The major bullet points surrounding the range-topping version of the Lucid Air, the Dream Edition, have been making the rounds for a while now: 1,080 horsepower, more than 805 km of range on a single charge and 0-60 MPH in two-and-a-half seconds. But the sedan’s been delayed a few times, and deliveries have shifted to the end of this year. In the meantime, Lucid’s had to tweak those estimates a bit, though the changes are so minimal that I don’t think anyone’s going to care much.
It turns out that Lucid can’t quite guarantee that power and range in the same vehicle, so it’s going to offer Air Dream Edition reservation holders a choice. The Air Dream Edition P, for Performance, will churn 1,111 horsepower at a penalty to efficiency, though Lucid isn’t saying how steep that penalty will be yet. The Air Dream Edition R, for Range, will top out at 933 HP and the company expects it to make good on that 805 km target, and then some.
It’s a distinction I’m not entirely sure Lucid needs to make for its customers, but it’s gone ahead and made it anyway because numbers are everything in the EV arms race. The P and R models cost the same, at a “fully equipped price of $US169.000.” Lucid says it will reach out to prospective customers about their preference shortly.
Now, anytime a manufacturer adjusts numbers like these right before it releases a vehicle, there’s bound to be some scepticism. But either way, it doesn’t sound like a major loss. I mean, the Range one still has almost 1,000 horsepower. For reference, the Tesla Model S Plaid has 1,020 HP and can go 637 km on a charge. On the flip side, either Air Dream Edition costs $US40,000 ($55,036) more than the Plaid does.
And lest you think the Air’s projected range is quite literally a dream, Motor Trend’s Jonny Lieberman recently drove one of the Range models from Los Angeles to San Francisco, alongside Lucid CEO Peter Rawlinson in his own car. It’s a good review and you should check it out. The trip was 658 km in length; adding in a stop at Lucid’s headquarters in Newark, California, Lieberman said that factoring in estimated range remaining, his car “had the potential to go 764 km, whereas Rawlinson’s could have travelled 832 km.”
Aside from total power and range differences, both versions of the Dream Edition are dual-motor all-wheel drive and top speed limited to 168 MPH. The Range rides on 245-width tires and 19-inch wheels from the factory, while the Performance swaps the rear set out for 265-width rubber and sports 21-inch wheels all around. The 2.5-second 0-60 MPH time still stands for the Performance, while the Range is quoted at 2.7 seconds.