It’s not fairly often that I get to take a look at a automobile that’s produced by a comparatively new automaker. In comes Lucid Motors, an American-made newcomer that was really based in 2007 as a battery and powertrain maker beneath the Atieva identify and later bought its footing out of California as Lucid Motors in 2016 on the helm of Peter Rawlinson, a former VP of engineering at Tesla. In attending to expertise the brand new Lucid Air Pure, the bottom trim of the brand new electrical luxurious sedan, there have been some preliminary low expectations contemplating the broad gamut of trim ranges, a complete of 4 (Pure, Touring, Grand Touring, Sapphire). Nevertheless, my time with the Lucid Air Pure has proved to be fairly a shocking expertise residing on the constructive facet, with the notion all the time looming at the back of my thoughts that the Lucid Air is a brand new automotive maker’s first try.
Design-wise, the Lucid Air is exclusive and almost on the extent of being unique when you think about the pinnacle turns that it calls for round city. In my remark, most of these head-turns are out of curiosity, however the stares you get from onlookers are a part of the attract that solely a very good or actually dangerous design calls for – and we’re not speaking in regards to the dangerous facet of issues like a brand new Tesla Cybertruck. No, no, the Lucid Air is undeniably a handsome automobile becoming the right mildew of being considerably futuristic and correct for its electrical drivetrain. Better of all, the Lucid Air doesn’t observe the rest on the street; it’s its personal creation that accomplishes superb feats as a brand new luxurious EV sedan that surpasses a lot of the competitors in some ways.
Efficiency and Driving Character
Having a somewhat distinctive packaging of the densely highly effective electrical motor, or electrical motors in all-wheel-drive trims, the Lucid Air pushes the envelope for its energy and effectivity surpassing most within the EV (electrical automobile) world. In my base Lucid Air Pure RWD take a look at automobile, you get rear-wheel-drive by means of a single motor that’s powered by an 88-kWh battery pack. That single motor is nice for 430 horsepower and 406 lb-ft of torque, propelling the Lucid Air Pure to 60 mph in about 4.2 seconds.
The acceleration sensation you get out of the Lucid Air Pure is robust however comes on softly out of the outlet. The feeling feels as if there are small afterburners that softly kick in after 35 mph, which is an identical expertise using the simplistic launch management out of the Dash drive mode, considered one of three drive mode settings. Utilizing the default Clean drive mode considerably limits energy output and units the usual adaptive dampers on the tender facet, however the Air Pure stays properly planted with no signs of sloppy physique motion. Transferring by means of the Swift mode, issues barely enhance in energy output, a heavier steering really feel, and added damper firmness. Use of the Dash mode, probably the most aggressive setting, feels solely marginally extra aggressive, which is the mode that I want to get the complete beans after I need them. In Dash mode, the adaptive dampers proceed to do a wonderful job of smoothing out street imperfections however with a slight firmness to the general trip high quality – however not so overly agency that anybody will complain.
The way in which during which the Lucid Air Pure handles itself is shocking on the facet of feeling very buttoned down and secure in any respect authorized speeds and barely past. The chassis dynamics are glorious, and even the turn-in is spot on for what you’d count on out of a luxurious sports activities sedan, one which handles exceptionally effectively for its giant measurement. Instantly driving the Lucid Air Pure, you get a way of chassis tuning that went above and past the place it wanted to be, making the perfect use of its low middle of gravity, which most likely offers manner for the out-of-this-world efficiency you get out of the 1,234-horsepower Lucid Air Sapphire trim. There’s a wonderful basis to construct off right here!
The downfalls of the drivetrain encompass its programming for the regen braking, which solely has two modes that each really feel somewhat aggressive however will not be technically one-pedal driving modes. Each the Low and Normal braking regen are sturdy and infrequently enact the brake lights upon almost letting off the throttle or utterly lifting your foot. That is the place some work is required for my part – Lucid may presumably add further regen ranges like Hyundai/Kia/Genesis does with their new EVs, which might make the driving expertise a lot better. Furthermore, the creep operate isn’t constant in its operation and is just enabled when urgent the fuel rapidly off the brake or really urgent each the throttle and brake on the similar time. Normally, the Lucid Air Pure will act with a momentary maintain, which might be totally enabled for a maintain operate, or the automobile will roll again in some circumstances if the braking maintain characteristic isn’t set to on.
General, using the friction brakes, that are surprisingly beefy with 6-piston calipers on 15-inch discs up entrance and 4-piston rear calipers biting 14.8-inch discs, is generally a clean transition from regen braking. Some might discover the longer journey of the brake pedal to be a bit disconcerting because the useless space is the place the aggressive braking regen technically fills the hole, so the general transition to the friction brakes is extra pure. There’s obvious overengineering right here, and I’m all for it!
Electrical Consumption and Effectivity
The Lucid Air Pure is probably the most environment friendly EV I’ve examined so far and touts the longest-range estimate at 410 to 425 miles for my Pure RWD trimmed take a look at automobile. Although, my take a look at automobile was outfitted with the bigger 20-inch wheels over the usual 19-inch wheels, vary solely suffered barely getting about 390 miles out of a full cost – barely surpassing the pc estimation of 386 miles after a full cost.
