- Lucid currently only builds the top-of-the-line Dream Edition but plans to introduce three lower-priced versions of the Air: the Pure, Touring, and Grand Touring.
- The Pure starts at $78,900 and the Touring costs $96,500, with both providing a projected 406 miles of range, while the $140,500 Grand Touring earned a 516-mile range estimate from the EPA.
- Lucid recently admitted that it may have to increase prices as a result of parts shortages and supply chain difficulties, but said it will honor the original prices for current reservation holders.
The Lucid Air Dream Edition produces big numbers. The Performance model’s two electric motors churn out 1111 horsepower, while the Range model can travel 520 miles on a charge—the longest range of any EV rated by the EPA. But these impressive metrics also come with a sky-high price of $170,500, and while Lucid is planning cheaper versions of the Air down the line, there’s a chance that they could receive a price hike before production even begins.
Currently, Lucid has begun deliveries of the Dream Edition Performance and the 933-hp Dream Edition Range. But in 2022 Lucid aims to introduce three lower-priced trims: the Pure, Touring, and Grand Touring. The Grand Touring, which Lucid recently started building, is the most powerful, with two motors providing 800 hp and all-wheel drive. Instead of the Dream Edition’s 118.0-kWh battery, the Grand Touring employs a 112.0-kWh battery good for 516 miles of range according to the EPA. As with the Dream Editions, opting for the 21-inch wheels knocks that figure down a bit, to a still impressive 469 miles. The Grand Touring starts at $140,500.
The base model, called the Pure, will be the last to arrive, with 480 horsepower sent to the rear wheels by a single electric motor. Lucid claims 406 miles of range, and we estimate the Pure’s battery will have 88.0 kWh of capacity. Slotting above the Pure and using the same smaller battery pack will be the Touring, which gets all-wheel drive, 620 hp, and a projected 406 miles of range. The Pure and Touring will be significantly cheaper than their more powerful brethren, starting at $78,900 and $96,500 respectively. Both of the Dream Edition models are fully booked at the moment, with interested buyers offered a spot on a waiting list, and Lucid is currently accepting reservations for the other three trim levels.
As of the end of February, Lucid said it had more than 25,000 reservations for the Air but didn't break down the reservations by trim. So far, Lucid has built more than 400 vehicles and predicts that 2022 production will be between 12,000 and 14,000 units. While sales numbers should increase as Lucid introduces cheaper versions of the Air, those trims might not stay as cheap for very long.
Late last week, according to Reuters, Lucid CEO Peter Rawlinson said the company is considering price hikes for future models. Rawlinson pointed to rising nickel prices as a result of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, as well as "huge inflationary pressures" and supply-chain issues, mostly around windshield glass, carpeting, and some exterior trim pieces. "I'm super frustrated because we're not gated by silicon chips, we're not gated by our ability to make electric motors," Rawlinson explained.
But Rawlinson did stress that Lucid will not raise prices for current reservation holders, taking a different approach than electric startup Rivian, which announced a price increase for its R1T and R1S in early March. Rivian jacked up the prices regardless of whether customers had already placed a reservation based on the lower price, but after strong backlash, the company quickly reversed course. Lucid skipped the controversy, with Rawlinson making it clear that Lucid intends to "keep our commitments to existing reservation holders." When these price increases might occur is yet to be seen, but given the volatile situation in Ukraine and the supply-chain constraints that have been rocking the auto industry for the past year, we wouldn’t be surprised to see changes in price before the cheaper versions of the Air even begin production.