This is the new EV standard in terms of range, efficiency, power and charging speed
The American Lucid delivered the first copies of its sedan Air to Dutch customers at the end of last year. We already drove the Lucid Air in California at the beginning of December and that was anything but a disappointment. Now we could also use a pre-production car in the Netherlands for a video and it had even more power than the car we previously drove in the States.
Where it was once a special moment when we went out with a new brand for the first time, it has been commonplace for the last five years. From Xpeng and Nio to the new Smart, MG and Aiways. Not to mention BYD, Polestar and Lynk & Co. Some newcomers were disappointing, others were okay and some were even quite good. However, our first real test drive with the Lucid Air, for the first time since Tesla’s rise, feels like an event that we will remember for a long time. When AutoWeek visited the brand more than five years ago, the Americans were no more inhibited by a lack of ambition or self-confidence than they are now. Under the leadership of Welshman Peter Rawlinson, who was previously technically responsible for the Model S at Tesla, they announced at Lucid that they would be moving some beacons in the industry. However, in the following years there were many reports of difficulties with financing, problems with production, price increases and other complications. Not very strange; many new brands fail because of similar problems. Tesla seemed an exception, as Elon Musk was willing to burn billions of his own money when other investors dropped out. This eventually earned him the title of ‘richest man in the world’, so he hadn’t seen it so wrong after all.
Production of Lucid Air to 90,000
Lucid also held up, although according to some analysts the financial situation is dire. The brand has now delivered a few thousand cars in its home market and is ready to take Europe by storm. The large Arizona plant is now capable of delivering up to 30,000 cars per year and an expansion is underway to reach 90,000. A second factory in Saudi Arabia is planned. The large sedan Lucid Air has to do it alone in the coming year, but an SUV called Gravity will follow in 2024. We have already seen a first teaser and this second model will be unveiled sometime early next year.
Lots of legroom.
No classic car design, but airplane inspiration
But for now there is only the Air. A large sedan the size of an E-class, which will go to the first customers in the Netherlands this year as a limited Dream Edition. That version has no less than a shocking 1,123 hp and 1,390 Nm of torque. The only variant that the rest of us can reserve at the moment is the Grand Touring version (or GT), which has a ‘pale’ 830 hp. It is also the car with which we can set off for the first time. We are at the brand’s headquarters in San Francisco and first walk around the Lucid Air. As with many electric newcomers, the design is nice and futuristic, without a grille and with aerodynamic priorities. It led to a record Cd value of 1.97. It is not entirely coincidental that this is slightly lower than the 2.0 of the Mercedes-Benz EQS, which set a record at its launch. If we count the solar car from the Dutch Lightyear as a production model, it scores even lower with a bizarre 1.75. Lucid designer Derek Jenkins was guided by airplanes and not by classic automotive design, he says when we look at ‘his’ car together. “There, too, you don’t see any openings, but a streamlined whole. A grille is a tradition of combustion engine cars, so we didn’t want that. There was no book of rules for us, we started from zero.” Despite the considerable power, Lucid prides itself mainly on efficiency. It works with smaller and lighter electric motors than the competition, which also deliver more power. Due to the compact drivetrain per axle, the interior space of the Air is gigantic. A frunk of barely 280 liters is a record, the trunk adds another 480 liters.
Lots of room in the back of the Lucid Air, big frunk
The legroom in the back is according to the brand of S-class level. That is true on paper, but the seating comfort is certainly not. The bottom is too high and the finish is not even close to the German super limos. Not a disaster for a newcomer, and it is much better than Tesla, for example, and better than Cadillac too. But Lucid screens so hard against the German top as a competitor that we also judge the car in the back on that. The ‘cheaper’ Pure and Touring versions come on request with a smaller battery pack where, just like in the Porsche Taycan, a part is missing to make room for your feet. Furthermore, Lucid previously showed large comfort seats in the back instead of a back seat, but they are not further than the concept phase for the time being.
Modern cockpit.
Visibility all around in the Air is not great
It looks better in the front than the back. By American standards, materials and workmanship are exceptionally good. Just like with Tesla, you can operate the steering wheel and mirrors via the multimedia screen. The steering wheel could perhaps be a little further towards us, but the seating position is fine. The continuous glass roof makes it spacious, but the fixed sun visor and the gigantic A-pillars make your view outside relatively limited. In tight corners you have to look around the A-pillars. The multimedia system uses completely proprietary software and the central screen is kind of an extension of the screen with the counters. It looks nice and modern and the service is pleasant. Also cool to see the screen slide up to release the space below. But the layout of the system is not yet ideal. For example, you cannot have navigation and music on screen at the same time, even if you have two screens. Lucid admits that it is still looking for the ideal set-up and that it is always adapting it with over-the-air updates, also for existing models. As usual, almost everything goes through the screens, climate control, seat heating and cooling and the driving modes of the car. For the time being you can choose between Smooth, Swift and Sprint, an individual mode is planned. Dampers, throttle response, power steering and brake feel are adjusted, and in Sprint the power increases from 600 to 830 hp. A nice bridge to driving, which even with the ‘skinny’ 600 hp goes rather smoothly. The car feels mature and sturdy, with a pleasant, smooth steering. Once on the road in unfortunately extreme rain, it is noticeable that the Air on the highway is not as quiet as the aforementioned German toppers that the brand is aiming for. Furthermore, there is no question of extreme comfort, rather of a nice balance.
