2022 Lucid Air

The Lucid Air is among the most significant new cars of 2022, proof that an electric start-up—well, at least some electric start-ups—can deliver a car that rivals or beats anything from more-established automakers. Credit Peter Rawlinson, Lucid’s Wales-born founder, chief executive and the former chief engineer of Tesla’s game-changing Model S, for a sedan that beats that car in key areas: Driving range, charging time, design, interior luxury and cargo space. 

The Arizona-built Lucid’s maximum 520-mile EPA-rated driving range whips Tesla’s best by 115 miles. Its absurd 1,050 horsepower (actually 1,111 in the initial Dream Edition) makes the Air a five-passenger, glass-topped spaceship, launching to 60 mph in less than three horizon-blurring seconds. Handling is first-rate, with confident grip and more-satisfying steering than in many EVs. 

A 900-volt architecture and onboard “Wunderbox” charger also make the Air history’s fastest-charging EV, able to replenish 300 miles in as little as 20 minutes. The 800-horsepower Air Grand Touring earns a 131 mpge rating, topping the Model S Long Range’s 120. All-wheel-drive Lucids get a pair of power units that can each generate up to 650 horsepower, each with an electric motor, gearbox, inverter and differential that together weigh just 161 pounds. Lucid claims the Air is the world’s most aerodynamic luxury vehicle. 

All this capability comes wrapped in an elegantly stretched, unblemished sedan shape capped with a dramatic glass roof. The rear seat feels vast, considering its roughly Honda Accord-sized footprint, though a sloping roofline requires some ducking to climb aboard. Cargo space tops any direct rival, aided by the industry’s largest front “frunk.” Interior luxury is another high point, with a contemporary design and materials rivaling top European brands. 

Screens dominate the dash, not always for the better, though Lucid wisely kept some analog switches, including for audio volume and temperature. Striking displays include a 34-inch, 5K array fronting the driver, and a nifty tablet-sized touchscreen that retracts into the center dash. Vast driver-assistance features include the industry’s first full Lidar unit, and over-the-air software updates are part of the repertoire. 

Lucid’s biggest challenges include its newness and unfamiliarity, and lofty prices. The $180,000, 1,111-horsepower Dream edition is sold out, the 1,050-hp Grand Touring model costs $155,560, and even the approachable 620-horsepower Air Touring starts at $109,050 (but, with current availability, a minimum of $115,900 on Lucid’s website). Help is on the way in late 2022, with a single-motor Air Pure (with 408 miles of range) at $89,050. That becomes $81,550 after a $7,500 federal tax credit. Lucid and Tesla’s prices have crept up in recent months but it’s all relative: The Air Pure will cost $17,000 less than a Tesla Model S with a near-identical range and $24,000 less than Mercedes-Benz’ most-affordable EQS.

Performance: 15/15

One word describes the Lucid’s performance: Wow. Or perhaps “Woo hoo!” With up to 1,111 electric horsepower, the Dream Performance can hustle five passengers to 60 mph in 2.5 seconds, and through a quarter-mile in about 9.9 seconds at 144 mph. A generation ago those stats were only possible in a purpose-built dragster and the Air Dream is still faster than most supercars.

While not quite as rapid as that, Forbes Wheels was also able to briefly sample the Grand Touring model, and it’s still absurdly fast compared to most traditional gas-powered luxury sedans. Puch the accelerator from a standing start and you’ll be thrown back in your seat with G-forces once familiar only to drag racers like Shirley Muldowney or Don “The Snake” Prudhomme. The “lesser” models may not be this quick, but they’re still blindingly fast.

Despite a curb weight of well over 5,000 pounds, the Lucid feels surprisingly agile, with more-sensitive steering than many EVs. Its regenerative brakes, with two driver-adjustable settings, are a model of smart tuning, allowing effortless one-pedal driving without having to touch the physical brake pedal. Pirelli and Lucid developed the first “HL” rated tire, combining energy-saving low rolling resistance with robust grip and safe operation at the Lucid’s 168-mph top speed.

Range, Energy Use & Charging: 15/15

Move over Tesla: The new Lucid, and its multiple models, have seized the top six spots in driving range on the EPA’s list. That includes the record-setting 520 miles of the Air Dream Range version. It’s a testament to Lucid’s focus on efficiency, resulting in a class-best 131 mpge (in combined city/highway driving) for the most frugal version and 111 mpge even for the 1,111-horsepower Air Dream Performance. The Grand Touring can return 516 miles and the Touring 406, but beware, fitting the larger 21-inch wheels on any Air reduces the range by 40 miles or more.

Charging is just as efficient for the 113-kilowatt-hour battery. The Lucid’s industry-best 900-volt architecture is key to adding a remarkable 300 miles of range in just 20 minutes, albeit on the powerful 350-kilowatt fast chargers that are just beginning to roll out in America. Lucid also offers three years of free fast charging on the growing Electrify America network. 

Safety and Driver Assistance Tech: 11/15

Hailing from Silicon Valley, the Lucid looks to dazzle with the latest in driver aids and safety tech. That includes the industry’s first-ever Lidar unit—standard with the Dream Drive Pro system on Dream and Grand Touring models, optional on other models. That front-mounted Lidar offers 120 degrees of vision; many experts see Lidar’s detailed imagery as critical to the future of self-driving cars. Happily, not selecting Dream Drive Pro on the lower trims doesn’t deprive you of any truly important active-safety features.

