There's a new king of range, charging, and efficiency in the electric car space, and it doesn't wear the Tesla badge.
The car that beats in all three categories is the Lucid Air, a brand new electric luxury car that is now on the market.
With its gorgeous design, 520-mile EPA-rated range, up to 1,111 horsepower and compact electric motor, it's no surprise that the Lucid Air is the final nominee for the Automotive Authority's 2022 Best Car Buying Award.
The first models to roll off the production line will be the Air Dream Edition Range and Air Dream Edition Performance. Both are powered by compact dual electric motors that provide all-wheel drive. The former has only 933 horsepower and an EPA rating of 520 miles, while the latter has an EPA rating range of 1,111 horsepower and 471 miles. Both are rated for 19-inch wheels; choosing 21s reduces the range.
Each Air is powered by a 112 kWh battery pack and can recover up to 20 miles per minute, or up to 300 miles in 20 minutes. We experienced this fast charging requirement and recovered 299 miles of range in 29 minutes. While slightly different from the 20-minute commitment, our conditions were not ideal (the battery was not fully pre-processed), and despite the problems with the Electrify America charging station, we still saw a peak charge rate of 294 kW.
The performance is ridiculous, in the supercar space, the sprint time of 0-60 mph is 2.5 seconds, although unlike teslas or Porsche Taycans, the sprints are not purple or full of drama. It's fast enough to throw the occupants back into their seats, but it's a more elaborate launch experience that's never like a party trick.
Unlike the Tesla Model S and Mercedes-Benz EQS, the Lucid Air doesn't have air suspension. Simpler electromagnetically controlled semi-active dampers mounted on all four wheels provide a robust, controlled driving experience with fun that 5,050 full-size sedans might not have imagined. It's more sporty than EQS, but never demanding. This is the car of the driver of this market segment.
Air has a lot of numbers, but it's not just Lucid's numbers game. Air is fascinating and pleasurable with its superior engineering and packaging, and it's all about efficiency. The Air has one of the best drag coefficients in the industry, at just 0.21, but unlike the Mercedes-Benz EQS and its cab front design, it cuts out a stunning shape in the traditional luxury flagship scale. The front, rear and dashboard all feature a thin and wide design theme that seems to be inspired partly by aircraft and partly French. The uniqueness of the luggage design is that the way it opens shows a lower lift height and a wide opening ready to swallow the luggage.
Compared to the EQS and Model S, the Inside the Air feels more spacious. The seats are comfortable and supportive, but there are no pillows, and the interior feels futuristic rather than traditional luxury. Part of this feeling comes from the glass canopy roof, which extends from the bottom of the windshield all the way to the beam behind the head of the person sitting in front.
Lucid seems to have made a distinction between Mercedes-Benz's overwhelming Hyperscreen dashboard display and Tesla's minimalism. The dashboard has three screens, two of which are under a single curved glass panel floating on the dashboard. The third is the touchscreen, located on the center console, which can be retracted back into the dashboard to access storage or simply hide distractions.
The Lucid Air is an amazingly good car, a first-time attempt for a start-up automaker, whether it's appearance, ride or driving. But the first-generation model was very expensive, about $170,000. Later, the base model will sell for $77,400, but for now, it's an expensive proposition for early adopters. The interior is made of alpaca wool and materials made from a mixture of recycled plastic bottles, creating a new sense of luxury, with a Volvo vibe compared to Mercedes-Benz. The rear seats are comfortable and there's plenty of space, but the low roof line forces you to keep your head down. For all the technology in the car, including a driver assistance system called Dream Drive, air was launched without Apple CarPlay or Android Auto, although the former is said to be rolled out at some point via an over-the-air software update. These are small things that detract from impressive packaging.
Does Lucid Air combine innovation, luxury and performance to top this year's strong nominees list? Can a new luxury car that breaks new ground in range, charging speed and power be the best model for traditional luxury cars, budget cars, sport cars and pickups (all reflected in our other nominations)? Will the Lucid Air be named the most worthwhile car to buy in 2022 by the Vehicle Authority? On January 3rd, we will announce the winners and winners from our sister sites The Car Connection and Green Car Reports.