A Review of Lucid Motors: Here’s What We Know So Far

Since Tesla has continually gained in notoriety and substantially increased their profit potential, we have seen numerous electric car companies attempt to mimic their success. Most companies simply do not have the funding or the technology necessary to compete with the likes of Tesla in the electric vehicle industry. However, one name seems to continually gain momentum in the very young electric vehicle industry — Lucid Motors. This review discusses what we know about Lucid Motors so far and the role they may play in the future of electric vehicles. 

What is Lucid Motors?

Lucid Motors is an electric vehicle manufacturer based out of Newark, CA. Formerly known as Atieva, Lucid Motors began its operation in 2007, primarily focused on building electric vehicle batteries. However, along with a name change, Lucid Motors decided to shift their focus to developing electric cars entirely, rather than the battery alone. By focusing on the development of electric car batteries for nearly a decade, the hard part for Lucid Motors was complete, and they are expected to feature a battery with as much or more life and performance as Tesla. 

Lucid CEO, Peter Rawlinson, formerly worked at Tesla as a Chief Engineer and is largely credited for the innovation and ability of the Tesla Model S. Lucid Motors is currently accepting reservations for their prized Lucid Air, they are not expected to have them available until later in 2021 or early in 2022. 

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Things we know so far about Lucid Motors

Lucid Motors intends to be the “luxury” version of Tesla. While Tesla moves more towards affordability for the majority of drivers, Lucid Motors intends to target the high-value buyers who do not mind spending $80,000 or more for an improved version. If the Lucid Air (the primary car Lucid plans to make available) lives up to its expectations, then the price will certainly be reasonable given its anticipated battery range and performance. 

Battery range

What separates the Lucid Air from Tesla models is its anticipated superior battery range. According to EPA Estimates, the Lucid Air will have a driving range of up to 517 miles. They also sell more affordable models that feature less battery range (see below). Nevertheless, Lucid Motors has proven to have the ability to create superior electric car batteries and intends to market this competitive advantage as they begin mass production and distribution of their Lucid Air models.

Pricing options

It is anticipated that there will be four primary models of the Lucid Air available. The notable differences come with seating capacity, battery range and, of course, price. According to Car and Driver, the four anticipated options are:

• Pure ($77,400)
• Touring ($87,500)
• Grand Touring ($139,000)
• Dream Edition ($169,000)

The Dream Edition features the longest battery range and superior car performance. The Grand Touring is perhaps the overall value as it features exceptional battery range and significantly less than the Dream Edition. The Pure is expected to have better performance and slightly better battery range than most Tesla models. 

Car performance

The Lucid Air features 480 to 1080 horsepower, depending on the model chosen. The Lucid Air Pure features a single electric motor, and the other three options feature dual electric motors. The Dream Edition can complete a quarter-mile in under 10 seconds, which is on par with any gas-powered performance car. The Lucid Air is expected to also produce a smooth ride due to its superior air suspension. This also helps with its superior handling and comfort as well. As it pertains to overall car performance among electric vehicles (and even gas-powered vehicles), the Lucid Air is second to none.

Safety features

The Lucid Air is expected to feature level 3 self-driving technology. This should include forward collision warning, automated emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert and adaptive cruise control with lane-keeping assist. The Lucid Air has not yet been tested by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), so we are not yet sure of its crash test rating. However, Lucid Motors is expected by many to on par with Tesla as it relates to overall safety. Of course, we should know more about the safety of the Lucid Air as we come closer to its official release date in the latter part of 2021 and early 2022. 

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Lucid Motors vs. Tesla: which is better

Lucid Motors is most notably compared to Tesla, and Lucid is not shy in voicing their anticipated presence within the EV industry. However, there is one notable difference between Lucid and Tesla. As discussed, Lucid intends to market to a more affluent customer base, whereas Tesla desires to accommodate the need of the average driver that is not willing or able to spend close to six figures on an electric car. To give an example in the gas-powered car industry, Tesla intends to be more like Ford, whereas Lucid intends to be a luxury version such as Audi or Mercedes. 

Of course, the advantage Tesla has is that they are already in operation. However, without considering the price, many anticipate the overall quality of the Lucid Air to be superior to Tesla models. This is yet to be seen, however, as the Lucid Air is not yet available to the public, although they have begun taking reservations and have gone through performance tests. As it relates to the overall value between the two companies, the best option is likely to be widely debated. In general, it does seem as if the two companies are not likely to compete with each other as much as is anticipated since they are targeting a different type of customer segment within the EV industry. 

Final thoughts

Lucid Motors is a new name to the electric vehicle industry, but the testing of the Lucid Air and the claims made by Lucid suggest they will be huge players in the EV industry in the coming years. In fact, some anticipate Lucid Motors being the leader in the electric vehicle industry as it pertains to luxury electric vehicles.