Lucid Air EV 'Indestructible' In New Retrofit: Here's How Much The 'Fastest Armored Car On The Planet' Costs
BENZINGAAug-28-2024 5:17 p.m. ET
A new version of the Lucid Air Sapphire is being touted as both “indestructible” an the “fastest armored car on the planet.” It also exemplifies a continued fascination with bulletproof capabilities and other special features of electric vehicles.
What Happened: Lucid Group (LCID) CEO Peter Rawlinson is praising the company's technology for being ahead of the competition. Meanwhile, a new third-party retrofit of a Lucid vehicle is taking things over the top regarding defense technology.
An armored version of the Lucid Air Sapphire from US Armor Group comes with features like bulletproof gas, poison gas protection, pepper spray dispensers, concealed gun ports, and electric-shock door handles.
According to Electrek, the armored Lucid Air Sapphire comes with a high price tag — $475,000. The
standard Air Sapphire costs $250,000.
The vehicle has ballistic windows and lightweight armor that is ten times stronger than ballistic steel and lightweight to help make the vehicle bulletproof. The company said it can also upgrade the armor to be more resistant to high-powered rifles, explosive devices and grenades.
"At US Armor Group, our mission has always been to protect our clients against any and all potential threats, however we did not want to sacrifice in terms of performance or amenities," US Armor Group CEO and founder Jeffrey Engen said of the armored Air Sapphire. "With the armored Air Sapphire, our company has taken one of the world's fastest production vehicles ever built and transformed it into the fastest armored car on the planet."
The vehicle is also complete with added cybersecurity measures and connected to local police and fire scanners to stay aware of potential road threats.
The non-armored Air Sapphire goes from zero to 60 miles per hour in 1.98 seconds, and 100 miles per hour in less than four seconds. It can reach a top speed of 205 miles per hour, Electrek reports. The tri-motor vehicle has 400 miles of range.
Read Also: Lucid Q2 Earnings Highlights: Revenue Beat, EPS Miss, $1.5-Billion Financing Commitment From Saudi Investment Fund
Why It's Important: The armored vehicle is meant to appeal to niche customers (i.e., high-ranking officials and heads of state).
The new armored Air Sapphire version comes as the Tesla Cybertruck has attracted attention for being bulletproof.
The Cybertruck also made recent headlines for the vehicle being adapted into military purposes by Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov.
Kadyrov showed off a Cybertruck with a machine gun, and suggested it could be used in the war against Ukraine. Kadyrov, who is an ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, said he got the vehicle from Tesla CEO Elon Musk. The Tesla CEO later denied his involvement in the vehicle making its way to Kadyrov.
If the latest versions of an armored electric vehicle being bulletproof and equipped with gadgets sound like something out of a James Bond movie, this could be foreshadowing. Lucid is expected to make the next James Bond vehicle.
