2023 Lucid Air Pure, Air Touring Begin Production With Up to 425-Mile Range

This morning, California-based luxury EV manufacturer Lucid Motors announced final range and efficiency details for the upcoming Air Pure and Air Touring trim levels of its flagship luxury sedan, gearing up to begin production and delivery of the more affordable variants later this year. 

With production well underway for the luxurious Air Grand Touring, the high-performance Air Sapphire finalizing street and track testing and the launch special Air Dream Edition completely sold out, Lucid turns its focus to finalizing and getting the more affordable variants of the Air electric sedan into customer driveways. A smaller battery pack will help keep costs down, but more efficient aerodynamics, reduced weight and smarter software tuning helps Air Pure and Air Touring to deliver some of the most impressive range estimates in the biz.

Lucid Air Pure

The base Air Pure spec will launch first with a 480-horsepower, dual-motor powertrain (adding $5,500 to the bottom line) with production beginning this December. Next year, a single-motor, rear-drive model will be offered, beginning production and reaching customers by the end of 2023. Lucid's Lego-like battery pack will step down to an 18-module Long Range configuration from the 22 bricks used in the Extended Range pack up until now. Lucid chose to remove the four modular battery units from the center of the pack, in the process freeing up additional legroom on the second row by dropping the footwell by around 3.7 inches. 

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The Pure also debuts a full aluminum roof, rather than the Glass Canopy of the upper trim levels. The new top is lighter -- always good for efficiency and driving dynamics -- and less expensive to produce. To balance with the solid roof, the Pure's glass backlight has also been completely reshaped, ditching its notch for a more streamlined appearance. Black roof rails also add a bit of visual contrast. 

Aerodynamic improvements allow the Air Pure to cut through the air with a drag coefficient of just 0.197 -- the lowest of any Air model up to now. Along with the lighter battery and roof, the more efficient Pure model is still able to return a very respectable 410-mile EPA-estimated range when equipped with the standard 19-inch Aero Range wheels.

Inside, the Pure makes use of a new Dune interior fabric on the dashboard, door cards and seats made of 100% recycled woven textiles, matched with PurLuxe leather alternative. The entry-level luxury Air Pure continues to offer the same Lucid User Experience cabin tech and DreamDrive driver-aid suite as the top trim levels, as well as the same fast DC fast charging capability that can add up to 200 miles of range in around 15 minutes at a powerful enough station.

Lucid Air Touring

In the middle of the lineup, the Lucid Air Touring will eventually come standard with the aluminum roof, but will initially be offered with the Glass Canopy for additional cost ($4,500). The Touring also rolls out with the 18-module Long Range battery and benefits from the same weight reduction and increased rear legroom as the Air Pure.

Recently, I was able to briefly drive the dual-motor Air Touring and experience its stated 620 combined horsepower, silently rocketing from 0 to 60 mph in just 3.4 seconds. That's a few ticks short of the Sapphire's 1.9-second sprint, but still an exhilarating experience and very respectable when compared to less insane sedans in this class. 

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The Touring also benefits from the same aerodynamic improvements as the Pure, but different power and efficiency software tuning allows this spec to stretch its range to 425 EPA-estimated miles per charge. Doing the math, that works out to a claimed 4.62 miles per kilowatt-hour, making this the most efficient Air in the lineup and one of the most efficient EVs on the road.

Inside, Nappa full-grain leather upholstery and wood accents (sustainably sourced, of course) are paired with recycled fabrics and synthetic materials throughout the cabin.

Earlier this year, Lucid CEO Peter Rawlinson announced increased prices for most versions of the Air. The base air Air Pure climbed from $77,400 to $87,400, while the Air Touring went from $95,000 to $107,400. The increased pricing didn't affect current reservation holders, the first of whom will soon begin receiving their Touring and Pure vehicles.