The Lucid Air prides itself on having an extended estimated vary out of its battery pack, which will increase by means of the trim ranges. The Lucid Air Touring will get mainly the identical vary because the Pure with the 19-inch wheels round 425 miles, the Grand Touring will get 516 miles (19-inch wheels), and the performance-oriented 1,234-horsepower Sapphire will get 427 miles. Basically, this is among the few EVs that calm or considerably eradicate your vary anxiousness from having such an extended vary. That glorious effectivity and vary is partly because of a slippery 0.197 coefficient of drag.
Charging up the 88-kWh battery pack takes place rapidly utilizing a DC quick charger that almost matches the claimed 17 minutes to cost to 200 miles of vary from a largely depleted battery. Throughout my take a look at at an Electrify America 350-kW DC quick charger from a spread of 120 miles left, I used to be ready so as to add 135 miles of vary in quarter-hour. When the vary reached simply over 300 miles whereas charging, the cost charge began to drop drastically. Furthermore, I solely peaked in the course of the cost session at 135kW, which I considerably attribute to the Electrify America station being labored on on the time by a tech. Lucid claims a max cost charge of 200kW.
So far as utilization, the Lucid Air Pure averaged about 4 kWh per mile in combined freeway and metropolis driving, which largely matches the EPA mixed estimate of 137 MPGe (140 MPGe metropolis/134 MPGe freeway). I did see figures as excessive as 4.6 kWh per mile on lower-speed highways over the course of a 20-mile drive, which is almost 158 MPGe.
Inside and Know-how
The cabin house of the Lucid Air may be very ethereal, pun meant. There’s quantity of room for all passengers, exuding the sensation of a correct full-size luxurious sedan. The seats are comfortable, however the entrance heated seats lack any adjustment for the headrests for the bottom Pure trim, regardless that they’re on the massive and tender facet. Taller people will should be conscious of the sloping roofline and preserve tabs on their seat peak adjustment, as there’s a restricted quantity of headroom. The usual 12-way power-adjustable entrance seats might be upgraded by means of an choice to have 14-way or 20-way changes, air flow, and therapeutic massage features. The rear seats have good house as effectively, and there may be the choice of heated outboard seats. Cargo house is beneficiant contemplating there’s a very deep frunk (entrance trunk) and using the nearly-level flooring of the rear trunk accessed by a powered clamshell-like liftgate.
The Lucid Air lacks any bodily begin/cease button, leaving the automobile startup automated by urgent the brake pedal upon coming into the automobile. Shutting down the automobile is left to only hopping out and locking the doorways, which might be performed by means of the important thing fob, urgent the motorized door handles, or setting the passive locking characteristic the place it should lock by merely strolling away with the important thing fob in your pocket. The Lucid Air Pure might be optioned with the non-compulsory soft-close doorways.
While you get able to cost the automobile, you have to press a button on the left of the floating gauge cluster to open the facility cost port door, as there is no such thing as a opening button entry exterior of the automobile. Talking of the floating cluster, the instrument/infotainment display screen and gauge cluster are built-in right into a curved floating 34-inch display screen pod. The infotainment touchscreen portion of the pod is considerably on the small facet, the place it delicately integrates wi-fi or USB-connected Apple CarPlay and has a steep studying curve for navigating its features. At the moment, Android Auto isn’t out there on the Lucid Air.
Whereas the features are seemingly easy, you don’t notice the simplicity till you overcome an extended studying curve which will take a few days to grasp. A part of that have entails using the bigger, decrease power-retractable touchscreen, which to some could seem extra like a novelty however is important for controlling important options. The decrease middle console touchscreen serves as a middle for automobile features and controls, in addition to the three-zone computerized local weather management middle. Some features from the higher touchscreen might be swiped down onto the decrease display screen, which is a neat occasion trick, simply because the display screen’s means to motor out of the way in which into the dashboard to disclose a big console storage space.
General, there’s loads to understand within the uniqueness of the Lucid Air’s dashboard structure, which can be accompanied by an opulent feeling all through with soft-touch surfaces in all places and a pleasant contact of padded material trim. Even the decrease door trim is all soft-touch supplies accented by small strips of metal-looking trim. Although, I need to point out the annoying trait of the brilliant glare you get from the small polished-finished strip of bodily local weather controls that additionally encase the quantity rocker knob, along with the cupholders being a bit too small for a lot of containers.
Security
There’s the standard group of lively security options included on the Lucid Air Pure, which embody lane departure warning/mitigation, ahead collision warning/emergency braking, blind-spot displays, adaptive cruise management with velocity restrict signal adaptation, rear cross-path detection/emergency braking, and driver consideration warning. Instead of the Lucid Air Pure’s normal single rear digital camera angle setup, you will get the choice for the 3D encompass view monitor and a future-capable (ADAS) superior driver help system (semi-autonomous driving).
Worth
The bottom Lucid Air Pure with none choices is seemingly worth for the collective of its elements and options and having an distinctive EV vary of simply over 400 miles. Beginning at $69,900 earlier than any charges is a horny proposition after I had an opportunity to expertise all that the Lucid Air Pure has to supply in its no-option kind other than the bigger 20-inch wheels and enticing Fathom Blue Metallic paint choice.
I’ve excessive hopes for the Lucid Motors model and stay up for seeing their Gravity SUV make its debut within the many months to return to hopefully set the corporate within the inexperienced as a result of the Lucid Air Pure is a outstanding begin on the as-tested value of $72,200.
