The wait for more affordable versions of Lucid’s Air sedan is finally over.
The California EV startup on Tuesday said it is ready to start deliveries of the Air’s more affordable Pure and Touring grades.
The Air Touring, priced from $107,400, starts delivery this month, while the Air Pure, priced from $87,400, starts delivery before the year is out. Already in delivery are the Air Grand Touring, priced from $154,000, and Air Grand Touring Performance, priced from $179,000.
The Air Pure is initially offered exclusively with dual-motor all-wheel drive, which adds $5,500 to the base price. A single-motor, rear-wheel-drive version, which is the version that starts at $87,400, won’t be available until next year, Lucid said. All other grades come standard with dual-motor all-wheel drive, while an Air Sapphire range-topper due in 2023 will come with tri-motor all-wheel drive.
Despite being the base model, the Air Pure offers impressive numbers. With dual motors, peak power is 480 hp, or enough for 0-60 mph acceleration in 3.8 seconds. The EPA range estimate is 410 miles, which is more than in most of the electric sedans in this segment. Lucid hasn’t said how big the battery is but said it is made up of 18 modules versus the 22 used in the 112-kwh battery used in other models, pointing to a capacity of around 90 kwh. Lucid also said high-speed charging makes it possible to add around 200 miles in just 15 minutes.
2023 Lucid Air Pure
2023 Lucid Air Pure
2023 Lucid Air Pure
The Pure also comes standard with Lucid’s DreamDrive suite of driver-assist features including functions such as traffic-sign recognition, distracted/drowsy driver monitoring, adaptive cruise control with lane centering, traffic jam assist, as well as automatic parking (parallel and perpendicular). DreamDrive Pro, which adds 32 sensors, including multiple cameras, radar units, ultrasonic sensors, and a lidar unit for more advanced driver-assist features, is available.
The Pure misses out on the expansive glass roof of other models, switching to a lighter aluminum unit instead. The interior is also lined in a mix of synthetic leather and fabric, versus the more premium stuff of other models.
Upgrading to the Air Touring sees power climb to 620 hp and the EPA range estimate grow to 425 miles. With the extra power, the Air Touring should sprint to 60 mph from rest in 3.4 seconds. Lucid said the Touring is its most efficient model, requiring just 1 kwh for every 4.62 miles. This is helped by a record-low (for a production car) 0.197 coefficient of drag, found on the Pure and Touring grades.
The Touring also comes with the aluminum roof but buyers have the option of swapping it for the glass roof. This grade also sees improved materials added to the cabin, such as full-grain nappa leather.
Deep-pocketed buyers waiting for the Air Sapphire also have some good news. Lucid also announced on Tuesday that the 1,200-plus-hp Air will hit 60 mph from rest in 1.89 seconds, 100 mph in 3.87 seconds, and top out at 205 mph. And thanks to trick torque vectoring made possible by the dual motors at the rear axle, Lucid said Sapphire prototypes have run significantly faster laps at major racetracks than many hypercar models.
Keyword: 2023 Lucid Air Pure and Touring arrive with up to 425 miles of range