Electric carmaker Lucid has published the complete technical specifications of its upcoming luxury saloon, the Air Sapphire, and it looks like the $249,000 surpasses its main rival – the Tesla Model S Plaid – in more than just the price.
The car comes equipped with three electric motors installed one at the front axle and two at the rear. Their combined effort amounts to 1,234 PS (1,217 hp / 908 kW) and 1,424 Nm (1,050 lb-ft) of torque. The Plaid sedan maxes out at 1,020 PS (1,006 hp / 750 kW) and 1,428 Nm (1,053 lb-ft).
This lets the Air Sapphire accelerate to 60 miles per hour (96.6 km/h) in 1.89 seconds – one-hundredth of a second faster than the Plaid, and hit 100 mph (161 km/h) in 3.84 seconds. Furthermore, while the Tesla reaches its limit at 322 km/h (200 mph), the Lucid goes to 330 km/h (205 mph). Equipped with standard 20-inch wheels, it covers up to 687 km (427 miles) on a charge, WLTP-rated (the Tesla gets 628 km, or 390 miles).
In other words, the new Air flagship surpasses its archnemesis in power, dynamic performance, top acceleration AND range at once. It comes equipped with carbon brakes by defaults, an aluminum roof, a 21-speaker Dolby Surreal Sound Pro audio system and an assist package called DreamDrive Pro. It also offers multiple specialized drive modes.
As we said above, the minimum asking price is $249,000 – a hefty premium over the $108,490 of the Model S Plaid.