Still wavering on the fence

[WildRide47]

The problem is that a smaller car means smaller battery. So it’s hard to get the range.

All Lucid would have to do honestly is take the frunk out and they have a midsize sedan!

If Lucid came out with a smaller sedan, I would buy it in an instant in addition to my Air GT

 

[Slam08]

If Lucid came out with a smaller sedan, I would buy it in an instant in addition to my Air GT

I would buy it instead of my touring. Give me a performance EV the size of a 911!

 

[MoniputerLM]

Agree on all the above. However, you've left out the things that are the most universally-lauded among all the reviewers of the car: its prodigious power and top-tier driving/handling dynamics.

The Air is a high-end sport/touring sedan more than anything else. If the traits that make it that are not a top priority for you -- and they aren't for many drivers -- you might be happier with a different car. On the other hand, if it's an EV you want and range is critical, you're sort of right back to the Air.

Given your concerns about exterior dimensions, though, something like a Tesla Model 3 might be worth considering. It has less range than the Air, but the ubiquity and reliability of Tesla's supercharging network largely offsets that. On the other hand, the Model 3 (like all Teslas) is something of a bone shaker when it comes to suspensions, and you said a comfortable ride is key. So, again . . . the Air?

I have said this a bunch but the Air has STUPID power AND great range. My wife's AMG EQS rides great, has good power and much better software than my DE but it has 100 miles less range and almost 400 less HP. I think that Tesla will catch up on range with their new batteries and the Plaids are also stupid fast, I just don't like the interior.

After I got my DE, 12/31/21, and became disillusioned with the state of the software so, I drove every EV that I could get my hands on and none came close to the power and range.

So, I haven't sold my Lucid and will put up with bad software for a few more months, less than 18 I hope because there just aren't a lot of cars that match the power and range. Yes, power and range is the recurring theme. If P & R are not your motivation for having an EV then I think there are good choices, if dealers can get them!

 

[noobzilla]

The problem is that a smaller car means smaller battery. So it’s hard to get the range.

All Lucid would have to do honestly is take the frunk out and they have a midsize sedan!

I would prefer sacrificing frunk or trunk for a smaller EV with same mileage

 

[Slam08]

I would prefer sacrificing frunk or trunk for a smaller EV with same mileage

That was my thought when I saw the frunk…. It’s nice, but I wish they would have made the car shorter instead!

 

[Sam6062]

I have said this a bunch but the Air has STUPID power AND great range. My wife's AMG EQS rides great, has good power and much better software than my DE but it has 100 miles less range and almost 400 less HP. I think that Tesla will catch up on range with their new batteries and the Plaids are also stupid fast, I just don't like the interior.

After I got my DE, 12/31/21, and became disillusioned with the state of the software so, I drove every EV that I could get my hands on and none came close to the power and range.

So, I haven't sold my Lucid and will put up with bad software for a few more months, less than 18 I hope because there just aren't a lot of cars that match the power and range. Yes, power and range is the recurring theme. If P & R are not your motivation for having an EV then I think there are good choices, if dealers can get them!

I agree Power, Range and Reliability were too 3 for me. I think they are still working on Reliability.

If Tesla catches up on Range then the Performance versions would be harder to sell in numbers that make money, perhaps. Isn’t the Plaid S loaded up still cheaper than the Lucid AGT Performance? That Yoke Steering Just won’t work for many people no matter if it can go from 0-60 in under 2 Seconds.

Saw my second EQS and boy that exterior is butt ugly.

 

[hmp10]

That was my thought when I saw the frunk…. It’s nice, but I wish they would have made the car shorter instead!

If you see the chassis that is on display at the Design Studios you will see that the front end is there to provide a crumple frame in case of a front-end collision. Given how heavy EVs are relative to their size and how much energy has to be dissipated in a collision, they need that space for safety. It was that safety consideration coupled with the incredibly small drive units that drove the size of the frunk, not the other way around. (Rawlinson discussed this somewhere in one of his videos from the past few years, but I can't remember where it is.)

 

[Slam08]

If you see the chassis that is on display at the Design Studios you will see that the front end is there to provide a crumple frame in case of a front-end collision. Given how heavy EVs are relative to their size and how much energy has to be dissipated in a collision, they need that space for safety. It was that safety consideration coupled with the incredibly small drive units that drove the size of the frunk, not the other way around. (Rawlinson discussed this somewhere in one of his videos from the past few years, but I can't remember where it is.

