4 Distinct Fashions Kind Lineup for Native EV Firm
As the electrical car market grows and matures, we’re seeing extra makes an attempt to distinguish EVs and construct identities for fashions and types. Exhibit A right this moment comes from an all-day drive program from Lucid Motors—a stair step tour via the 4 Air fashions.
The problem of a brand new firm with what seems to be one product is differentiation. The Air fashions look very related, however the vary of efficiency is as variable as their costs, which builds from $69,900 to $249,000. Clear Fleet Report has had some seat time within the particular person fashions, however this was the primary time to expertise them back-to-back.
I used to be capable of expertise the 4 fashions—Pure, Touring, Grand Touring and Sapphire—in sequence. By the tip of the day, nearly 200 miles later, I grew to become satisfied that that Lucid, headquartered simply throughout the San Francisco Bay from the place we did the drive, was on to one thing. Every mannequin has its area of interest and substance aligned with its value level. Right here’s the differentiation element.
The Fundamentals
As talked about, all the Air fashions are dimensionally the same—four-door sedans with a glossy, aerodynamic silhouette. They’re midsize automobiles based mostly on the outside, however have full-size inside house, massive trunks and helpful frunks (entrance cupboard space). All Airs sit on a 116.5-inch wheelbase and have an total size of 197 inches, just about similar to the Tesla Mannequin S and considerably smaller than the Mercedes-Benz EQS.
The Air is a full-size luxurious sedan based mostly on inside quantity and lives as much as that description at each trim degree. The again seat specifically is spacious and has legroom that means the automotive will function a chauffeur-driven mannequin in some markets. That may be a disgrace as a result of we discovered all 4 trims provided an outstanding driver’s automotive.
The 2024 fashions function the primary main modifications for the reason that Air was launched in 2021, however as appears to be the development in EVs, the modifications are extra technical tweaks than seen xx.
Pure—Who May Ask for Something Extra
I’m unsure what I used to be anticipating once I obtained behind the wheel of the entry-level (Pure) Air, however I obtained out of the automotive after about 40 miles of curvaceous mountain roads and a few nice ocean entrance driving and stated—“What extra do you want?” The $70,000 Pure has a single permanent-magnet electrical motor drive the rear wheels. It’s calibrated to 430 horsepower and 406 foot-pounds of torque, all of it very helpful to use passing laggards out on the highway. Dealing with is crisp, responsive and easy. Greater than 400 miles of vary from the 88 kWh battery means lengthy drives are welcomed.
Oh, and it’s probably the most environment friendly automotive on 4 wheels. Lucid simply introduced the 2025 mannequin hit 5.0 miles per kilowatt-hour of power and a report 146 MPGe EPA ranking. Including the warmth pump from the top-of-the-line Sapphire improved the vary (now 420 miles) whereas boosting the automotive’s effectivity into unheard-of realms.
The automotive seems to be the automotive of a luxurious sedan with its vast, low-slung look. The contour has the cues of luxurious—glossy strains, high-tech lighting and tight fit-and-finish..
The 34-inch sprint show is completely positioned with a tablet-sized extra panel within the console. It feels luxurious as you may anticipate a automotive on this value to be. Backseat passengers can discover every kind of facilities and greater than sufficient room to unfold out Up entrance, the Air takes the frunk ideas to new heights for a sedan by offering 10 cubic ft of storage.
Touring—A Actual Step Up
Neglect what I simply stated. You do want extra. Particularly extra horsepower and torque and all-wheel drive. The Touring, for $8,000 greater than the pure, has simply what you want. The seat grabs you as you compromise in, a foreshadowing that this trip goes to be a bit greater than the final one. By no means underestimate what 190 extra horsepower and 479 extra foot-pounds of torque can ship. Certain, you might move slower automobiles within the Prue, however the Touring makes passing really feel such as you’re driving in a special world. The massive on the spot torque will get utilized instantly—and for so long as you need.
