And despite this upscale version riding on glitzy 21in wheels (which do knock a few km from the range – go for the optional 19s if you want the full figure) it seems to amble along pretty effortlessly, too. Almost all EVs thus far have struggled with suppressing every decibel the road noise usually masked by internal combustion, but the Air is as tranquil as a library. On the first hour of freeway I can barely fathom how smooth and hushed this car is. Our route takes us from Lucid’s HQ, in a Newark industrial estate, up into some tight, twisting canyon roads. If that bothers you, then rest assured that Lucid spent a chunk of money tempting chassis engineers from the likes of Aston Martin and Jaguar Land Rover – as well as Red Bull Racing’s aerodynamic guru – across to California to make this 2.3-tonne behemoth drive properly.Īnd they’ve only gone and nailed it. Lucid had aimed to be the first carmaker to introduce such frivolity to the plug-in world, but delays to the Air’s release meant the pesky Porsche Taycan nipped ahead.
The stability control can be loosened – and turned off almost entirely – via a separate button. You’ll almost certainly try it once then settle into the other two modes, which each limit power to around 500kW and vary the steering weight, suspension tautness and all-wheel-drive power spread as you cycle between them. Rest assured that Lucid spent money tempting chassis engineers from Aston Martin and Jaguar Land Rover – as well as Red Bull Racing’s aerodynamic guru – to make this behemoth drive properly These more rapid Airs come with three driving modes – the cutely editorialised Smooth, Swift and Sprint – and in the latter, when the traction control works its witchcraft for a launch control start, you’ll not for a moment wish for an EV that can propel you into the middle distance any faster. See, on paper it’s slower than a Model S Plaid. Both cost the same, and both hit 100km/h in under three seconds. It’s one of two Dream Editions the R (for Range) combines 696kW power with that headline grabbing 837km claim, while the P (for Performance) tips the see-saw in the other direction, peaking at 828kW and 758km. There’s a mildly dizzying array of power, range and spec options before you get to the fully stacked car we see here. A 113kWh battery powers all versions, and the range kicks off at around $70,000 USD (almost $100,000 AUD) if you factor in federal grants and can cope with a rear-driven car with under 400kW and a whisker over 400 miles of range. Priced at $169,000 US dollars in its launch Dream Edition trim – about $235,000 AUD – you’d hope it would have an answer for everything.
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