factory if they offer tours