The extra space definitely helps in a crash! Like most things there is a trade off.

 

[Demosthenes]

Are running 21s?

Yes 21’s

 

[Bunnylebowski]

Maybe so! I actually just sold my performance model 3 after four years of ownership. It's acceleration was enough to spoil my appetite for the rest of the day. So at this point a comfortable ride on long trips is more of a concern. The Air GT is sounding pretty good today.

Did you take any trips in your model 3 in the winter? While everything @borski said about his reasons for getting the GT applies to me too, because EVs take such a range hit in cold weather and I live in New England, if I was going to do any winter traveling then the GT becomes the better option than anything else on the market.

 

[eherlihy1]

What finally tipped your decision to buy the Air, or to look elsewhere instead?

Getting back to the original question; I have a 2001 Toyota Avalon (bought in 2012 as a "Florida car"), and a 2009 Toyota Tacoma. Both vehicles are at, or approaching 110K miles. I know that I am past due for a new vehicle, and I would like for my next one to be electric. Both of these old vehicles run perfectly, and both get over 400 miles to a full tank of fuel. I drive from Florida to Massachusetts and back over 3 days (1600 miles) at least once a year. When in MA, I frequently drive from my home to where my boat is kept, 45 miles away. Range anxiety a thing with me.

I will not buy a Tesla. I know that there are a lot of Tesla-stans here, but I'm not one of them. Let's agree to leave it at that.
No other electric vehicle manufacturer currently offers over 400 miles of range, which is the minimum that I would require for my Florida-Massachusetts migration.
I was interested in the Rivian R1S with the "big battery", until RIvian pulled their price change fiasco, and the fact that the R1S is not going to begin customer deliveries until "sometime" in 2023. And Rivian's "big battery?" - who knows when that will ship.

That leaves Lucid. I liked the way that Lucid did their price increase announcement, and I am willing to wait for delivery for the Lucid Air Pure.

 

[Coltonw011]

Getting back to the original question; I have a 2001 Toyota Avalon (bought in 2012 as a "Florida car"), and a 2009 Toyota Tacoma. Both vehicles are at, or approaching 110K miles. I know that I am past due for a new vehicle, and I would like for my next one to be electric. Both of these old vehicles run perfectly, and both get over 400 miles to a full tank of fuel. I drive from Florida to Massachusetts and back over 3 days (1600 miles) at least once a year. When in MA, I frequently drive from my home to where my boat is kept, 45 miles away. Range anxiety a thing with me.

I will not buy a Tesla. I know that there are a lot of Tesla-stans here, but I'm not one of them. Let's agree to leave it at that.
No other electric vehicle manufacturer currently offers over 400 miles of range, which is the minimum that I would require for my Florida-Massachusetts migration.
I was interested in the Rivian R1S with the "big battery", until RIvian pulled their price change fiasco, and the fact that the R1S is not going to begin customer deliveries until "sometime" in 2023. And Rivian's "big battery?" - who knows when that will ship.

That leaves Lucid. I liked the way that Lucid did their price increase announcement, and I am willing to wait for delivery for the Lucid Air Pure.

Since you haven’t driven an EV before, it’s important to note that even though the pure is listed at 406 miles, you will definitely not get 400 miles, even driving from 100%-0%. It will be much closer to 300. That’s not a bad thing, but if you’re requiring 400, you will not get that out of a pure unless driven in the most perfect of conditions (flat, no head-wind, 55-65 mph, perfect ambient temp). The car will charge very fast and I assume you need to stop and eat, use the restroom etc (perfect time to top up charging). Overall, great car to road trip no matter what, just set your expectations!

 

[Bunnylebowski]

Getting back to the original question; I have a 2001 Toyota Avalon (bought in 2012 as a "Florida car"), and a 2009 Toyota Tacoma. Both vehicles are at, or approaching 110K miles. I know that I am past due for a new vehicle, and I would like for my next one to be electric. Both of these old vehicles run perfectly, and both get over 400 miles to a full tank of fuel. I drive from Florida to Massachusetts and back over 3 days (1600 miles) at least once a year. When in MA, I frequently drive from my home to where my boat is kept, 45 miles away. Range anxiety a thing with me.

