Lucid Motors has made a name for itself by creating some of the most technologically impressive electric vehicles on roads today. For the 2024 model year, one of the startup's most advanced models is getting some tweaks targeted at two critical elements of the EV ownership experience: range and charging speeds.
The Air Grand Touring is a tech tour de force—a $109,900 car that relatively few people will buy, and one that showcases the company's latest achievements. Now, it's getting even better.
For 2024, there are a few key updates to know about that Lucid announced on Wednesday.
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What To Know About Lucid Motors
Lucid Motors' Air sedan is wildly impressive, but the California-based EV startup has struggled to ramp up sales since hitting the market in late 2021. A newly simplified lineup and some technological tweaks for 2024 could help drive sales until Lucid's next act, the Gravity SUV, launches later this year.
The Grand Touring has 15-30% faster charging speeds than before. That's thanks to both software and hardware tweaks, Lucid spokesman Justin Berkowitz told InsideEVs. Lucid also improved the car's automatic preconditioning, the process that warms up an EV's battery pack for optimal fast charging. Even before, it was no slouch in the charging department.
Despite a more conservative Environmental Protection Agency range-testing procedure that kicked in for the 2024 model year, the new Air Grand Touring keeps its stellar 516-mile range rating. It's still the longest-range EV you can buy in the U.S. by far. Lucid managed that through changes to its motor design, tweaks to thermal management and an updated battery-cell chemistry, Berkowitz said. A battery pack with slightly more capacity than before—118 kilowatt-hours versus the previous 112 kWh—doesn't hurt either.
Gallery: 2024 Lucid Air Lineup
Lucid also added a heat pump, a first in an Air that isn't the $250,000 Sapphire edition. Mainly, that's aimed at mitigating the effects of cold temperatures on range. Heat pumps warm a vehicle's cabin more efficiently than other types of heaters. That's crucial because although gas cars have an engine that produces heat as a byproduct, EVs need to keep your piggies warm using electric heaters. And that can sap a lot of energy from a car's battery pack.
Launched in late 2021, the Air sedan is Lucid's first (and, so far, only) production vehicle. It's incredibly impressive, yet Lucid hasn't managed to sell nearly as many cars as it once hoped. For 2024, the startup has both streamlined trim options and cut prices, which could help it get its footing. The brand's upcoming Gravity SUV, arriving later this year, should help drive sales. Particularly in the U.S., there's a bigger appetite for large family haulers than sedans.
The $69,900 Pure is Lucid's entry-level car, featuring 419 miles of range and rear-wheel drive. The $77,900 Touring adds some performance by way of a second motor up front, plus some more premium options. The Grand Touring adds both performance and range to that. The $250,000 Air Sapphire is a 1,234-horsepower beast that will sell in very limited quantities.
Which is best? Stay tuned: We drove the entire 2024 Air lineup just last week and will have a full breakdown coming your way soon.
Contact the author: tim.levin@insideevs.com
