This is how far the Lucid Air comes in the heat of the desert

A distance of 334 miles on a single battery charge at a temperature of up to 48 degrees Celsius: we can say that the Lucid Air Grand Touring has passed its test by fire. A report of a range test from the outdoor category.

I can hear my heart beating, it’s so quiet here in the desert. But wait, I hear something. I’m standing next to a Lucid Air Grand Touring and its cooling system is working so hard it sounds like a big vacuum cleaner. The car suffers from the heat, just like us. The heat is tangible. The temperature gauge reports a value of 115 degrees Fahrenheit, a while ago it was even 118. That is 47.8 degrees Celsius. I inhale the heat and sweat it out again.

We are located in Desert Hot Springs, a two hour drive east of Los Angeles. However, this is not just any pleasure ride. We want to see if this Lucid Air, a new electric sedan from the United States, can live up to the manufacturer’s impressive claim. This states that the range under ideal conditions is more than 840 kilometers. Lucid Motors chief executive Peter Rawlinson has even said that Mercedes-Benz built its 1,000-mile range study EQXX only to respond to Lucid Motors.

Lucid Air reaches 840 kilometers in ideal conditions

As mentioned, however, that 840 kilometers is only feasible if all conditions are optimal and that is certainly not the case today. We therefore want to subject the Lucid Air Grand Touring to an extreme test: a long drive through the desert with three people plus luggage on board. With the air conditioning in the maximum position, because this car with its glass roof turns into an oven in full sun. In addition, we often drive a little faster than is allowed on the highway. After all, this is a car that delivers 800 horsepower to the axles. We are curious how far the electric sedan will come. This time it’s not about the bizarre acceleration, nor about the hyper-fast charging thanks to the Wonderbox, the name of Lucid’s onboard charger. This time, comfort and space also play a supporting role. Now it’s about Lucid’s trump card, the efficiency of its powertrain. The goal is to drive as far as possible into the desert and out of it without loading.

First leg: Beverly Hills-Twentynine Palms

I’m picking up the Lucid Air in Beverly Hills. Unfortunately it is not fully charged. For the last 9 percent, he needs two and a half hours with the slow charger in the workshop. I wait patiently, to leave with a range of 97 percent. The range according to the computer: 442 miles, that is 711 kilometers.

First, of course, have some fun. On the Los Angeles Crest Highway, a winding section of the highway, I thoroughly enjoy the dynamics that the car also has to offer. I do that in Smooth driving mode, the most efficient of the three options. In Swift and Sprint modes, we would immediately have the cops on our heels. Then I drive home to load my wife, son and all the luggage. This increases the total weight by another 200 kilos.

Then we set course for the desert. I have set the recovery to maximum and keep an eye on the range display continuously. On the highway I maintain a speed of 120 km/h and let the car roll as much as possible. The displayed range hardly changes. On the contrary, when driving downhill, the claimed range even increases slightly. Unfortunately we drive in the direction of the desert town of Twentynine Palms almost all uphill.

When it gets dark, we stop at a cheap motel and take stock: we’ve covered a distance of 369 kilometers, the battery is still 32 percent full. The remaining range is 226 kilometers. In the meantime it feels almost cool outside, because the temperature has dropped below 30 degrees. The car and its occupants can catch their breath for a moment. I’m glad I have a room at the back of the motel, with a dark carport right next to it. That way I can keep an eye on the Lucid Air, because this car is probably worth more than the entire motel plus inventory.

Second leg: Twentynine Palms-Joshua Tree

The next morning we have breakfast in the only cafe in this place. “Cool car,” a man says to me. “Fully electric”, I answer, after which he looks at me in surprise and says nothing more. Then we drive towards Joshua Tree National Park. We see a lot of stones, sand, cacti and of course Joshua trees. Just before we drive into the park, we spot charging stations in the middle of the desert. However, those are Tesla Superchargers and I cannot charge ‘my’ Lucid Air with them. At least not at the moment. That doesn’t matter, because we don’t want to load but to make kilometres. Miles, rather.

It is still doable outside with 35 degrees this morning. However, the slightly curved digital dashboard is already as hot as a griddle. However, everything works fine, amazingly enough. I realize once again why automakers invest so much time and money in extreme heat testing in Arizona and extreme cold testing in Lapland.

The air conditioning is on full blast, the sun is already above the glass dome. The landscape is wild and beautiful, but my gaze always wanders to the representation of consumption. That is indicated by miles per kilowatt hour and because we drive uphill for miles, the value drops from 3.4 to 3.1. Converted, consumption rises from 18.4 kWh/100 km to 20.2. We actually wanted to drive up to a viewpoint in the park, but we wisely omit that.

Stage Three: Joshua Tree-Palm Springs

With a remaining range of 22 percent or 144 kilometers we drive to the fashionable desert town of Palm Springs, which is about 80 kilometers away. Driving down a hill is a party, because then the Lucid Air recovers braking energy as power, which makes the battery very happy. The car rolls over the two-lane road at a speed of 90 km/h. Few drivers drive faster here. People have more time in the desert than in the city. If the range falls below 50 miles (80 kilometers), the vehicle will issue a warning. However, we are only 20 miles from Palm Springs. The buffer is nevertheless important, because we just have to hope that the 350-kW charging station in the city works well.

Then, after driving 334 miles through the desert, we arrive at our destination: a parking lot behind the Bank of America. Apparently we had a right hunch, because the 350 kW charger is indeed defective. Next to it are four 150 kW charging stations. Because the Lucid is suitable for Plug & Charge charging, I don’t have to register, it’s a matter of hanging on the charger. At that time, the battery still has a capacity of 10 percent, which should be good for a range of 54 kilometers. Consumption: 17.4 kWh/100 km. Considering the circumstances (weight, heat, engine power) that is a bizarrely good value.

The Lucid initially charges at 174 kW, which is odd with a 150 kW charger. You can hear the current flowing into the car eh…. After 24 seconds, the charge level of the battery is always one percent higher. In eleven minutes and eighteen seconds we have enough on board for the ride back to Los Angeles, a distance of 125 miles. With an electricity price of $ 0.43 per kWh, the desert ride cost about $ 40.

The last leg: back to Los Angeles

Finally I can accelerate on the highway. Motorists drive up next to me, raising their thumbs or staring. Then a Porsche overtakes me. I switch to Sprint mode and open the attack. With success, but I do pay a price for it: consumption is now 29.8 kWh.

Back in Beverly Hills, I think again about the weak spots of this car, such as the annoying door controls with the AB, the fact that the right windshield wiper suddenly stopped working, the malfunctioning wireless charging of the mobile phone and the two displays that went black just before we got to Los Angeles. Perhaps the temperatures during this test drive still rose a bit too high for the tough American.

That does not alter the fact that I was very impressed with the Lucid Air. And never have I felt so much like the hero of the road as in this Lucid. No Porsche or Lamborghini can compete with that.