Lucid Motors Unveils Its Luxury EV – Air

Christened the 'Air', it will compete with the Tesla Model S.

Electric vehicles (EVs) are currently a hot topic of discussion in the automobile industry. Due to increasing environmental concerns and newer rules to tackle pollution, almost all popular automobile manufacturers have started developing their EVs. Companies like Mercedes-Benz and Audi have already showcased their concept EVs, while the success of companies like Tesla has emboldened car start-ups as well. California-based car start-up Lucid Motors, formerly known as ‘Atieva’ unveiled its first luxury electric sedan concept on December 14, 2016. California-based car start-up Lucid Motors, formerly known as ‘Atieva’ unveiled its first luxury electric sedan concept on December 14, 2016. Christened the 'Air', it will compete with the Tesla Model S.

Unveiled at an event in Fremont, California, the Air has a floor-mounted, 100-kilowatt-hour battery pack with an optional 130-kilowatt-hour battery, supplied by Samsung SDI, which gives an output of 1012PS. It can travel up to 400 miles (643km) on a single charge and can go from standstill to 60mph (96kmph) in just 2.5 seconds. It will come equipped with long and short-range radars, cameras, and Lidar to support autonomous driving.

Like the Tesla Model S, it will also have an app that would use voice control system to control in-car functions. The car will go into production and be launched in in 2018. As far as pricing is concerned, it will have a price tag above $100,000, though the company claims that a more affordable $65,000 version will be introduced in the future.   

In the coming days, the EV market is going to become very competitive. Faraday Future, another American start-up working on EVs will unveil its first production vehicle in January 2017. However, currently, Tesla is the market leader and it's growing rapidly. It unveiled its affordable Model 3 sedan in April this year and also opened its new Gigafactory in Nevada recently. Tesla plans to enter India in a couple of years with the Model 3, and we expect its competitors to follow suit.

Also Read: Faraday Future Teases Its First Production Vehicle