The Model S attacked on home turf. The Lucid Air is the top competitor of the Tesla Model S. Can the Lucid Air compete with Tesla Model S ?
Since its arrival, Tesla has won almost every comparative test due to its phenomenal qualities as an electric car. But if a brand new competitor pushes all the limits in that area, how will the battle proceed? Lucid’s Air takes on the champion of champions: the Tesla Model S.
Lucid and Tesla, they are also close in terms of origin, aren’t they?
Most of the electric newcomers of the past ten years are of Chinese origin. All the more fun that today we look at the other side of the world. Both Tesla and Lucid are American. And not exactly from the automotive base of Detroit, but from California, where they view life slightly differently than in the rest of the United States. Moreover, the two manufacturers are practically neighbors. They are both headquartered near San Francisco, less than twenty miles apart. Only the famous bay separates the two innovative brands, which have more in common than they will admit. After all, Lucid CEO Peter Rowling comes from Tesla. From its conception, he was primarily responsible for the development of the Model S. Indeed, the car that today competes against Lucid’s first model: the Air.
Lucid has had quite a long run with the Air, right?
Now Tesla’s lead is evident. The brand is available worldwide, sells like crazy and CEO Elon Musk is now the richest man in the world thanks to his good guess. Lucid is still a long way from that. Yes, the Air can now be ordered in many places and is also delivered in small numbers, but production is not yet running smoothly. Moreover, the brand is burning development money in a manner reminiscent of Tesla about a decade ago. Can that be sustained? Anyway, we are not here for economic analyses, but for a double test. What has Lucid put in place?
What is the Lucid Air?
The Air is a sedan that you can currently order in five versions: the Pure with just 500 hp and 94 kWh, the Touring with 620 hp and the same battery, and the Grand Touring with 819 hp and 116 kWh. Then there is the (very expensive) Dream Edition with a maximum of 1,100 hp and 116 kWh. The sporty Sapphire with 1,200 hp at the wheels will follow later, but it cannot yet be ordered in the Netherlands.
Which Tesla Model S best suits the Lucid Air Touring?
With the Model S, in addition to the bizarre Plaid with 1,000 hp, ‘only’ the Longe Range version is for sale. It has 660 hp and a 100-kWh battery. Not exactly an entry-level model that will make do. The Touring version of the Lucid Air fits this best with its specifications. The Lucid is more expensive, with a starting price of €135,000. Tesla has significantly reduced the prices of the Model S since the facelift in 2022, so the Longe Range is now under a hundred thousand. With a few extras, our test cars come to purchase prices of over €112,000 for the Tesla and just under €150,000 for the Lucid.