Inside, the Touring mannequin I drove (a few of these options are choices, however not all out there on the Pure), evinced much more luxurious trappings than the properly appointed Pure. Material lined the sprint and door panels. Whereas settling into the peerlessly snug and supportive seats, I used to be struck by the openness of the cabin. The Glass Cover roof wraps from the windshield in two panels throughout what was a strong panel within the Pure. Even within the California solar, the large quantity of glass didn’t transmit that a lot warmth, though robust sun shades are beneficial.
Grand Touring
Now I used to be actually conflicted. The Pure was nice till trumped by the superlative energy and barely beefier suspension within the Touring. What extra might Lucid add to what appeared to me to be an all-encompassing bundle?
It seems extra is extra. Grand Touring takes the wonderful Touring trim arrange and dials issues up. The numbers get large! Virtually 200 extra horsepower and the longest vary of any EV in the marketplace—516 miles (100 greater than the Touring or Pure). On prime of that, sooner charging. All Lucid Air fashions are constructed on a high-voltage structure that permits fast-charging, however the Grand Touring can add 200 miles of vary in 12 minutes on a 350 kW DC fast-charger.
The steering really feel is lighter with all of that horsepower and torque on faucet, however it gives the identical lightning responsiveness discovered within the Touring. Lucid spokesfolks stated the Grand Touring had “roughly the identical suspension” because the Touring mannequin, however there gave the impression to be refined variations taking it over the identical course. On prime of the efficiency {hardware}, the posh touches get one other bump up. The value additionally takes a giant hike to $109,900, which places it up in Mercedes EQS territory. It might run wheel-to-wheel with a top-end Mercedes, however after all lacks the historical past, vendor community and falls a little bit wanting the German firm’s well-refined sense of luxurious.
Sapphire
Correctly, we’ve saved the most effective for final. The Air Sapphire is the top of Lucid’s present lineup, clocking in at a stratospheric price ticket of $249,000 for the restricted manufacturing run. The differentiation from the “lesser” Air fashions is refined, however telling. Distinctive wheels and paint colours are probably the most noticeable distinguishing options, however it’s beneath the place the Sapphire demonstrates its worth.
Begin with three motors (two rear and one entrance), cranking out 1,234 horsepower. An aero bundle helps hold that energy to the bottom, together with traction management, producing sub-two-second 0-to-60 mph occasions. I didn’t have a straight stretch of highway to check that, however I’ve little doubt. Even with all that energy (in the event you hold it underneath management), you’ll be able to journey 427 miles on the Sapphire’s large battery pack (shared with the Grand touring).
The suspension could also be turned for the monitor (it does have a monitor mode that Lucid’s minders directed us to not have interaction), however on-road it introduced itself like a each day driver. A very refined and quick each day driver. I might characterize the Sapphire as a special sort of “self-driving automotive,” one which feels prefer it is aware of the highway due to torque vectoring managed by the twin rear-drive motors that principally pivot the rear of the automotive in turns. Steering, acceleration and deceleration all turn out to be easy because the Sapphire devours the twists and turns of the mountain highway. I didn’t have a lot time within the Sapphire, however I discovered no sensible limits to its capabilities.
Summing It Up
It’s a uncommon deal with to have the ability to evaluate automobiles back-to-back in a setting designed to showcase all of what we anticipate in a luxurious EV. It’s a deal with to have the ability to work via a line-up of sedans on roads designed to showcase their strengths and tease out any weaknesses. The Lucid Air lineup is a rarity within the EV world—a well-thought-out, clearly differentiated collection of trim ranges that give the customer distinctive benefits at every cease. I’ll reiterate the place I began. The entry-level Air Pure is sufficient automotive to greater than fulfill anybody in quest of an reasonably priced luxurious EV sedan. However every step up the Air hierarchy brings vital rewards for the extra value. There aren’t any losers right here. The query is, how a lot profitable are you able to afford?
Story by Michael Coates. Photographs by Michael Coates and Lucid.
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The put up Flash Drive: Stairway to Heaven—Lucid’s Air Variations first appeared on Clear Fleet Report.
