Lucid announces the price and specs for the Air electric sedan – Ars Technica

On Wednesday Lucid Motors unveiled the manufacturing model of its first electrical car. It goes into manufacturing this 12 months with deliveries beginning in Q2 2021 and makes use of Components E-proven battery tech to attain a spread of 517 miles (813km) with a 113kWh pack. Regardless of a gentle drip-feed of Air-related information over the previous few months, till now we have been at midnight relating to necessary info like how costly it’s, how highly effective it’s, and how briskly it may well go. The reply to all three of these—at the least for the primary 12 months of manufacturing—is very.

Let’s get the dangerous information out of the best way first: the Lucid Air isn’t going to be low cost. After we first met Lucid in 2017, it hoped that the entry-level Air would price $60,000. Sadly that will not be the case—now the corporate says “under $80,000” earlier than tax credit for the most cost effective model, which will not arrive till 2022. However no carmaker kicks off a brand new mannequin with stripped-down financial system variations; whether or not you are Tesla or Porsche, you carry out the large weapons first.

The most important gun right here is the Air Dream Version. And I do imply huge: 1,080hp (805kW), zero to 60mph (97km/h) in 2.5 seconds, the standing quarter-mile (402m) in 9.9 seconds (at 144mph/231km/h), and a price ticket to match at $169,000 (or $161,500 when you file your tax return and declare the IRC 30D credit score). The tradeoff for a lot energy and velocity is a slight vary hit, however concern not, the Air Dream Version will nonetheless take you far on a single cost, with an estimated EPA vary of 503 miles (810km) on 19-inch wheels, or 465 miles (748km) if it is sporting 21-inch alloys as an alternative.

The opposite different for early adopters is the Air Grand Touring, which is the one which long-distance trumpet haulers will need. The Grand Touring’s battery solely has to energy 800hp (597kW) from the Air’s entrance and rear electrical motors, and so this variant is barely slower (Three seconds 0-60mph, 10.eight seconds for the 1.four mile) however has the longest legs (the aforementioned 517 miles). However this one nonetheless is not low cost, with a base worth of $139,000 earlier than tax incentives.

In late 2021, the Air Touring goes on sale at $95,000 (earlier than credit). With “solely” 620hp (462kW), at 3.2 seconds this one is barely as fast as a McLaren F1 within the sprint to 60mph. (The McLaren F1-rivaling prime velocity of the prototype Air stays the protect of the take a look at driver, with Dream Editions and Grand Tourings restricted to 168mph/270km/h, and the Touring to 155mph/250km/h.) Vary for this model of the Air is estimated at 402 miles (647km)—equal to the present Tesla Mannequin S—which suggests it’d use a barely smaller battery pack.

The ultimate variant that has been formally introduced is the common Air. However aside from the value (sub-$80,000) and its estimated arrival (2022) the one different concrete truth we now have from Lucid is that, just like the dearer variations, it, too, will have the ability to add 300 miles (482km) of vary in 20 minutes when related to a 350kW DC quick charger. Like many current OEMs with new battery EVs in the marketplace or attributable to arrive shortly, Lucid has partnered with Electrify America, and homeowners will get three years of free DC quick charging.

In truth, Lucid has at the least yet another Air within the works, one that can use three (somewhat than two) electrical motors. All we actually learn about this model is that on the drag strip it would run a quarter-mile in 9.Three seconds, which makes it even faster than Jonny Smith’s Flux Capacitor, which set a world document in 2016 because the quickest street-legal EV at 9.eight seconds.

Itemizing picture by Lucid Motors

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