The Lucid Air is a technological wonder, and it's carving its niche in the world of EVs in much the same way the original Tesla Model S did some years back.

The Lucid Air hopes to set new benchmarks in its class, and they're definitely succeeding. The Lucid features class-leading numbers in terms of range, which is just the tip of the iceberg. This article will explore the many wonders the Lucid Air is hiding underneath its sleek exterior, as well as how much all a Lucid Air costs.

How Much Is the Lucid Air, and When Is It Launching?

The Lucid Air is available in many configurations, and the price varies quite dramatically between the different specifications. The Lucid Air starts at $87,400 for the Air Pure model, which will be launching in Q4 2022. This model features 480 hp and 406 miles of range. Clearly, it's not cheap, even in base form. But, Lucid makes no pretenses about this, billing themselves as a luxury electric carmaker.

Once you start scaling up the price ladder, things get fascinating in the world of Lucid Air. The Air Grand Touring model, which is currently being delivered to customers, starts at a whopping $154,000. While it might be extremely expensive, Lucid delivers breathtaking stats to go along with the massive price tag.

The Lucid Air Grand Touring Performance is one of the best performance EVs currently for sale, delivering a mind-blowing 1,050 hp from its Dual ActiveCore electric motors. The Air Grand Touring can also deliver up to 516 miles of range when properly equipped, which crushes the Tesla Model S and its approximately 400 miles of range. The Air Dream Edition is the most bonkers model you can get, with up to 1111 hp from its dual motors and a price tag starting at $169,000.

Unfortunately, the Air Dream Edition is closed for reservations at the time of writing, so it's not clear when this model will be available to order again. Lucid is clearly doing things their way, especially with the massive difference in prices for the different configurations of the same model. We'll have to wait and see how the sales figures stack up, but in terms of technology, Lucid is delivering.

How Does the Lucid Air Compare to the Tesla Model S?

In terms of range, the longest range Lucid travels up to 520 miles on a single charge. Yes, this is absolutely incredible, especially considering the Lucid is a heavy luxury sedan. However, in terms of direct competitors, you can't get much closer than the Tesla Model S.

Lucid's CEO, Peter Rawlinson, was chief engineer for the Tesla Model S program, but now he's building the car meant to destroy the Model S. The Model S can go up to 405 miles on a single charge, which is definitively put to shame by the Lucid's incredible 520 miles from its longest range model.

The range delivered by the Lucid is great even in terms of gasoline vehicles, so you can definitely forget about range anxiety. However, in terms of acceleration, the Model S Plaid handily beats the Lucid (and anything else on the road) with its amazing 1.99-second run to 60 mph. The Tesla is also untouchable in the quarter mile, with a time of 9.23.

Another place where the Lucid has the Tesla beat is in interior trim. The Lucid is an experience on the inside, with luxurious surfaces everywhere you look. The interior themes mimic private jets, so the front of the vehicle features darker trims while the rear features lighter shades.

The materials and the design of the interior are far and away more attractive than what Tesla offers in the Model S. The Lucid also features an industry-leading front trunk (frunk). The Lucid Air frunk is apparently 89 percent larger than the current leader in the Lucid's vehicle class, which is substantial, to say the least. Moreover, the frunk is even bigger than an EV SUV frunk, at 40% larger than the current SUV leader in frunk size.

How Does the Lucid Air Compare to the Porsche Taycan?

The 1,111 hp Lucid Air Dream Edition Range demolishes the Taycan Turbo S (outrageously overpriced at $187k) in terms of range. The Taycan Turbo S lists an AMCI testing range estimate of 278 miles, which is woefully substandard for its price. Unfortunately, there are still no EPA estimates for the Taycan Turbo S as of this writing.

To add insult to injury, the Performance model of the Lucid Air Dream Edition (which can also destroy the Taycan's max range offering with its 471 miles) is quicker than the Porsche as well. The Taycan features a 0-60 mph time of 2.6 seconds versus the Lucid Air Grand Touring Performance's time of 2.5 seconds.

The Lucid also has a higher top speed than the Porsche and is cheaper, just to highlight the absurdity of Porsche's prices for the Taycan models. These disparities just highlight how lacking the Taycan's offerings are in relation to its direct competitors.

Out of the available Audi EVs, the RS e-tron GT can also be considered a competitor to the Lucid, but since the Audi is essentially a Taycan underneath, the comparison applies to both vehicles.

As if this wasn't enough, the Lucid also features groundbreaking aerodynamics, which lends it a drag coefficient of just .21, which just so happens to beat the Taycan's .22 rating. Obviously, both cars are incredibly streamlined, but in this game, it's all about upstaging the competition. The fact that Lucid can not only compete but obliterate its competition in certain categories is a massive accomplishment for a startup going up against industry giants.

Keep an Eye Out for New Lucid EV Models

While Lucid has offered groundbreaking technology in its first swing at an EV, it will be interesting to see how they follow up the Lucid Air.

They've obviously got big shoes to fill, but an SUV version of the Air should be an amazing vehicle with potentially even more range due to space considerations. A cheaper SUV would also allow the company to enter the most profitable vehicle sales segment. Regardless of what they choose to develop next, they must do it quickly. An ultra-luxe EV sedan isn't necessarily the most in-demand segment of the EV market.