Tesla-rivaling Lucid Air electric sedan finally gets a debut date this September
Although Tesla was first with a 400-mile-plus range, Lucid promises a similar figure even at highway speeds.
Finally, we know when we'll see the long-teased Lucid Air. The company first showed off the concept car back in 2016, and the startup itself appeared on the verge of collapse for a hot minute, but today it's full speed ahead.
Lucid on Wednesday said the Air will debut on Sept. 9 after it previously nixed plans to show the car at the now-cancelled 2020 New York auto show. As is the norm in the coronavirus era, Lucid will reveal the car online and everything we see will be final. No more teaser, concepts or hints; Lucid promises this is the real deal ahead of production start late this year.
Aside from the final car, the startup said we'll also learn more about the Air's specifications, which will hopefully include a hyped 400-mile range. Although Tesla announced this week the Model S Long Range now goes 402 miles on a single charge, Lucid has said we can might see the Air do over 400 miles even at highway speeds. If that's the case, the Air will definitely be a proper Tesla rival. The startup already inked a deal with LG Chem to provide battery cells for the production car.
These specs will likely be limited to the range-topping model, which will probably cost around $100,000. Lucid previously mentioned another model years back that should start at $60,000 before the $7,500 federal tax credit. It's safe to assume the company will focus on the most expensive model to start, which has the highest probability of turning a profit.
While we await the reveal later this year, Lucid continues work at its new factory in Arizona where it will build the Air. Assuming everything stays on track, production should kick off late this year before the first Airs make their way to customers in early 2021.
