Lucid Motors Air + Gravity

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Production Air has been revealed/detailed.

https://www.carscoops.com/2020/09/2...-at-up-to-1080-hp-and-has-517-miles-of-range/

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That looks fantastic. Far better than the utter blandness of every Tesla since the Model X. The interior seems a bit more premium than Tesla's as well.
 
Watched the 45min video MotorTrend uploaded to YouTube this morning and I must say I really liked what I saw. Had no idea they made the batteries used in the formula-E WC. The tech sounds really really impressive, for a layman as myself.

I also prefer this car design, especially the interior, to that of the Tesla.
 
I'm impressed that nearly 4 years later, the design remains the same (besides the wheels) & doesn't look like it's aged at all. The rear window design sloping down into the back looks a bit odd in some angles, but overall, I think it's a good-looking car.
 
That's a big difference in EPA range between the 19" and 21" wheels. The best part of 40 miles. Assuming it is miles and not kilometers.
 
The Air looks more like a modern interpretation of a DS than the DS brand itself is putting out, or ever likely to.

I love it.
 
Looks space-y, like some future manned lunar rover.

That roof profile is messing with my head. Maybe if it were all one color and the trim was color matched it wouldn't look so oddly proportioned.

We have lots of those style roofs here in Europe on Citroen's, Peugeot's, Vauxhall's etc. Doesn't look as jarring when you see them often.
 
Couple friends that are hardcore 4x4 dudes, raised eyebrows when I showed them the Air. They actually said they'd consider it.

Then, they talked about how much money they saved, since installing solar panels on their homes. Also, they'd prefer these over the not as good looking Teslas.
 
This car doesn't look like much, but considering its performance as well as this being a nine-second car, the Lucid Motors Air is surely a fascinating machine. It's more like one of those easy to underrate or underestimate vehicles. And once if you do knock it, it's a case of "laugh now, cry later." I also sort of like the Lucid SUV here also in recent pictures.
 
Churchill Capital is rumored to be in late stage talks to acquire Lucid. For those not aware, this is basically a backdoor approach to doing an IPO. I absolutely jumped at the first rumor last week (we'll see how that bet works out) because I think Lucid has enormous potential. Rumors firmed up a bit today and the stock has shot up another 25%. Current valuation is just under $11bn. With NIO at $95bn, Rivian at $30bn it's hard not to see Lucid as good value considering they seem like they know how to make cars and the Air is basically ready to go with the Gravity soon behind.
 
Rumors were true, Lucid has Merged with CCIV. Lucid is now a publicly traded company! I sold off whatever I had a few days ago but am probably going to buy a more substantial stake now. This company is going places.
Good call on your post the other guy. Tesla is mostly out of reach for me now as I've ditched Robinhood, but CCIV was in the sweet spot and I got some. I really do think Lucid will find a high-luxury niche and shame Mercedes, Audi, and BMW. It's marketed even higher-end than Tesla has bothered with thus far but nobody traditionally in that market is offering anything even close now or for several more years. Depending on the Air's success, I can even imagine Lucid going upmarket and profiting off shameless rich people who would normally buy a Bentley or Rolls but instead are going with the massive and sleek EV. Fueling a Rolls Royce is for peasants. Now that the stock is even cheaper I guess I'll be getting more.

To the moon!
 
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Here are some quotes from the article written by Kristen Lee

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Like Tesla, Lucid will also operate with a direct sales model. So [Lucid's new Studio showroom in New York City's Meatpacking District] won't actually handle any financial transactions. You'd go there to learn more about the car, check out potential color and trim options (there are only a handful to choose from), sit in the display vehicle, and then you'd go home and order your car directly from Lucid, according to [Doreen Allen, director of sales]. Right now, the company is looking into mobile deliveries and mobile service in order to better serve customers who might not live close to a Lucid location.

