Lucid Air Electric Sedan Reaches 235 MPH
Don’t expect the Tesla competitor to reach that speed when the Air is released in 2019, however.
When we talk about premium electric vehicles, most of the conversation defaults to Tesla. The Model S, in particular, is made to mix incredible performance (just look at the ridiculous 0-60 time) and luxury. However, another company hopes to take Tesla down a peg or two with their own electric luxury performance vehicle. Lucid Motors is preparing the 2019 release of their Lucid Air, and in doing so, have tested their vehicle’s limits.
Back in March, Lucid was claiming that their Air could reach 160 mph on the test track. That’s no small feat for an EV. However, they were hoping to do more. Then in April, the vehicle reached 217 mph, and people started to take notice. But why stop at 217 mph?
In a new promotional video, Lucid shows footage of their Air model on the test track, yet again. This time, they take off all software limits and push their car to the max. The result? The Lucid Air reached a ridiculous 235 miles per hour. It’s hard to compare these results to Tesla, who primarily touts their acceleration speed because they limit their vehicles to 155 mph. Regardless, we don’t take 235 mph lightly.
However, take into consideration one thing when watching this video: The prototype shown represents the height of their performance and won’t be available, at first at least, to the public. The prototype generates an estimated 1,000 horsepower, whereas the production model will make 400 horsepower. Still no slouch, but not enough to get you over 200 mph.
That said, Lucid isn’t creating a supercar. Their hopes remain more modest. At $60,000, Lucid is aiming primarily at potential Tesla customers. The Lucid Air will also have an impressive range of approximately 240 miles with the premium models having 315- and 400-mile ranges.
Can Lucid Motors compete with Tesla when the Air is scheduled to be released in 2019? That’s anyone’s guess, but it looks like they’re sure moving in the right direction.
