The electric vehicle upstart Lucid announced stats for the Air Grand Touring Performance, the third version of its flagship EV, on Tuesday. The new model makes 1050 hp, hits 60 in 2.6 seconds, goes 446 miles on a charge, and launches this June.
The company also noted that its full-production Lucid Air Grand Touring is now being delivered to customers. That's the first volume model, launching after the limited-production "Dream Edition" that we drove last year. The Grand Touring on 19-inch wheels is capable of a 516-mile range, surpassing the longest range Tesla Model S. Its 0-60 time is 3.0 seconds, quick, but neither it nor the Grand Touring Performance can quite match the insanity of the Tesla Model S.
Still, the Air is an achievement. After nearly a decade of countless companies teasing their entry into the space, Lucid last year became one of the first new companies to successfully deliver an all-new EV to customers. It did so in no small part thanks to a gigantic investment from the Saudi Arabian Sovereign Wealth Fund, which is reported to own roughly two-thirds of the company and definitely owns the majority of the company. The deal with Lucid was one of the last major acquisitions of a Western company by the arm of the Saudi government before 2018. In October of that year, just weeks after the Lucid deal was announced, the Saudi Arabian state lured Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi into its consulate in Istanbul and assassinated him following his criticism of the regime. Since then, few Western businesses have sought Saudi money.
Lucid continues to push toward rapid expansion and presses its early success in in-house motor development and luxury. For customers who want that—and who aren't worried about financially supporting the Saudi government—the Lucid Air Performance will arrive in June with a sticker price of $179,000.
Correction 4/12/22, 4:03 p.m. EST: This story has been updated to say that the Lucid Air Grand Touring Performance launches in June 2022, not August.
