The Lucid Air: A Leading Contender in the Electric Vehicle Race

When shopping for a new electric vehicle, range is perhaps the most crucial factor. It can be argued that it surpasses price, incentives, fast-charging capabilities, design, and even the high-tech features offered. If you’re searching for a battery-powered sedan that can cover significant distances and travel further on a single charge than almost any other EV available in the United States today, the Lucid Air deserves your attention.

This sleek, stylish four-door car offers remarkable range in addition to a surprisingly spacious and well-engineered package. It features a large 117-kilowatt-hour battery pack, providing an EPA-estimated 512 miles of range on a full charge (when fitted with 19-inch Aero Range wheels; 20- and 21-inch rollers are optional). Theoretically, that’s enough to drive from New York City to Washington D.C. and back, with miles to spare. The Air also boasts incredibly quick DC fast charging, a comfortable interior, and generous space thanks to its smart design.

Engineering Excellence

The impressive range of the Lucid Air Grand Touring is attributable to more than just its large battery pack.

This car is exceptionally aerodynamic. The body has a drag coefficient of just 0.197, making it more aerodynamic than a Toyota Prius (0.270), Hyundai Ioniq 6 (0.220), Tesla Model S (0.208), and Mercedes-Benz EQS sedan (0.200). Reduced wind resistance helps the car travel as far as possible on a single charge.

In addition to the size of the battery pack and sleek styling, this Lucid sedan also has other innovative design features

For example, the battery pack has a space-efficient 22-module design that uses a 924-volt power architecture for exceptionally fast DC fast charging.

With a 116.5-inch wheelbase, engineers pushed the car’s axles outward to provide additional interior space. Furthermore, the front and rear drive units—each with a powerful electric motor, reduction gearing, a differential, and a power inverter—are compact and lightweight. Reportedly, one of these units weighs just 163 pounds (74 kg).

Interior Space and Practicality

This smart engineering contributes to a remarkably spacious interior for passengers and cargo. The Lucid Air has more than 22 cubic feet of space in its rear trunk and an additional 10 cubic feet in the front trunk (or “frunk”) for a total of 32.1 cubic feet. Passenger space totals 98.7 cubic feet, with rear-seat passengers enjoying 37.6 inches of legroom and up to 38.3 inches of headroom. Front-seat occupants have even more space.

Impressive Specifications

Here’s a look at key specifications for the 2025 Lucid Air Grand Touring model:

• Powertrain: Dual Electric Motors
• Power: 819 horsepower
• Torque: 885 lb-ft
• Transmission: Single-speed
• Driveline: All-wheel drive
• Range: 512 miles
• Fuel Economy (City): 131 MPGe
• Fuel Economy (Highway): 132 MPGe
• Fuel Economy (Combined): 131 MPGe
• Starting Price: $110,900

Note: Fuel economy figures are based on EPA estimates and may vary depending on driving conditions.

Efficiency and Charging Capabilities

Thanks to its efficient design, the Lucid Air is also incredibly economical. The Grand Touring model with 19-inch wheels is rated by the EPA at 126 MPGe city, 126 highway, and 128 MPGe combined. Drivers who opt for the 20- or 21-inch wheels will experience a slight decrease in efficiency, but the difference is negligible. The base rear-drive Pure model, also with 19-inch wheels, is even more efficient than the Grand Touring trim. This variant achieves an incredible 149 MPGe city, 142 highway, and 146 combined.

Having a maximum range of 512 miles is a significant advantage on long drives. The Air Grand Touring’s fast charging performance is also impressive . This particular model tops out at a rapid 300 kilowatts, among the best DC fast-charging rates available. Lower-end versions of the Lucid sedan charge at around 250 kW.

This fast performance allows the Grand Touring to gain 200 miles of range in just 12 minutes when using a 350-kW DC fast-charging station. The Lucid Air Grand Touring is designed for rapid charging, so drivers spend less time at charging stations.

• Ultra-Fast DC Charging: Can regain 300 miles of range in just 21 minutes using high-speed chargers.
• Home Charging Solutions: Level 2 home charging provides convenient overnight charging for daily commutes. The Lucid Air Grand Touring charges from 0 to 100 percent in about 5 hours and 39 minutes using a Level 2 charger.

While the Grand Touring model offers the longest range, other trims also perform well. The base Pure model can travel up to 430 miles on a charge, the Touring trim is rated at 406 miles, and the high-performance Sapphire model offers an estimated 427 miles of range.

Supercar-Like Performance

The Air also delivers impressive acceleration. The Grand Touring model has 819 horsepower and 885 pound-feet of torque, which, with its all-wheel drive, propels the car from 0 to 60 mph in just 3.0 seconds. The base Pure model, with less than half the horsepower, still reaches 60 mph in a quick 4.5 seconds.

The Air Sapphire stands out as the highest trim level and performance model. This car boasts a staggering 1,234 horsepower, accelerating this sizable sedan to 60 mph in as little as 1.89 seconds – under two seconds! The Sapphire is also very efficient, achieving 108 MPGe city, 101 highway, and 105 combined, which are far better fuel economy scores than many mass-market EVs.

Luxury Features and Technology

The Lucid Air Grand Touring competes head-to-head with rivals like the BMW i7, Mercedes-Benz EQS SUV, and Genesis Electrified G80. The Air has some features which help separate it from the competition.

For example, it boasts a 34-inch screen on the dashboard, a bright and colorful panel that is intuitive to use. There’s a retractable Pilot Panel screen lower on the center stack for additional vehicle functions. Wireless Apple CarPlay is standard, as is over-the-air software update capability, integrated turn-by-turn navigation, and a wireless charging pad. For drivers that want more, there’s even an available 21-inch Surreal Sound Pro audio system.

The Lucid Air Grand Touring comes with 12-way power-adjustable and heated front seats. For an additional $3,750, you can opt for 20-way adjustable front seats with ventilation and massage functionality. The Air Grand Touring also has many standard features, like the Comfort and Convenience package which includes a heated steering wheel, power-operated front trunk, soft-close doors, four-zone climate control, heated rear seats, power-operated rear sunshades, and rear side shades.

When it comes to driver aids, the Air Grand Touring comes standard with active suspension damping with various drive modes, and all-wheel drive thanks to two permanent-magnet electric motors. You also get DreamDrive Premium, Lucid’s suite of advanced driver assistance technology. This includes features like front and rear cross-traffic protection, blind spot monitoring, automatic emergency braking, lane-departure warning, traffic sign recognition, over-the-air software updates, pedestrian detection, and much more. For big spenders, DreamDrive Pro is available for $2,500 extra. This includes Highway Assist with adaptive cruise control as well as active lane centering and adaptive cruise control.

Price and Value

The Lucid Air Grand Touring, with destination and documentation fees, has a price tag of around $112,500 (MSRP $110,900), but this price does not include any potential discounts. That’s a significant investment, but you get a lot of car for the money. Drivers who seek a more affordable option should consider the entry-level Pure model starting at roughly $69,900, with destination and documentation fees.

The Lucid Air stands out as a compelling option in the luxury electric vehicle market, offering a blend of range, performance, luxury, and technology that sets a high standard.