Air

Segment
Sedan

Lucid Motors has announced availability dates for three of the latest Air Models. The Pure and Touring, along with the high-performance Sapphire, should start shipping to customers in the coming months.

Deliveries of the $107,400 Air Touring are expected to kick off in November 2022, with the $87,500 Air Pure following a month later. Those waiting for the Sapphire to arrive will have to exercise patience, as deliveries are only expected to take place in mid-2023.

Lucid says that the "Air is now the world's most aerodynamic production vehicle, with a landmark 0.197 coefficient," beating out the Mercedes EQS with a 0.20 Cd. Previously, the Air was rated at 0.21 Cd.

The Pure and Touring build on the success of the existing lineup, introducing more value and efficiency to buyers. Hopefully, deliveries won't prove daunting; the California-based company has had to cut its production output twice this year and admitted it won't build more than 7,000 vehicles in 2022. In early August, the company noted that it had 37,000 unfulfilled reservations, but the company has big plans to massively boost production.

As a reminder, the Air Pure will be made available in two guises. The dual-motor derivative, with 480 horsepower and all-wheel drive, will arrive first. It will soon be followed by the RWD, single-motor variant.

Even though it's fitted with a lighter battery pack and fewer modules (18 instead of 22), the Air Pure AWD still manages to deliver an EPA-estimated 410 miles of range. This may trail behind the 520-mile range achieved by the Air Dream Edition, but it still pips rivals like the Mercedes EQS Sedan.

A smaller battery avails more rear seat space, providing the generous rear quarters with even more room for passengers. The Air Pure also comes standard with Lucid's brilliant Wunderbox technology, which enables quick charging times - 200 miles of range can be delivered in a mere 15 minutes.

Those looking for more luxury will be charmed by the Air Touring, which boasts superb performance and an enviable travel range. Thanks to the 620-hp dual-motor, all-wheel drive setup, the Air Touring can silently dispatch 60 mph in just 3.4 seconds. EPA estimates suggest the vehicle can travel up to 425 miles between trips to the plug.

The power-hungry will look no further than the high-performance Sapphire. Unveiled in August as the world's most powerful production sedan, the $249,000 boasts more than 1,200 hp courtesy of its tri-motor setup.

Lucid claims an estimated 0-60 mph time of 1.89 seconds and a top speed of 205 mph, making the Sapphire a true threat to the Model S Plaid. The automaker is putting the final touches on the Sapphire, with on-track and road testing still taking place.

We can also expect the long-awaited Gravity to show its face soon and garner even more interest for the California-based company.

With strong demand and a growing range of models, Lucid needs to expand its manufacturing capabilities. In September, the company announced it was seeking up to $8 billion in primary capital, which will most likely be used to boost production and expand the company's existing facilities.

The EV maker already intends to lease an additional 1,400 acres of land from Pinal County, where its Casa Grande facility is located. This acquisition would essentially triple the company's acreage and provide it with much-needed space. Reports suggest the company hopes to produce 400,000 vehicles a year at the Arizona factory, which should be more than enough to keep up with demand.

Aside from the expansion, plans are afoot for a new production facility in Saudi Arabia, which could bring up to $3.4 billion of value to the brand in the next 15 years.