- lucid released a video (below) of its air sedan driving over 400 miles on a single charge in testing.
- that number beats tesla's current longest-range claim, 390 miles for the model s long range plus.
- the air will be priced starting at $60,000 and is aimed at luxury-vehicle buyers. the long-range version will likely cost much more.
the lucid air was supposed to make its world premiere at the new york auto show. with that event moved to late august amid concerns over the coronavirus, the ev automaker has had to make some adjustments. but one thing that was able to be accomplished before the shelter-in-place order was a series of 400-mile range tests in the lucid air.
today lucid shared a video that shows lucid employees driving an air in one of those tests. starting from the company's headquarters in newark, in northern california, they drove down california’s pacific coast highway and ended at the santa monica pier. the next day—after a night's charge—they drove the air from los angeles to crissy field in san francisco. according to the automaker, both trips were over 400 miles. it doesn't state how much over 400 miles each leg of the round trip was (a google maps check of the route to los angeles shows 411 miles), but it's an impressive feat if the production vehicle can achieve it.
lucid says that its battery system is tuned around the concept of "smart range." the idea is to build a more efficient battery rather than try to shove as many kilowatt-hours as it can into a vehicle. the high-range version of the vehicle will ship with a 110.0-kwh pack situated under the passenger area, lucid says.
in february, ceo peter rawlinson told car and driver, “i don't measure an electric-car company's progress by its battery size. conversely, i wish we could have a smaller battery. let's look at range efficiency with the smallest possible battery. that's the metric that really counts."
while the range numbers make it one of the first to take on tesla's status as battery champion, lucid is aiming for the luxury market above the model s. it's looking to take on the likes of bmw, mercedes, and audi with a swanky interior and ample legroom. while the entry-level version of the car is expected to start at $60,000, the version that hits the 400-mile mark will likely cost more.