Giddy up: the Lucid Air has two superfast launch models, one with 1,111 horses

Rear view of two cars with lights on
(Image credit: Lucid)

The Lucid Air is one of the most anticipated electric cars this year, but there weren't many details on the car until recently. Specs for the exclusive Dream Edition launch model have now been made public, and they're pretty exciting. 

Lucid first announced the Dream Edition as a single car with over 1,000 horsepower and more than 500 miles of range, but choices are a good thing for buyers. 

The firm has now confirmed two versions of the car will be available at launch: Performance and Range, both of which will carry the same starting price tag. 

The Performance model gets an astonishing 1,111 horsepower, while the Range model gets a still-wild 993 ponies .

Both models are absurdly quick, though, so there's no going wrong for the lead-footed among us. 

The Range model sports a claimed 0-60 mph time of 2.7 seconds, while the Performance model shaves .2 seconds off that time for a 2.5-second sprint to 60 mph, while both will have a top speed of 168 mph. That makes it one of the fastest electric cars around.

Swipe to scroll horizontally
Header Cell - Column 0 Dream PerformanceDream Range
MotorsDual Motor, AWDDual Motor, AWD
Power1,111hp933hp
Torque1000+ Nm1000+ Nm
0-60 mph2.5 seconds2.7 seconds
Top speed168 mph168 mph
Range (not final)475 miles517 miles

A serious price tag

While it's clear that Lucid has its act together and the Air Dream Edition is a serious car, there's no getting around its price tag. 

Reservation holders are in for at least $169,000 (around £120,000 / AU$230,000) to get their hands on a Lucid, which is more extreme than even the Tesla Model S Plaid, which starts just shy of $130,000 (around £118,980 / AU$186,990). 

Deliveries are expected to begin later this year, and Lucid notes that it will start contacting its reservation holders soon to determine which Air Dream Edition model they would like to order.

It's hard to deny that the Lucid Air Dream Edition is an impressive vehicle in either of its current formats. Still, it's even harder to get too excited about a car that will carry a monthly payment as large as many peoples' mortgages. 

To be fair, Lucid presents its cars as premium luxury products, so the people lined up to buy one know what they’re in for. But in a world where we desperately need to accelerate the shift to electrification, accessibly-priced vehicles are much more exciting.

Via CarAndDriver

Chris Teague
Freelance Contributor

After working in the technology and software industry for several years, Chris began writing as a way to help people outside of that world understand the sometimes very technical work that goes on behind the scenes. With a lifelong love of all things automotive, Chris turned his attention to writing new vehicle reviews, detailing industry trends, and breaking news. Along the way, he earned an MBA with a focus on data analysis that has helped him gain a strong understanding of why the auto industry’s biggest companies make the decisions they do.