HomeGuidePowerful 933-HP Lucid Air Dream Edition R: An EV Underdog Shooting for...

Powerful 933-HP Lucid Air Dream Edition R: An EV Underdog Shooting for the Stars

As electric vehicle sales increase, many companies and startups are rushing to get their piece of the pie. In the last few years, many automobile giants such as Mercedes, Audi, Toyota, Ford, Volkswagen, and many more have begun plans to launch their Electric sedans, SUVs, and crossovers in the market. The market also has many newcomers to the automobile industry. Lucid, Rivian, and Lordstrom are some of the EV startups. Tesla and Elon Musk are the pioneers in the EV sector without whom, all the interest in electric vehicles would be non-existent. Now more companies are entering the market hoping to be the next success.

Lucid Air Dream Edition R
Picture courtesy – Motortrend

Powerful 933 HP Lucid Air Dream Edition R

Lucid has set up its factory in Arizona and is currently in the pre-production phase. Production will likely begin in late 2021. Sheaupyng Lin, Bernard Tse, and Sam Weng founded the company in 2007. Paul Rawlinson, an ex-Tesla employee is currently the CEO and CTO of Lucid. The Lucid Air comes in four models vis-à-vis Air Touring, Air Pure which are the basic versions, and the top-end models are Air Grand Touring and the Air Dream Edition.

Trims

The Air Touring and Air Pure are said to have a range of 406 miles each and a horsepower of 620-HP and 480-HP each. Lucid has stated that the Lucid Air Dream Edition and Air Grand Touring will have a range and horsepower of 503 miles and 1080-HP and 517 miles and 800hp respectively. These range estimates are far greater than any other electric vehicle on the market. If Lucid is able to deliver on these range estimates it would certainly be a game-changer for the industry.

Comparison

Teslas are currently the most sold electric vehicles on the market. This is largely due to their appeal and brand; and not due to their range and luxury. Tesla has adhered to its principle of minimalism regarding its choice of interior. Although Tesla has its autopilot and huge screens in the cockpit, it lacks in areas like seating, driver and passenger comfort, and materials. Such luxury in cars is a must-have for some wealthy customers. Its absence can be a deciding factor in order to buy an electric vehicle or not.

Companies like Lucid Air have not only surpassed the range of Teslas but also have the luxury that Tesla does not have. Lucid Air’s interior has a variety of luxury materials such as leather, wood, Alcantara, high-quality plastics, and linen-like fabrics. The Lucid Air has physical temperature, volume, and dome light controls, unlike the Tesla. The interior of the Lucid Air has been called one of the finest car interiors in the world on par with luxury brands like Mercedes, Audi, and BMW. These high-class items will surely contribute to the sale of the Lucid Air and increase their market share upon release. 

Interior and Exterior

The exterior of the Lucid Air is also very different. High-quality materials are used making giving the car a sleek and luxurious feel. The most fascinating feature of the exterior of the car is its panoramic roof. The panoramic roof offers clear views of the sky above the car and this type of roof is unique to the Lucid Air. The Lucid Air is a luxury sedan. It has low ground clearance, a bright end-to-end light bar at the rear end of the car, and power white LED lights at the front to give a clear view of the road ahead. The dashboard houses the essential infotainment screen and there is an uncluttered center console that houses charging and storage spaces.

Lucid Air Dream Edition R Interior
Picture courtesy – Motortrend

Lucid air is available in five eye-catching colors which are Zenith Red, Stellar White, Infinite Black, Cosmos Silver, and Quantum Grey. The Dream Edition of the car is also available in Eureka Gold for a limited period.

Lucid Air Dream Edition R Side
Picture courtesy – Motortrend

Motor and Battery

The Lucid Air comes with a dual motor topology. Each of the motors weighs 163 pounds with an output power of 670-HP, much more than a Tesla motor. The base version with a range of 406 miles comes with a battery capacity of 113 KWh. This capacity is more than a Tesla Model S Plaid. The Lucid Air comes in three driving modes: Smooth, Swift, and Sprint. The Smooth mode limits the horsepower to 670-HP and Swift pumps it up to 804-HP. The Sprint mode allows for horsepower all the way up to 933-HP. In the Sprint mode, the car is ready to race, and everything firms up dynamically. The car gets closer to the ground to reduce the aerodynamic drag of the car and decrease the car’s air resistance.

According to the Motortrend, the claims of above 500-mile range of the Lucid Air hold true. This is good news for the consumers who are putting off buying shorter-range electric vehicles due to range anxiety. According to the EVperks, Lucid Air will be able to cover 300 miles after a charge, just 20 minutes long. The company has also made a deal with Electrify America. It has charging stations all across the United States of America to provide free charging for all Lucid Air cars. This scheme will be available till three years after purchase. This will surely lure prospective EV customers towards the latest Lucid cars increasing their market share in the process.

Pricing

The Lucid Air starts at 69,900 USD for the ‘Pure’ trim, Touring Model costs 87,400 USD. The Grand Touring trim is placed at the price point of 139,000 USD. The top-tier Dream Edition is priced at a hefty 169,000 USD. It is costlier than the top-end electric vehicles available today.

Conclusion

The extremely well-made electric vehicle is just waiting to go into production. The customers are also waiting to get their hands on one and reservations for the car have already begun. The startup Lucid is the new kid on the block and has received huge investments from various investors. The company also plans to launch SUVs and crossovers in the near future. Lucid is giving the giants in the automobile industry a run for their money. Healthy competition is always good for any industry which helps the industry innovate better products. There’s a lot riding on the success of this startup which will encourage more startups in the automobile industry. Everybody hopes that this company succeeds and brings its cars to its customers as soon as possible.

Raajas Joshi
Raajas Joshi
An electrical engineer passionate about electric vehicles and sustainable technologies.

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