The Lucid Air Touring EV reviewed by regular drivers
That is half 4 of 4 in our collection testing the Lucid Air Touring, the brand new ‘midrange’ luxurious EV from Lucid Motors. Comply with the protection right here.
“It is an asshole automotive,” a pal laughed as I drove her round San Francisco. And I needed to admit, she had a degree.
Earlier that day, I used to be parked in a slim EV spot at Complete Meals, subsequent to an accessible spot the place a girl was getting one thing out of her automotive. Once I approached with the important thing fob in my pocket, the automotive did what it at all times does, robotically unfolding the aspect mirrors.
On this case, nevertheless, that unfolding blocked the lady’s path to the sidewalk, forcing her to stroll across the automotive. I apologized profusely and commenced questioning whether or not Lucid founder (and Tesla Mannequin S designer) Peter Rawlinson’s engineers had thought of an on a regular basis metropolis state of affairs like this.
Golden Gate, silver fox: The Lucid Air Touring in San Francisco.
Credit score: Lucid Motors
However that wasn’t the one motive my pal lobbed her loving insult. The top-down encompass digicam view encourages you to take a look at the automotive and the few inches round it when pulling out of a parking zone; pedestrians do not seem until they’re proper subsequent to it.
Annoyingly, encompass view additionally replaces the navigation display screen at speeds under 15 mph, typically stopping me from seeing the place my subsequent flip was.
Additionally, the best way the automotive annihilates distance had by now inspired me to do all of the stuff you affiliate with efficiency automotive drivers, together with weaving impatiently round different site visitors. There wasn’t an orange mild the place I did not assume I may make it throughout the intersection in time, apparently.
After which there’s how low the automotive rides. This helps with its aerodynamics but in addition makes it laborious to get out. I assumed my legs would alter – heck, I am a runner, with thighs to match – and it will really feel much less awkward after every week. It didn’t.
At the least I did not do what my pal did getting out of the passenger aspect one final time, banging her head on the highest of the door, sending her sun shades flying. Nonetheless, she could not cease laughing. The automotive may very well be a privileged asshole typically, however it was additionally undeniably enjoyable.
Lucid’s main indicators
One other pal within the tech world had taken a trip in one of many earliest Lucid Air prototypes years in the past, however hadn’t seen the ultimate product. So I drove us down Freeway 1 to Pacifica – a gorgeous, windy stretch of street you could acknowledge from a number of automotive commercials – and he drove us again.
His verdict? Total, “it was a pleasure to drive,” he mentioned. Suspension and traction exceeded his expectations, particularly on the curves. The acceleration, zero to 60 in as little as 3.4 seconds, is most noticeable while you’re merging onto the freeway and by no means fails to please.
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The Lucid Air Touring take a look at: 10 days within the newest luxurious EV
However there have been destructive factors I hadn’t thought of. My pal famous that the roll cage – these bars to the left and proper of the massive glass cover – had been bigger and extra vision-obstructing than he’d anticipated. “Undecided I might make that commerce off” in day-to-day driving, he added.
He wasn’t a fan of the non-intuitive navigation system, or the best way that key data just like the automotive’s present vary appeared to mix into the show.
He did not less than grasp the flip sign, the acute sensitivity of which had aggravated me since my first Lucid take a look at drive. The Lucid’s left and proper blinkers cease robotically after making a flip, however not when altering lanes – until you give the flip indicator a non-intuitive longer press down, apparently. The blinker noise is so quiet I failed to note it below music, and the blinker mild blends into the show too simply.
I might by no means fairly felt like an older driver together with his sign caught on prior to now.
Reluctant return
The finish of the Lucid Air Touring.
Credit score: Lucid Motors
I did not fairly notice how a lot I might fallen in love with the Lucid Air Touring till it was time to provide it again. If I used to be the type of one that may drop a thousand Benjamins on a brand new EV, I might give this one some severe thought.
Although the hefty 4,850-lb car by no means fairly labored as a metropolis automotive – the turning circle is just too small, the parking awkward even with the autopark setting (which appeared a little bit too wanting to swing out into the oncoming lane) – the Lucid did give me an unbelievable sense of easy accessibility to all over the place.
Random unplanned long-ish drives that may have in any other case appeared like a chore, like assembly my pal at a convention the subsequent day to return the sun shades that the low door had knocked off her head, grew to become a pleasure.
The Lucid can also be an incredible automotive to simply sit in, one thing I’d discover myself doing an increasing number of on the finish of a drive. It is not simply that the automotive would not have an off button, which by no means stopped feeling bizarre (you are purported to set it in park with a click on of the proper gear stick and simply stroll away whereas it locks itself).
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I drove the Lucid Air. It is the way forward for automobiles.
It is also the Dolby Atmos audio system, offering the clearest, crispest sound I’ve ever loved in any car. Even when the software program does require you to show the sound up from its midpoint each time you get within the automotive – one other bizarre selection – it is simple to regulate by way of the steering wheel.
It’s a must to manually cease a music if you don’t need it blaring while you exit the EV (a really asshole automotive transfer), however who needs to cease a music when it sounds this good?
After handing over the bizarre rubber key fob factor, I returned to my outdated automobiles with new eyes. In my Toyota RAV4, oddly, I discovered myself driving extra slowly. The Lucid Air hadn’t led me to be inquisitive about pace per se, however in electrical pace, ideally generated by as equal an quantity of braking as potential.
The Toyota has a dial that reveals you when your braking is charging the car; I pay much more consideration to that dial now.
The Fiat 500e, nevertheless, I discovered myself driving quicker round city. As a result of why not use the unbelievable torque that you’ve in such a lightweight EV? No level in sipping mileage when it will possibly simply be plugged in each night time; the place charging on a primary degree 1 charger and filling it up is not a pipe dream. Missing the Lucid Air’s heft, I nonetheless felt considerably like I used to be driving one (the lighter city-friendly model, not less than).
And that, finally, is why it is price not less than taking a take a look at drive in any mannequin of Lucid Air in case you have the chance, even should you’d by no means contemplate shopping for one. Its hyper-engineered options might not totally account for the true world but; its software program is a piece in progress; however basically, that is how all electrical automobiles ought to really feel, and hopefully all will quickly sufficient.
Even when Peter Rawlinson loses the long run battle with Elon Musk for the posh finish of the market, the Lucid legacy will stay on in different designs — and in all drivers who bought to expertise it.
