2022 Lucid Air Electric

 We would recommend the Touring trim as it imbibes most of the necessary features with high power output and decent range. You also have the option to avail yourself of the canopy glass roof, if you are a fan of sky watching with the Air Touring trim. We also advise not to opt for larger wheels as it can hurt the sedan's range. 

The Lucid Air will be the first production automobile to feature a Dolby Atmos-enabled audio system- Edmunds

The Lucid Air will be available in four trims namely Pure, Touring, Grand Touring, and Dream Edition. The Pure trim is newly introduced and will be a base trim for the 2022 model. All four trims target a different set of buyers. Each trim varies in power output and range. Only the Pure trim is offered in an RWD configuration while the rest of the lineup comes standard with an AWD setup. 

The pricing starts from $77,400 for the Pure trim while the performance-oriented Dream Edition costs up to $169,000, excluding the destination fee. Reservations are open on the official website and you can reserve one for $300 or $1,000, depending on the trim levels. The Pure trim is expected to start reaching customers in early 2022 while the deliveries of the remaining three models have begun at the time of this writing. 

The most efficient Air is rated at 131 MPGe combined- CarAndDriver

The Lucid Air is surprisingly one of the efficient cars in its class. The official MPGe ratings for city and highway driving conditions are not available but we expect it to be better than the competition owing to its energy-saving solutions. The Pure and Touring trim levels can offer a combined driving range of 406 miles on a single charge while the Grand Touring trim delivers 516 miles only. 

The Dream Edition R can drive up to 520 miles while the Dream Edition P's range is limited to 471 miles. The Air is fitted with a battery capacity of 85 kWh. It claims to be the fastest charging electric car with its Wunderbox fast charging solution. It claims to add about 300 miles to your driving range with just 20 minutes of charging which is considered to be insanely quick as per today’s standards.

The Tesla Model S gets a larger battery pack but it delivers only 405 miles of combined range. On the other hand, the Porsche Taycan was never made to be a range champion and hence, delivers the lowest range. However, the range can be extended to 275 miles by using the Performance Battery Plus package.

The Lucid Air has a screen-heavy interior that features few physical controls- Edmunds

The Lucid Air incorporates one of the most luxurious and top-notch interiors in the EV segment. The dashboard design is very minimal but has premium touches and ensures an airy and light feel. The interiors differ slightly with respect to the trim you select. The Pure trim gets you a leather interior with a Mojave theme while the Touring trim gets natural grain leather interior and wood trim.

The steering wheel is wrapped in leather and it comes with many toggles and switches mounted on it and they are finished in chrome. The Air seats up to five adults and the seats are extremely comfortable. Passenger space is excellent in the front row and adequate in the second row. If you love gazing at stars during the night, you would love the Glass Canopy roof which is optional.

The main attraction of the interior is the 34-inch 5K touchscreen display mounted on the dash. It is bound to offer crisp graphics and a quick touchscreen response. The system supports Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. The latest Amazon Alexa software will be added to the system for fast command response. It boasts of a 21-speaker set up to give you an immersive music experience like never before.

The Air offers a trunk capacity of 16.1 cubic feet, which is less than the Tesla Model S but more than the Porsche Taycan. Owing to its electric nature, the Air's frunk is the largest frunk in the world. It measures 7.1 cubic feet and that's enough space to keep your important small items and charging cables. Some other interior features are mentioned below:

• Glass Canopy Roof 
• Multi-function leather steering wheel
• Leather seats
• Dual-zone automatic climate control
• Ambient lighting
• 34-inch 5K touchscreen display w/ smartphone integration
• 21-speaker sound system
• Amazon Alexa

Its slick exterior design has a drag coefficient of just 0.21- Carbuzz

The 2022 Lucid Air will incorporate beauty and functionality in one combined package. It looks sleek and modern from any angle you look at it. It has an aerodynamic drag coefficient of just 0.21 which is one of the lowest in the industry. The outer design is inspired by an aircraft with clean lines in every detail to create fluidity in every element. Even the sensors were sculpted in such a way that they do not obstruct the airflow and work seamlessly from within. An instant future revolution can be felt just by taking a glimpse of the canopy glass rooftop.

The front fascia is minimal with jewel-type LED headlights and lowered hood. The sides are a plain affair and no strong character lines are present. At the rear, sweeping LED taillights create an uninterrupted impression of light and depth. The standard wheels are 19 inches but they can be upgraded to 20 and 21 inches. The wheel designs look modern and blend well with the overall fluidic design language. The Air gets a 195.9-inch lengthy body with a relatively low height of 55.6 inches for better high-speed stability and aerodynamic leverage.

The Porsche Taycan has higher ground clearance, though the Air's ground clearance has not been disclosed by the company yet. The Tesla Model S sports a wide wheelbase but its rear legroom is less than the Air. Its wide wheelbase helps with high-speed stability on highways. On the flip side, the Taycan's short wheelbase translates for better handling. Some other standout exterior features are:

• LED headlights
• LED DRLs
• LED taillamps
• Body flush door handles
• Power-folding, heated, auto-dimming exterior mirrors
• 19, 20, 21-inch wheels
• Black window trim

The Air is offered with an array of driver-assistance technology as well as Level 3 self-driving abilities- CarAndDriver

The Lucid Air has not been tested by the NHTSA and IIHS obviously because it would be foolish to crash-test a vehicle that costs more than 75 grand. Hence, safety ratings for this vehicle will not be available anytime soon. The structure of this vehicle is made of bonded aluminum for solid structural rigidity.

As for safety features, the Air comes fitted with top-level driver-assist features. It is also expected to get Level 3 self-driving abilities in the near future through over-the-air updates. The sedan also gets a suite of ten airbags that further enhance the protection of the occupants. Some safety features include:

• Adaptive cruise control 
• Lane-keeping assist
• Blind-spot monitoring
• Rear cross-traffic alert
• Automated emergency braking
• Forward collision warning 
• Pedestrian detection
• Active park assist
• Driver attention monitor
• Lane departure warning
• Night vision
• Front & rear parking sensors
• Traffic sign recognition
• Semi-Autonomous Driving 

2022 Lucid Air vs 2022 Tesla Model S 

The Tesla Model S is one of the closest competitors of the Air. The Air has a lower starting price and its top model beats the Model S' top model with higher power output and a class-leading range of 503 miles. The Air comes with futuristic styling, great features, and upmarket interiors and makes a strong USP for itself. However, Tesla has been around for a while and has made a name for itself. So, it would be difficult to enter the segment which is ruled by the Tesla monopoly. 

2022 Lucid Air vs 2022 Porsche Taycan Turbo

The Porsche Taycan Turbo is more of an enthusiast's car than a practical offering. It is priced higher than the Air and offers less range as well. It also loses out on the practicality front. The Taycan will also miss out on autonomous driving features that the Air will incorporate and offer a better driving experience. The Taycan is purely for track maniacs and not a family hauler for sure. The Air is undoubtedly a better family hauler with more combined range on a single charge. 

The 2022 Lucid Air is a window to the future and will show the world how electric vehicles with self-driving abilities and better technological features are the only future of the automotive industry. It does many things right and is a more refined form of a Tesla in many ways. Only time can say how much success will the Air enjoy posting its sale across America. But Tesla now has a formidable rival for sure which has come to end its monopoly.