Lucid Motors is another up-and-coming electric vehicle (EV) startup that is releasing its new model, Lucid Air. The Lucid Air Dream Edition has already launched, and journalists are talking about their first drive experiences. There are some notable highlights coming to the surface, and we’re interested to see the competition between Lucid Motors, Tesla, and another certain startup – Rivian.

Lucid Air Dream Edition

Here’s the model being tested, the launch edition of the Lucid Air EV. Available in three forms, the model tested was the Dream Edition Performance, with a 471 mile driving range and 19-inch wheels. The power this baby is packing is unreal.

Engineering

How does horsepower in the thousands sound? The Lucid Air Dream Edition can generate a full 1111 horsepower, making it possibly the most powerful and fastest vehicle on the market. Able to accelerate from 0-60 mph in as little as 2.5 seconds and cover a quarter-mile time in 9.9 seconds, that’s some power, and the vehicle doesn’t even need a launch mode. With lots of drive mode choices, all the driver needs to do is choose “Sprint Mode”, have half a charge, and they’re off like a racehorse.

There are a total of three drive modes currently available: Smooth, Swift, and Sprint. The customization is a little limited, with two regenerative braking settings to toggle through. Speaking of changing the way a vehicle drives and operates, the Lucid Air doesn’t come with the air suspension system so popular in vehicles today. Lucid Motors stated that a coil-and-air-spring setup tends to experience hysteresis, or lag that compromises the ride and driver control. Instead, the Lucid Air has a five-link strut front suspension, with a link setup in the rear to control active dampers on all four wheels.

EV and Tech

This car may be able to generate 1111 horsepower, but the dual-motor system lets out barely more than a whisper. Not only does it have a large power output, but the vehicle doesn’t have much trouble coming to a stop. The Lucid Air offers up to 0.3g of deceleration and regenerative braking, able to bring the car to a stop in most situations.

Regenerative braking is at play to recharge the battery when on the road, but for a full recharge, the Lucid Air has the fastest DC fast-charging in the industry, with a peak of 300-kw charging power. Many EVs may advertise 350-kw fast-charge connectors, but like internet speeds, the amount of power available and the amount actually being utilized is very different. Lucid Air definitely makes use of all 300 kW, able to earn 300 miles in only 20 minutes.

Style

This may be an EV sedan, but the Lucid Air already has an established presence. Up close, it doesn’t feel like any other vehicle, with a “Kammback” design not seen for some time. This is where the roofline of the car tapers downward towards the rear, usually the exact opposite today. With thin micro-lens array headlights and an aircraft-inspired look, the curves and arches give the Lucid Air its own signature look.

The Lucid Air also has a little bit of luxury with plenty of headroom and legroom for the driver and passengers. With a Glass Canopy roof, plenty of natural light can come in and make the cabin feel even roomier. For added cargo space, the Lucid Air features split rear seatbacks and a pass-through. By launch, an Executive Rear Seating Package may be available to turn the front row into two first-class aircraft cabin seats.

The interface is also really nice, with a 34-inch-wide glass cockpit screen split into three subscreens with a large gauge screen directly in front of the driver. Media and communication displays are to the right and the lower screen controls all sorts of things, like climate controls, drive modes, navigation, charging, and more. This panel is also retractable to offer more space for the driver. The gearshift is like toggling an aircraft, needing to be pulled down to accelerate and up to reverse.

All-in-all, it’s a great review of the Lucid Air by Lucid Motors. Keep up with new EVs like this and more when you follow us on NowCar social media.

Photo Source/Copyright: Lucid Motors