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Lucid teases Air Pure, Touring trim unveiling on November 15

Credit: Lucid Groupt

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Lucid Group released details regarding the unveiling of the Pure and Touring trim levels of its introductory electric sedan, the Air, today. Lucid teased the vehicles through a video it released on its Twitter.

The vehicles are set to be unveiled on November 15 at 1:00 P.M. EST, ahead of the first Air Touring delivery, which will take place on the same day at the company’s studio in Beverly Hills.

After launching several luxury and highly-priced trims over the past year, Lucid is now looking to launch two more configurations of the Air all-electric sedan at prices that are slightly more affordable.

Lucid Air Pure

The Lucid Air Pure, the company’s base mode, will have a starting price of $87,400 and will launch with a dual-motor, all-wheel-drive configuration. Specs for this trim level and EPA-estimated range ratings will be released on November 15.

The Pure was initially geared for a price lower than $70,000 in the United States with the EV tax credit. However, nearly every vehicle on the market has increased in price since then, and car companies have adjusted due to increased costs across the supply chain.

Tesla Model S Long Range Plus now boasts 409 miles per charge: report

Lucid Air Touring

Additionally, the Lucid Air Touring will also be unveiled during the event.  Starting at $107,400, the Touring trim level features “a fine balance of performance, luxury, design, and space.” It features the Air’s single-piece glass canopy that spans from the base of the windshield and extends over the heads of front passengers. Lucid also plans to release more details regarding this trim level on November 15.

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Air Touring availability was pushed back to Q4 2022 earlier this year, so it will be interesting to see if Lucid aligns with that after the unveiling event later this month. The company has struggled to ramp production and deliveries of its vehicles, but it is going through normal growing pains that nearly every car company in history has experienced.

Lucid’s Project Gravity

While many may have thought the teaser Lucid published on Twitter could have been a potential unveiling of the Gravity SUV, it does not seem to be the case. However, Lucid did state in its press release that it would release additional details about Project Gravity, which was revealed in 2021. Lucid CEO/CTO Peter Rawlinson said the company plans to launch the Gravity SUV in the latter half of 2023.

The event will take place during the LA Auto Show Week, and Lucid has several things planned for spectators:

  • During the week of November 15, all five trim levels – from Air Pure to Air Sapphire – will be on display for media, customers, and fans at the Lucid Studio Beverly Hills. Lucid will also celebrate the global premiere at the Beverly Hills Studio the evening of Tuesday, November 15, with a celebration event for select media, customers, and VIPs.
  • Derek Jenkins, Senior Vice President of Design and Brand, will be featured at CDN Forum LA taking place during Automobility at the Los Angeles Auto Show on Thursday, November 17. Lucid is also a sponsor of CDN’s LA Design Night that evening at the Los Angeles Convention Center. Both the recently unveiled Lucid Air Pure and Air Sapphire, the world’s most powerful sedan, will be on display.
  • Peter Rawlinson, CEO and CTO, will deliver the opening keynote at the Automotive News World Congress on Friday, November 18, discussing why efficiency is the new imperative for electric vehicles and how it has been central to all aspects of the development of every Lucid vehicle.

I’d love to hear from you! If you have any comments, concerns, or questions, please email me at joey@teslarati.com. You can also reach me on Twitter @KlenderJoey, or if you have news tips, you can email us at tips@teslarati.com.

Joey has been a journalist covering electric mobility at TESLARATI since August 2019. In his spare time, Joey is playing golf, watching MMA, or cheering on any of his favorite sports teams, including the Baltimore Ravens and Orioles, Miami Heat, Washington Capitals, and Penn State Nittany Lions. You can get in touch with joey at joey@teslarati.com. He is also on X @KlenderJoey. If you're looking for great Tesla accessories, check out shop.teslarati.com

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Ford cancels all-electric F-150 Lightning, announces $19.5 billion in charges

“Rather than spending billions more on large EVs that now have no path to profitability, we are allocating that money into higher returning areas, more trucks and van hybrids, extended range electric vehicles, affordable EVs, and entirely new opportunities like energy storage.”

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Credit: Ford Motor Co.

Ford is canceling the all-electric F-150 Lightning and also announced it would take a $19.5 billion charge as it aims to quickly restructure its strategy regarding electrification efforts, a massive blow for the Detroit-based company that was once one of the most gung-ho on transitioning to EVs.

The announcement comes as the writing on the wall seemed to get bolder and more identifiable. Ford was bleeding money in EVs and, although it had a lot of success with the all-electric Lightning, it is aiming to push its efforts elsewhere.

It will also restructure its entire strategy on EVs, and the Lightning is not the only vehicle getting the boot. The T3 pickup, a long-awaited vehicle that was developed in part of a skunkworks program, is also no longer in the company’s plans.

Instead of continuing on with its large EVs, it will now shift its focus to hybrids and “extended-range EVs,” which will have an onboard gasoline engine to increase traveling distance, according to the Wall Street Journal.