He drives rock solid.
Twoface character from the Lucid Air
Then we dive into the hills and the sedan turns out to have two faces. It is very slippery due to the rain and autumn leaves, but traction is not a problem. Even though we go so fast at one point that it’s almost scary with the puddles on the road, the front wheels rarely have trouble cornering. We don’t have a heavy engine in the nose and a layout that makes the large bonnet fall out from under you. This makes it look like you’re sitting on the front axle, just like a mid-engined car. The turn in is excellent. Then we drive in Swift, because more than 800 hp seems a bit much. However, that turns out to be a wrong choice. A moment with some aquaplaning is a bit of a shock because the steering feel is not there. We feel too late what is happening. We note it as a complaint and switch to Sprint after a coffee stop. The downpour has turned into light rain and the road is now wet instead of soaked. And suddenly it’s right. The power steering feels better and perhaps also due to the slightly tighter damping of the excellent Bilstein dampers, we now feel what is happening. It’s not a Porsche yet, but it’s just good. And then suddenly the Lucid Air shrinks around us and we use the waves of torque to propel us forward. It is now a sports sedan pur sang. On a straight piece we try the launch control for the sake of shape. Brake hard, floor the accelerator … A blue bear appears with a finish flag. Lucid embraces the California beast as a logo, as a kind of alternative to the horses and bulls from Europe. Then release the brake and the tires search for grip. Also with 4WD it is unfortunately just too wet for 1,200 Nm, so we don’t get those 3.0 counts, but on the intermediate sprint it feels just as fast as Porsche’s Taycan Turbo S, which is more compact. We are curious about how the 1,123 hp of the Dream edition feels, but we will save that until a dry day in the Netherlands.
The car now drives fabulously well. Lucid has brought in Tesla experts for the electrical work, but for the driving the manufacturer has attracted experts with dynamic experience from Jaguar Land Rover, among others. That is noticeable. The car is correct, balanced and drives great in Sprint. The 830 horsepower is never too much or scary, simply because you only get that power when you ask for it.
Great steering feel
Pioneering brand, if it lasts
Now it’s not that the Lucid Air suddenly wipes BMW and Porsche off the map when it comes to driving, but for a newcomer it’s not all that much worse than the top. That is already great, but if we look under the skin, the real advantage comes. With 112 kWh of battery, it can go more than 850 WLTP kilometers as a GT. A record. The e-motor is lighter and smaller than Porsche and Tesla, but delivers more power. Thanks to a 900-volt system (also a record for a road car), the Air can charge quickly at 350 kW (record …). Much more than the current toppers Porsche and Audi, which go up to 270 kW in the Taycan and the E-Tron GT. The power consumption is now at least as low as at Tesla: below 15 kWh / h, at least on paper. That is not only groundbreaking, it is even better than models from European brands that are yet to appear in the coming years. This is not a prototype or concept car, but a car that will be on Dutch driveways from December and of which 30,000 will be made next year. Of course, the first versions of the Air are very expensive and overly powerful, but that’s how Tesla started with the Model S. Not only does the entry-level Pure have a starting price of around €100,000 (expensive but less than €150,000 or €200,000), in a few years the brand will come with a smaller sedan and SUV, which of course also means a lower price. Think of a competitor of Tesla Model 3 and Model Y. The ambition at Lucid is sky-high, as is the self-confidence. After our first ride we can also say: the car is good. Very good. If the Americans keep the finances and logistics afloat, a major new player has emerged.
The design is inspired by airplanes.
No Lucid dealers
Lucid will not work with dealers, but wants to keep the sales channel in its own hands. You can order online, but the Americans are also going to work with studios in major cities, where you can view the cars. In addition, there will be service centers for delivery and maintenance, although the latter is limited with an EV. Studios are already here and there in Europe, but on December 16, the first service point of this continent opened and in our own Hilversum. “We pride ourselves on service and always want to be able to speak to our customers personally,” explains Daniel Davey, European Sales Director. “That’s why we don’t outsource anything, we always want to keep the customer within the Lucid chain.”
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– Thanks for information from Autoweek.nl