cars news 10: Lucid Air EV Will Start at $60,000

Lucid Motors has announced that the company’s first model, the Air, will have a starting price of $60,000 before any federal or local tax credits. This is the first time the California-based EV company has announced any kind of official pricing. Lucid debuted a well-optioned Air model earlier this year, which led many to believe it would start above $100,000.

Lucid says the Air will actually start at $52,500 after the $7,500 federal tax credit is factored in, and that a base model will still be enjoyable to drive and provide a more comfortable interior, better performance, and a better user interface than a comparably priced BMW or Mercedes-Benz model. The base Lucid Air will offer a 240-mile driving range, 400 hp (rear-wheel drive), autonomous driving hardware, 12-way power front seats, a front and rear trunk, and LED multi-lens array headlights. Four display screens (three with interactive touch surfaces), seating for up to five passengers, 10 airbags, an aluminum roof, 19-inch wheels, a 10-speaker audio system, and over-the-air software updates are additional standard features for the base Air model.

Lucid Motors Air front headlight details

Available options for the Lucid Air consist of 315- and 400-mile driving range battery options, up to 1,000 hp with the dual-motor all-wheel-drive configuration, fully active suspension, a glass canopy roof, and rear executive seats that recline up to 55 degrees. Additional options include 21-inch wheels, a 29-speaker audio system, and expanded leather trim with corresponding material upgrades. A pair of 22-way power adjustable front seats with heating, ventilation, dynamic bolsters, and massage functions is also available. Lucid will announce more options and packages in the future.

Lucid has yet to price a fully loaded Air model but expects it to be above $100,000. The first 255 cars built will be Launch Edition models with a $100,000-plus price tag. That price gets you a 315-mile driving range, 1,000 hp, autonomous driving hardware, 21-inch wheel, an upgraded audio system, and more. The Launch Edition models have unique colors and badging as well.

The $60,000 price point for the base model sounds very optimistic considering all the standard features and autonomous driving hardware that is known to be expensive. The fully loaded Air model might be priced similar to Tesla’s top-of-the-line P100D model, which starts at $135,700. Tesla’s lowest-priced Model S, the 60 series which starts at $68,000, was introduced just last year. It’s unclear when you will be able to buy a base Lucid Air, but don’t count on it being anytime soon.

Lucid said construction of its Casa Grande, Ariz. factory will begin in the first half of 2017 with production of the Air to start in 2018. Lucid anticipates having over 2,000 full-time employees working on-site by 2022.

Lucid is currently taking reservations for the Air at a cost of $2,500 for a standard car and a whopping $25,500 for one of the 255 Launch Editions.

Source: Lucid