Lucid Puts Tesla’s Model S Plaid In Its Crosshairs With Air Grand Touring EVs Launch

Lucid (LCID) has its sights set on electric vehicle giant Tesla with the launch of its latest versions of its Air luxury sedan – the Grand Touring and Grand Touring Performance.

Lucid has already started deliveries of the Air Grand Touring model, while the Ground Touring Performance will begin production later this spring. Both models seek to rival Tesla’s Model S Plaid EV for power and performance.

The Lucid Air Grand Touring Performance EV has 1,050 horsepower and a top speed of 168 mph. It can hit 60 mph in 2.6 seconds and travel 446 miles on a single charge, Lucid said. Starting price of the sedan is $139,000, according to the Lucid website.

The Air Grand Touring model delivers 819 horsepower with a max speed of 168 mph. It can reach 60 mph in 3 seconds with a travel range of 516 miles on a single charge, according to the automaker. Price tag on the vehicle starts at $95,000.

“The Lucid Air Grand Touring epitomizes the promise of the Lucid brand — a triumvirate of stellar driving dynamics, industry-leading range and efficiency, and luxurious interior space,” Peter Rawlinson, CEO and CTO at Lucid, said in a statement.

“This unparalleled fusion of strengths is the product of Lucid’s ground-breaking in-house technology, like our miniaturized drive units with unrivaled power density and race-proven 900V+ battery and power architecture,” he added.

Both EVs are designed for luxury with a glass canopy spanning windshield to roof, a floating glass cockpit, Lucid UX display with 5K resolution, and over-the-air software update capability.

Lucid’s advanced driver assistance system is also integrated into the electric vehicles, along with LIDAR, micro-lens array LED headlights, and an ultra-fast 900 V charging system.

Interiors feature designs inspired by California with four themes to choose from – Santa Cruz, Tahoe, Mojave, and Mojave PurLuxe. Exterior options include paint colors of Stellar White, Infinite Black, Cosmos Silver, Quantum Grey, and Zenith Red. Aero Blade wheels and Pirelli tires round out the package.

Both Air models will take on Tesla’s Model S Plaid, which launched in 2021. The Model S Plaid has 1,020 horsepower and an EPA-estimated travel range of 396 miles on a single charge, according to the Tesla website. It has a top speed of 200 mph and can hit 60 mph in 1.99 seconds, Tesla said. Starting price of the EV is $129,740.

As of Monday at 10:49 a.m. ET, shares of Lucid were trading at $21.58, down 12 cents, or 0.55%.