The Lidar unit is part of a suite of 32 sensors (including 14 cameras) that power 30 driver-assistance features, including collision avoidance and adaptive cruise control with Traffic Jam Assist, with cool graphical animations of surrounding cars or pedestrians. One sensor is a driver-monitoring camera that, in our unfortunate experience, nags its driver too incessantly to keep eyes on the road.

Fortunately, Lucid could address that with a simple over-the-air software update. And the company promises to add new driver-assist functions, including a conditional hands-off Highway Assist mode, over-the-air. The Lucid, just reaching the market, has yet to be crash tested by NHTSA or the IIHS, but the company expects the Air earn a top 5-star NHTSA rating. 

Comfort and Room: 15/15

The Air feels vast inside, and cossets up to five passengers, evoking a feeling of warmth and elegance that’s missing in many stark EVs. The transparent Glass Canopy makes the Lucid seem even airier, and the seats are rich and supportive, with a front massage function. 

Rear-seat headroom and legroom feel enormous considering the modest exterior footprint: The new Mercedes-Benz EQS is even roomier in back, but it should be, stretching nine inches longer overall. Even passengers of six-foot-three will be comfortable in riding in the rear. The sloping roofline, one key to the Air’s aerodynamic efficiency and driving range, does require those passengers to duck below the door frame to slide into the back seat. An optional Executive Seating package, coming in 2022, offers steeply reclining chairs for two passengers.  

Infotainment: 10/15

The Lucid’s striking 34-inch, 5K display (actually three conjoined screens) curls before the driver, including a left-hand touchscreen. A second, tablet-like “Pilot Panel” motors from the dashboard, or retracts neatly to reveal storage below. Amazon Alexa handles main voice chores, with natural speech recognition. 

Fortunately, Lucid designer Derek Jenkins insisted on keeping some analog controls, including for temperature and audio volume, and physical steering-wheel controls. Some screen functions would be better served with buttons, including awkward adjustments for exterior mirrors, a function certain to annoy drivers of different statures who share a car. Strangely, even the “premium” audio system is nothing special, especially versus knockout systems from some legacy automakers. 

Cargo space and storage: 15/15

The Lucid brings more cargo space with all seats occupied than any competitor, including Model S, with 26.1 cubic feet between the industry’s largest “frunk’ (with 10 cubic feet) and a hatch-like rear trunk with a pleasingly low liftover and wide opening. The Tesla, however, offers more room overall thanks to its hatchback configuration.

The larger Mercedes EQS has a roomy trunk itself, with 22 cubic feet, but no frunk at all because of its bulky air cleaning system. The Mercedes, however, has folding rear seats that can boost total cargo space to more than 60 cubic feet, though obviously without passengers in the back. The Lucid’s tablet-style control panel unfurls or retracts from the dashboard, opening up a clever storage space below.

Style and Design: 10/10

Inside, the Lucid shames Tesla’s pedestrian quarters with legitimate luxury and fit-and-finish. That includes a choice of interior treatments based on California landscapes—”Santa Monica” is a highlight—featuring open-pore wood (including Eucalyptus), perforated Nappa leather, gleaming metal, Alcantara and a touchable blend of Alpaca wool and recycled yarn from plastic bottles. 

Form follows function in all areas of the Lucid, to maximize efficiency. Fortunately, that form is contemporary and impeccably handsome. The streamlined body, transparent “Glass Canopy” top and energy-saving Pirelli tires make the Air the market’s most aerodynamic sedan. An aluminum clamshell hood and recessed LED lighting add visual drama while aero wheels as large as 21 inches complete the pretty picture. 

Is the 2022 Lucid Air Worth It? Which Lucid Air is the Best Value? 

By the standards of six-figure automobiles, and the people who buy them, the Lucid makes a solid case for a competitive value. Whether it’s design, range, energy efficiency, performance, luxury, or tech, the Lucid covers every gilded base. For now, the Touring edition seems the smartest buy, with a more-than-ample 620 horsepower and all-wheel-drive for $117,400 (extrapolating from Lucid’s online ordering system), versus up to $155,650 for an Air Grand Touring. Alas, the Dream editions are sold out, so you can’t get your hands on one. 

The Touring’s 406 miles of range is a downgrade from the Grand Touring’s 516, but it’s still one of the very longest-range EVs you can buy. Some cautious buyers may take a wait-and-see approach on this young and unproven company, or wait until the Air’s most affordable Pure edition comes to market, ideally by the end of 2022. For any Air, a $7,500 federal tax credit eases the financial blow. 

How Much Does it Cost to Insure the Lucid Air?

Because the Lucid Air is brand new and very few have yet been sold, the data may vary, but it isn’t cheap to insure. Then again, neither are the other cars in this class.  According to our research, a typical 30-year-old female driver with a clean record can expect an average annual premium of approximately $2,800. That compares to $3,855 for the Tesla Model S Performance, $4,653 for the Porsche Taycan Turbo and $2,300 for the Mercedes-Benz EQS, though we don’t have an estimate for the AMG version. To get a more accurate picture of your potential insurance expenses, visit our car insurance calculator.