The rear trunk opens like a clamshell—wide—so the opening won't restrict whatever it is you're trying to get back there. And why not a hatch design like the Tesla Model S has got? [Derek Jenkins, vice president of design,] said the company went with a traditional trunk-style opening because it offers better overall stability and rigidity. It was also meant to solve any NVH concerns because the seals on a hatch-style trunk are located in the occupant space and unwanted noise can come in through that way.

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As for riding in it (remember, I wasn't allowed to drive it), it's shockingly quiet. Not your usual EV silence, mind you, where you can still hear some tire noise, wind noise, outside traffic, and the whir of the motor(s) under acceleration. Being in the Lucid was like sitting in a sound booth, where extraneous noises from the outside were sound-proofed out.

The ride quality was also stellar. Departing from the Studio meant driving over some cobblestone streets—pretty to look at but horrendous to take a car on. But the Air handled it with excellent comfort. I was aware we were driving over a bumpy road, yet the sensation that made it up to the seat was one of a mere suggestion of bumpiness rather than acute bumpiness. It was very pleasant.

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Legroom in the back row is impressive. I mean, it doesn't take much to impress me because I have short legs, but I could actually straighten my knees decently while riding around. Since the Air I went out in was the longer-range model, the rear floor height was raised slightly to accommodate the extra battery packs. But it wasn't super noticeable. The seats were also plush and definitely had a more relaxed posture to them—meaning that they don't cup occupants as aggressively as the Taycan's do. Your view of the sky above is nearly unobstructed, which is very cool.

The glovebox can be opened with an Alexa voice command, but that feature will come at a later date, according to a Lucid rep. They continued to say that eventually, all interior features will be able to enabled through Alexa. I suspect there isn't a physical glovebox button because the Air's designers really wanted a minimalist design and also because it usually costs additional money to make more physical switchgear. The physical volume switch feels great under your fingers, though!

As for the suspension, a Lucid rep said the company changed to the coil spring and sway bar setup as it pushed toward production. The air suspension is coming but the advantages of the air suspension system over the coil spring setup mostly come down to ride height. They said ride comfort across the two systems won't be sacrificed, however.

Jenkins, and by extension Lucid, both believe the "luxury ticket of entry" is still the sedan. Jenkins in particular thinks the SUV-craze is a fad and will ebb away, just like the station wagon and minivan fads did before it. With a sedan, there are handling and performance advantages. Plus, a sedan is way more aerodynamic than an SUV, which helps enable Lucid to put down those massive estimated range claims. And it offers a more impressive way for Lucid to show off its interior space. Essentially, a sedan is the way Lucid can put its best foot forward.

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The hood vents are indeed functional! They're there to cool the headlights.


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I was in LA over the weekend and just happened to notice that Lucid already has a showroom built out (with a car in it and everything) on Wilshire Boulevard. It's really happening!
 
So Lucid motors will appear on the stock market next week (I think) after the merger with CCIV was approved.

They actually had to extend the deadline to vote for the merger because so many shareholders were not voting. This is probably the result of the hyped up SPAC wave earlier in the year and a lot of retail investors (particularly Robinhood variety) probably have little understanding of what their role is or zero interest in that role. It was actually looking a little dicey last night that they would even get the amount of votes needed.

I'm really excited to see where this company goes. They have a huge amount of talent in their ranks and I think a really stellar offering that is both beautifully designed and apparently well engineered. I think it remains to be seen whether or not Lucid will become a niche player or if they will broaden their portfolio to compete more directly with the luxury brands. The obvious comparison is Tesla, but I think they are not quite after the same market though there is some obvious overlap. I see Lucid more as a direct competitor to Porsche, leaving aside Porsche's sports cars.
 
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Still 100 miles short of a Nissan Altima rental car 😤 chumps. Can't hang.

But seriously, I am massively impressed with these things. Rivians just started rolling off the line, Lucid gets their EPA ratings, pretty soon they'll be driving too. Man. Things are changing and I got no money to participate lol.
 
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