The Tesla Model S is set to get a rival in 2018, when Lucid Motors’ Air makes its market debut. The new EV by the California-based manufacturer is looking to trump the Tesla by offering more of everything, from performance and operating range to luxury.
Initial details that have been bandied are impressive – the car will have an output of 1,000 hp, juiced by a 130 kWh battery pack, and a 640 km operating range has been touted. The company says it will also be autonomous-ready, with a comprehensive sensor suite able to scale to complete autonomy in the future.
Thanks to a floor-layout battery pack placement, the Air won’t sacrifice interior space. Lucid says that the car boasts an interior length of a full-size luxury sedan in a midsize footprint. Novelties include a rear executive seating option (with up to 55 degrees of recline available), voice control as well as a 29-speaker audio system with active noise cancellation.
Reports indicate that the Air won’t be a cheap proposition, with around US$100,000 (RM446,000) being touted for a fully-specified example, though word is that a cheaper US$65,000 (RM290,000) version will be offered somewhere down the line.
The Chinese-backed startup began life as Atieva, making batteries for electric buses. In October, Atieva was renamed to Lucid Motors, and said it would be making the transition to automaker with the debut of its new electric sedan.
Last month, it announced Casa Grande, Arizona as the location for its manufacturing facility, and earlier this month revealed Samsung SDI as a strategic partner. Samsung SDI will be a major supplier of the lithium-ion cells that will be used in the Air’s battery packs.
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Aiyoo yoo, everybody now talking hybrid or EV. Malaysia….what happened to our EV?
All syiok sendiri only. But car industry moving backward. Well to be precise, only Proton is moving backward.
Will EV save our environment? Not really if our power plant still rely on fuel n coal. More charging station will contribute to high load for the electric grid thus more power need to be produce by these power station to supply sufficient electricity to be use by all.1st, change all these electric power station from using coal fuel to renewable energy such as solar n etc then talk about EV. Seem like those on hydrogen n other FCV are a better alternative
uneducated malaysian talk.
Although power plant burns fuel and coal, its waste can be controlled since it is in a fixed location.
Also it WILL reduce pollution in cities, where pollution is a major concern. So yes the EV will reduce pollution where it matters!
Have anyone figured out how to junk those mountain height toxic waste batteries?
Efficiency, heard of it?
1 x coal/fuel power plant producing 1,000 car’s worth of power for the month will do it more efficiently than 1,000 car that solely relies on the Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) for power.
its like when astro first arrived and everyone was still on metrovision
Meanwhile Proton wants to build a combustion engine. They should have stick with Iriz EV.
for some reason this car reminds me of old gen Mitsubishi 3000GT, exterior and dashboard.
Wow, this car is going for ‘only’ US 100,000 grand that churn out 1,000 HP. That’s only 1000 bucks for 1 HP. I can’t think of any car/supercar/EV that have 1,000 HP & cost only 100,000 k & a 640 km operating range.