Lucid Releases Video of its Electric Air Sedan Completing a 400-Mile Journey

author: Vineeth Joel Patel   

Lucid Motors has a busy year in store. The California-based electric car company formerly known as Atieva is set to unveil its production-ready version of the Air electric sedan in approximately two months. Lucid Motors, as any other good automaker would do, has painted the upcoming Air in a good light. With a range of up to 400 miles, up to 1,000 horsepower, and a top speed of 217 mph, the Air sounds like quite an impressive machine. But expected numbers and real-world figures are two very different things. Lucid Motors is anxious to set the record straight, at least when it comes to range.

Prototype Completes 400-Mile Trip

Recently, the automaker took a prototype of the Air on a road trip from San Francisco to Los Angeles. Then, the team turned the car around and went back. Altogether, the trip spanned a total of 800 miles – 400 miles in each direction. Apparently, the Air completed the two trips on a single charge, an overnight stop that happened in Los Angeles. For those concerned with the coronavirus pandemic, the trip was completed earlier this February before California announced a shelter-in-place order.

Luckily, Lucid Motors made a video of the trip, proving, or at least, highlighting that the car was able to make it both ways. It's important to note that the car the company used was a prototype and there's really no information on what kind of driving conditions the car had to go through. Weather, driving style, speed, gradients, specific routes, stops, all of these things play a major role in how far an electric vehicle can travel.

The only thing Lucid Motors did confirm was that it did the majority of driving on the highway. That alone is impressive, because electric cars are their least efficient on the highway. So, while we are impressed, we are a little skeptical.

Reveal Hopefully Coming Soon

If Lucid Motors manages to ensure that its production version of the Air has a 400-mile range, it would shoot to the top of the electric car heap. No other automaker has reached 400 miles of range with their respective EVs. The only brand to come close to that mark is Tesla, which currently offers the Model S Long Range Plus with 391 miles. Lucid Motors is staying mum on specs of the prototype, but stated that the battery in the vehicle was tuned for "smart range."

The Air has quite a lot of ambitious figures to live up to, but, by the look of things, Lucid Motors isn't just full of steam. Originally, we were supposed to see the Air at the 2020 New York Auto show, but that's been postponed until August. It's unclear whether the automaker will wait until then to reveal the vehicle or do something else.

Vineeth Joel Patel

Joel Patel has been covering all aspects of the automotive industry for four years as an editor and freelance writer for various websites. When it comes to cars, he enjoys covering the merger between technology and cars. In his spare time, Joel likes to watch baseball, work on his car, and try new foods