Lucid Challenges Tesla

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https://www.caranddriver.com/lucid-motors/air

The new Lucid Air. Lucids startup car.

Ehsan Heydari, Editor

Lucid Motors, Inc. is an American automotive company specializing in electric cars. The company was founded in 2007 and is based in Newark, California. As of 2020, its first car, Lucid Air, is in development. The company’s website started its Lucid Air configurator on Sep 9, 2020 for its Air Touring, Air Grand Touring, and its Air Dream Edition.

 

But now, Lucid is at it again with the launch of the configurator for its most affordable model, now known as the Lucid Air Pure. The price still starts at a Model S-like $69,900 (including federal tax credit) and while it lacks its bigger, vastly more expensive sibling’s power and range, it’s still looking like a pretty compelling package if you’re willing to give up some choice and maybe some tech.

 

Sepehr Ghasempour, car enthusiast, explains that he thinks it’s amazing how far electric cars have come throughout the years. “Tesla used to be the only good EV manufacturer. But the company seems to have finally found itself a competitor!” Ghasempour continues by complementing the interior of the Lucid Air. “I think the executive package for the back seats of the car are even more luxurious than any Rolls-Royce!”

 

Jake Gurewitz, a senior at Oakdale, seems to think that Lucid is not necessarily a direct Tesla competitor. “I think that whether Lucid will be able to combat Tesla depends on their future models. Lucid seems to be geared towards a more premium market, especially with pricing on the non base-models of the Air, whereas Tesla’s market includes more of the general population. If Lucid produces more affordable models in the future, along with a wider range of vehicle types, they have the potential to compete against Tesla. Right now, Lucid only has a single sedan while Tesla has sedans, SUVs, and a truck. Tesla also has good reliability and build quality which was built up with customers over years. Lucid will have to show that they can produce reliable cars before they can really compete in the market.”

 

Gurewitz continues, saying that he likes the Lucid Air. “I think the Lucid Air sounds very promising. It has impressive stats, especially its acceleration and top speed, for a sub 100k base-model MSRP. Design-wise, both the exterior and interior look luxurious and futuristic, more so than Tesla’s models. Personally, I don’t think I would purchase a Lucid Air because as a car enthusiast, I prefer the sound and driving experience of a typical gas engine. Maybe in the future if climate change becomes even more of an urgent issue and the population is shifting entirely to electric cars, I would consider buying a Lucid.”

 

Reserving the Lucid Air Pure requires a $300 deposit. The cars will be built at the company’s factory in Casa Grande, Arizona. The automotive startup recently completed the first phase of construction on the factory and is currently commissioning production equipment. The facility will have an initial capacity of 30,000 units per year and will eventually expand to 400,000 units a year, according to Lucid. So if you are considering buying a Lucid like Jake Gurewitz, then you better start wrapping up your decision.