“Ford no longer plans to produce select larger electric vehicles where the business case has eroded due to lower-than-expected demand, high costs, and regulatory changes,” the company said in a statement.

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While unfortunate, especially because the Lightning was a fantastic electric truck, Ford is ultimately a business, and a business needs to make money.

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Ford has lost $13 billion on its EV business since 2023, and company executives are more than aware that they gave it plenty of time to flourish.

Andrew Frick, President of Ford, said:

“Rather than spending billions more on large EVs that now have no path to profitability, we are allocating that money into higher returning areas, more trucks and van hybrids, extended range electric vehicles, affordable EVs, and entirely new opportunities like energy storage.”

CEO Jim Farley also commented on the decision:

“Instead of plowing billions into the future knowing these large EVs will never make money, we are pivoting.”

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Farley also said that the company now knows enough about the U.S. market “where we have a lot more certainty in this second inning.”

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SpaceX shades airline for seeking contract with Amazon’s Starlink rival

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Credit: Richard Angle

SpaceX employees, including its CEO Elon Musk, shaded American Airlines on social media this past weekend due to the company’s reported talks with Amazon’s Starlink rival, Leo.

Starlink has been adopted by several airlines, including United Airlines, Qatar Airways, Hawaiian Airlines, WestJet, Air France, airBaltic, and others. It has gained notoriety as an extremely solid, dependable, and reliable option for airline travel, as traditional options frequently cause users to lose connection to the internet.

Many airlines have made the switch, while others continue to mull the options available to them. American Airlines is one of them.

A report from Bloomberg indicates the airline is thinking of going with a Starlink rival owned by Amazon, called Leo. It was previously referred to as Project Kuiper.

American CEO Robert Isom said (via Bloomberg):

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“While there’s Starlink, there are other low-Earth-orbit satellite opportunities that we can look at. We’re making sure that American is going to have what our customers need.”

Isom also said American has been in touch with Amazon about installing Leo on its aircraft, but he would not reveal the status of any discussions with the company.

The report caught the attention of Michael Nicolls, the Vice President of Starlink Engineering at SpaceX, who said:

“Only fly on airlines with good connectivity… and only one source of good connectivity at the moment…”

CEO Elon Musk replied to Nicolls by stating that American Airlines risks losing “a lot of customers if their connectivity solution fails.”

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There are over 8,000 Starlink satellites in orbit currently, offering internet coverage in over 150 countries and territories globally. SpaceX expands its array of satellites nearly every week with launches from California and Florida, aiming to offer internet access to everyone across the globe.

SpaceX successfully launches 100th Starlink mission of 2025

Currently, the company is focusing on expanding into new markets, such as Africa and Asia.

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Tesla Model Y Standard stuns in new range test, besting its Premium siblings

Tesla’s newer vehicles have continued to meet or exceed their EPA estimates. This is a drastic change, as every 2018-2023 model year Tesla that Edmunds assessed did not meet its range estimates.

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Credit: Tesla

The Tesla Model Y Standard stunned in a new range test performed by automotive media outlet Edmunds, besting all of its Premium siblings that are more expensive and more luxurious in terms of features.

Testing showed the Model Y Standard exceeded its EPA-estimated range rating of 321 miles, as Edmunds said it is the “longest-range Model Y that we’ve ever put on our loop.” In the past, some vehicles have come up short in comparison with EPA ranges; for example, the Model Y’s previous generation vehicle had an EPA-estimated range of 330 miles, but only drove 310.

Additionally, the Launch Series Model Y, the first configuration to be built in the “Juniper” program, landed perfectly on the EPA’s range estimates at 327 miles.

It was also more efficient than Premium offerings, as it utilized just 22.8 kWh to go 100 miles. The Launch Series used 26.8 kWh to travel the same distance.

It is tested using Edmunds’ traditional EV range testing procedure, which follows a strict route of 60 percent city and 40 percent highway driving. The average speed throughout the trip is 40 MPH, and the car is required to stay within 5 MPH of all posted speed limits.

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Each car is also put in its most efficient drive setting, and the climate is kept on auto at 72 degrees.

“All of this most accurately represents the real-world driving that owners do day to day,” the publication says.

With this procedure, testing is as consistent as it can get. Of course, there are other factors, like temperature and traffic density. However, one thing is important to note: Tesla’s newer vehicles have continued to meet or exceed their EPA estimates. This is a drastic change, as every 2018-2023 model year Tesla that Edmunds assessed did not meet its range estimates.

Tesla Model Y Standard vs. Tesla Model Y Premium

Tesla’s two Model Y levels both offer a great option for whichever fits your budget. However, when you sit in both cars, you will notice distinct differences between them.

The Premium definitely has a more luxurious feel, while the Standard is stripped of many of the more premium features, like Vegan Leather Interior, acoustic-lined glass, and a better sound system.

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You can read our full review of the Model Y Standard below:

Tesla Model Y Standard Full Review: Is it worth the lower price?

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