It takes more than big power outputs to get us excited about electric cars these days; much more telling of a car’s real-world performance is its range. Lucid’s just-revealed Air seems to tick both boxes from the get-go, with claims that it has up to 1,080hp and 517 miles of range from an all-electric powerplant. The incoming top-spec saloon costs from $161,500 in America and yes, it’s set to come to Britain, with £770 deposits being taken here now. In all markets, it’ll be the fastest electric production car on sale with a 235mph top speed.
That’s for the top-grade Air, as well, with California-based Lucid producing several variants of its saloon that start with a 400hp, $52,100 model, capable of 240 miles from its 75kWh battery. That price – and the one mentioned earlier – both include the US’s lowered electric car tax, but the numbers these cars produce make them seem pretty fair. Take the charging claims; all versions are said to be capable of adding 300 miles of range to their batteries in 20 minutes when plugged into a DC fast charger. So, presumably, you can fill the 75kWh car from 0-100 per cent in even less time.
The 1,080hp model is, not surprisingly, the one Lucid’s produced most numbers for. Along with that frankly insane top speed, the four-door can hit 60mph in 2.5 seconds and complete the quarter mile sprint in 9.9 seconds. Electric hypercar stats, then, but in a machine that can seat five, or indeed be made into a four-seater to offer maximum rear space. That’ll be key for Lucid’s main target market, China, although it’s bidding for America and Europe, too. When British sales are intended to start proper is yet to be confirmed. Don’t be surprised if it’s a long way off.
Using Lucid’s in-house made Electric Advanced Platform (LEAP), the Air is the first in a line-up of planned cars including, predictably, an SUV. The Air’s electric powertrains, and its highly digitalised cabin, are likely to be carried over to that model, as it’s all designed to be modular. Mind you, the Air’s ultra-slippery exterior, which has a drag co-efficient of just 0.21, might be hard to repeat in an SUV body. As such, we’d be surprised to see that headline range maintained unless modifications to the power source are made. No doubt there’ll be something else to brag about, though; numbers are what sell these cars, after all.
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