Jonathan Gitlin
It’s been over a decade since Tesla proved it was possible to launch a new American automaker, and even be profitable. Its success ignited a wave of subsequent EV startups, each with a mission to decarbonize the transportation sector. But even before 2020 brought its own turmoil to this nascent industry, it was a daunting prospect.
Of these start-ups, Rivian and Lucid have made it to market thanks to significant investments. Rivian is busy building EV pickups and SUVs aimed at people with affluent outdoor lifestyles. Lucid has fallen even further behind, but the Lucid Air is also in production. The Lucid Air is a handsome luxury sedan with a low drag coefficient, lots of power and torque, and a pretty hefty price tag. The Air Grand Touring we tested starts at $138,000.
Ars first encountered Lucid Air in 2017, when the company brought one of its alpha prototypes to Washington, DC to show off to lawmakers. In 2021, I was in the passenger seat, but now I’ve had real seat time in this attractive EV.
Aim for Stuttgart, not Austin
Previously, Lucid CEO and CTO Peter Rawlinson said the Air’s target wasn’t the Tesla Model S (the car Rawlinson worked on as chief engineer), but the Mercedes-Benz S—a vehicle considered industry-wide. It asserted that it was a Class . The gold standard for luxury sedans. But in the process, Lucid has outdone Tesla anyway, evolving and honing many of the ideas that were pioneered when Tesla was new.
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Lucid has lowered the Air’s drag coefficient to just 0.197, making it the most aerodynamic car on the market.
Jonathan Gitlin
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Lucid CEO Rawlinson said his aim was to beat the Mercedes S-Class, not the Tesla Model S.
Jonathan Gitlin
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A handsome sedan that stands out from the crowd.
Jonathan Gitlin
Quite short for a large luxury car. At 195.9 inches (4,966 mm), it’s a foot shorter than the current S-Class and even shorter when compared to BMW’s big new i7. Coincidentally, he has a wheelbase of 116.5 inches (2,959 mm), exactly the same length as the Model S. The car feels so spacious from the driver’s seat that I had to do a double take when I saw it. Lucid has managed to create a cabin like her TARDIS that feels bigger than it looks.
Not as low as the Ford GT40, but at 55.4 inches (1,407), you can see Lucid’s pursuit of range efficiency by minimizing the car’s frontal area. Of course, frontal area is just one of the variables. Another is the drag coefficient, which was an amazing 0.21 for the Air, but with some improvements Lucid made in his 2022, it’s now an amazing 0.197.
About 60% of an EV’s energy is spent fighting air resistance on the highway, so it’s understandable why Lucid is making that effort. A low-drag design is combined with a large Lithium-Ion traction battery (112 kWh available for the Air Grand Touring) to project exceptional range. Equipped with 19-inch wheels, the Air Grand Touring can go 516 miles (830 km) on a single charge, the EPA says.
As usual, our test car was fitted with 21-inch wheels ($2,000 option) with Pirelli P Zero Performance tires instead of the more efficient 19-inch wheels. It loses 47 miles (76 km) of range in the process, but with 469 miles (755 km) on a single charge, this EV is perfect for long drives.
