Electric vehicle manufacturer Lucid Motors unveiled the performance specificiation of its Air Sapphire, Lucid Air Pure and Air Touring models. The 0-60 mph times are impressive by any automotive measurement and should raise the eyebrows of EV detractors.
Let’s start with the upcoming Lucid Air Sapphire. Touted by Lucid as “The World’s First Luxury Electric Super-Sports Sedan,” the Air Sapphire has an estimated performance of 0-60 miles per hour in 1.89 seconds, 0-100 in 3.87 seconds and a top speed of 205 miles per hour. If these numbers are accurate, the Air Sapphire will be the quickest production vehicle in the world, surpassing current record-holder Koenigsegg Gemera’s 0-60 mph time of 1.9 seconds.
As of this writing, the Air Sapphire is going through the final stages of tuning on racetracks and public thoroughfares. I am naturally skeptical of bold proclamations by automotive manufacturers so I’ll need some tangible evidence to crown the Lucid Air Sapphire as the G.O.A.T. in the 0-60 mph sprint.
The Air Pure is still no slouch. It has a 480-horsepower dual-motor, all-wheel drive drivetrain with an EPA-estimated range of 410 miles, and can accelerate from 0-60 mph in 3.8-seconds. Lucid states that with its in-house-designed Wunderbox high-speed charging system, it can deliver up to 200 miles of range in just 15 minutes. Production of the all-wheel drive Air Pure commences next month, and the rear-wheel drive version will come in 2023.
Simply put, the Lucid Air Touring is a proper sports sedan with a dual-motor, all-wheel drive powertrain with 620 horsepower on tap to propel it to 60 mph in 3.4-seconds. The Air Touring has an EPA-estimated range of 425-miles plus the highest driving range of any Lucid offering with 4.62 miles per kilowatt hour. Lucid recently delivered its first Air Touring to a customer.
The perfromance numbers are stout, but I was equally impressed that the Lucid Air is the most aerodynamically efficient production car in the market, with a drag coefficient of 0.197. Aerodynamics is not as sexy as 0-60 mph times, but it is an important facet of any performance car.
“Performance. Range. Luxury. Technology. Design. It’s all here in the newly expanded Lucid Air model lineup as Air Pure and Air Touring – with their remarkably spacious interiors – take their place alongside Air Grand Touring, Grand Touring Performance, and the recently announced Air Sapphire,” says Peter Rawlinson, CEO and CTO of the Lucid Group. “Air Touring matches the landmark 4.6 miles per kWh efficiency of the Grand Touring – albeit at a more affordable price point – an important incremental step to making ultra-efficient EVs more attainable.”
The figures are staggering and give more credence to the performance of electric vehicles. If this was the Pepsi Challenge (or whatever blind taste test you prefer), I believe electric vehicle naysayers would be impressed by the numbers. Say what you will about EVs, but they are lightning-quick.