I will not buy a Tesla. I know that there are a lot of Tesla-stans here, but I'm not one of them. Let's agree to leave it at that.
No other electric vehicle manufacturer currently offers over 400 miles of range, which is the minimum that I would require for my Florida-Massachusetts migration.
I was interested in the Rivian R1S with the "big battery", until RIvian pulled their price change fiasco, and the fact that the R1S is not going to begin customer deliveries until "sometime" in 2023. And Rivian's "big battery?" - who knows when that will ship.

That leaves Lucid. I liked the way that Lucid did their price increase announcement, and I am willing to wait for delivery for the Lucid Air Pure.

Yeah real world range if you’re not paying attention to preserving range via various driving techniques you’d get 420-430 from Air GT, so you’ll be fine. Just use the ABRP app and try and estimate what ending state of charge you need at your destination, depending on charging options near your destination, and it will figure out the charging for you. For every long drive I’ve done so far, if anything I totally overestimated the amount of charging I’d need to do cuz this car just goes and goes.

 

[TCGT]

This was the number 1 burning question in my mind when I decided to swap my wheels. I was going to do it anyways for cosmetic reasons, and was prepared to take a range hit due to the fact that the HRE’s are not a purpose built aero wheel. However, I really wasn’t sure what to expect. Therefore, other than the wheel swap (same size), I kept everything else the same including OEM tires.

You’re right - based on my readings, it seems like aerodynamics is the predominant factor influencing range of an EV when traveling at constant speed. The monoblock HRE’s are definitively not ‘aero’ since they have skinny spokes and are full of holes. They are, however, incredible pieces of engineering in their own right with things like wheel weight and rotational inertia 100% optimized and probably far superior to the OEM 21in aero blades. So in all driving aspects other than range, I almost instantly noticed a significant and super pleasing improvement.

But just from a range point of view, my initial test results have actually been pretty positive thus far. However, I think I need to drive a bit more and under more driving conditions before I can draw any sort of real conclusion. I’ll be sure to do a more thorough review once I get more miles on them!

Really looking forward to seeing pics and learning more about your thoughts on the performance of the HRE’s. I think you said you put the Perelli’s back on? Am I correct that they also make these in 19” & 20”? Anyone else know if using these would void the Lucid warranty in any way? Getting better performance in a lighter, stronger wheel seems like a very compelling upgrade possibility.

 

[Steveinarizona]

The problem is that a smaller car means smaller battery. So it’s hard to get the range.

All Lucid would have to do honestly is take the frunk out and they have a midsize sedan!

Understood and that is why I have reserved a Lucid Air. But Lucid managed to fit batteries for a longer range inside an envelope where other car makers only manage less range.

 

[noobzilla]

If you see the chassis that is on display at the Design Studios you will see that the front end is there to provide a crumple frame in case of a front-end collision. Given how heavy EVs are relative to their size and how much energy has to be dissipated in a collision, they need that space for safety. It was that safety consideration coupled with the incredibly small drive units that drove the size of the frunk, not the other way around. (Rawlinson discussed this somewhere in one of his videos from the past few years, but I can't remember where it is.)

Oh right! I did see that video explaining the physics and structure for the frunk.

I'd like to see a Lucid car crash test video.

 

[rbbarry]

I'd like to see a Lucid car crash test video.

 

[joec]

I've mentioned this before, but a rep at Millbrae told me that when they did the roll test, they literally could not get the Air to roll over. Every sort of side impact, swerving at top speeds, etc, the car stayed upright. So the glass roof, which as mentioned here is probably safer, or at least as safe, as the aluminum roof, will likely not be put to the test in the real world too often.

 

[Demosthenes]

I've mentioned this before, but a rep at Millbrae told me that when they did the roll test, they literally could not get the Air to roll over. Every sort of side impact, swerving at top speeds, etc, the car stayed upright. So the glass roof, which as mentioned here is probably safer, or at least as safe, as the aluminum roof, will likely not be put to the test in the real world too often.

So you’re saying we won’t be seeing a Lucid feature in the next Fast and Furious, Transformers, or Marvel action scene?

 

[mnewber1]

So you’re saying we won’t be seeing a Lucid feature in the next Fast and Furious, Transformers, or Marvel action scene?

You can see it on a very calm and serene Amazon Prime show! Probably the first ever Grey.