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Lucid Air unveiling: four variants, <$80k starting price, 1,080 HP, 517-mile range rating
Lucid has officially unveiled the Air, the company’s first production car, which aims to break the bounds of EV technology everywhere. The company’s September 9th unveiling event revealed the four variants of the Air, along with its tech developments that the company is using to compete directly with the growing electric vehicle market.
Deliveries of the first Air models will begin in Spring 2021, but the car has already set several new and unheard-of records for the EV sector. Not only is the Air currently holding the benchmark for EPA-estimated range at 517 miles, but its “Dream Edition” variant also set a 9.9-second quarter-mile record, becoming just the third production ar on Earth to ever accomplish that feat.
Lucid’s primary focus is similar to Tesla’s: Create a high-performance and efficient electric cars that help accelerate the world’s transition to sustainable transportation.
“Lucid Motors is driven to make the electric car better, and by doing so, help move the entire industry forward, towards accelerated adoption of sustainable mobility,” CEO and CTO Peter Rawlinson said. “The goal of this relentless approach to developing the world’s most advanced electric vehicle is to benefit all mankind with sustainable, zero-emission transportation, and to also attract new customers to the world of EVs.”
The company’s ideal entrance into the market was to create a car that would push the limits and be competitive with the leaders of the EV sector. The Air is the near-perfect car to do that with.
“With the Lucid Air, we have created a halo car for the entire industry, one which shows the advancements that are possible by pushing the boundaries of EV technology and performance to new levels,” Rawlinson added.
Lucid Space Concept
Lucid Air captures a revolutionary approach to automotive packaging, known as the Lucid Space Concept. The idea capitalizes on the compact design of Lucid’s in-house powertrain, which optimizes interior cabin and storage space. The company focused on a clean-cut, holistic approach that was never-before-seen from other companies who develop electric vehicles.
Lucid’s focus was to make smaller, yet more powerful electric motors that not only increase the performance of the vehicle but also give passengers a more comfortable experience. “This extends the philosophy of hyper-efficiency embedded in every facet of Lucid Air, from energy to spatial efficiency, delivering an unprecedented combination of range, practicality, performance, and luxury,” the company said.
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- Credit: Lucid Motors
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- Credit: Lucid Motors
The design also is drastically different from any other car on the road. While the differences are subtle, the modern proportions for the Air deliver a one-of-a-kind look that gives drivers a unique design.
“When we embarked on this journey at Lucid Motors and the development of our first vehicle, the Lucid Air, we refused to compromise. We decided early on that we were going to pursue every facet of performance, innovation, and luxury,” Vice President of Design, Derek Jenkins, said.
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- Credit: Lucid Motors
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- Credit: Lucid Motors
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- Credit: Lucid Motors
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- Credit: Lucid Motors
Advanced Glass Cockpit Displays with Tactile Physical Controls
The interior of the Lucid Air “reflects a revolution in how next-generation free form displays are elegantly integrated into the design architecture in the cabin,” the company states. The Air’s 34-inch curved glass 5K display sits lightly above the dashboard, contributing to an airy and light feel of the interior.
A retractable central Pilot Panel also sits in a convenient location for drivers, putting ultimate control into their fingertips. Digital displays are complemented by high tactile, precision-milled physical controls that are present for operators to take full control of their vehicle with ease of access.
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- Credit: Lucid Motors
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- Credit: Lucid Motors
Record-Breaking Performance
The Air’s Dream Edition variant, a Dual-Motor, All-Wheel-Drive architecture achieved the quarter-mile in just 9.9 seconds thanks to a 1,080 horsepower powertrain. It reached these times on a consistent and repeatable basis, and to date, it is the only electric sedan to achieve the sub-10 second quarter-mile time.
Additionally, the 113 kWh battery pack complements its high-performance specifications with 517-miles of all-electric range on a single charge.
World’s Fastest Charging Electric Vehicle
The Lucid Air will be the fastest charging EV in the world when it arrives on the market in the Spring. The company states that it will have the capability to charge at rates of up to 20 miles per minute when connected to a DC Fast Charging network. Owners will translate just 20 minutes of charging into 300 miles of range.
Additionally, Lucid plans to introduce a Vehicle-to-Grid and Vehicle-to-Vehicle charging infrastructures that will give owners bi-directional capabilities that are built into the Air.
“Home charging is one of the key benefits of EV ownership. In addition to the standard Lucid Mobile Charging Cord that comes with every Lucid vehicle, Lucid has also developed the Lucid Connected Home Charging Station, one of the first AC charging stations with bi-directional charging ever offered. With bi-directional charging, owners can enjoy not just a more cost-effective charging method, but also use their Lucid Air as a temporary energy reserve to power their homes, including off-grid vacation properties,” the company noted.
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- (Credit: Lucid Motors)
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- (Credit: Lucid Motors)
Next Level Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS)
Lucid’s DreamDrive is a first-of-its-kind platform that combines the most comprehensive sensor suite on the market with a cutting-edge Driver Monitoring System. It is standard on the Lucid Air Dream Edition and is the first system to ever combine 32 sensors with covering vision, radar and ultrasonics, and high-resolution LIDAR. The combination of these systems provides “the safest possible approach to Level 2 and Level 3 driver assistance technologies,” the company stated.
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- Credit: Lucid Motors
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- Credit: Lucid Motors
Variants and Availability
The Lucid Air will be available in the North American market initially with four model ranges.
- The Air, starting below $80,000 and available in 2022. ($72,500 after federal tax credits)
- The Air Touring, starting at $95,000, available late 2021. ($87,500 after federal tax credits)
- The Air Grand Touring, starting at $139,000, available mid-2021. ($131,500 after federal tax credits)
- The Air Dream Edition, starting at $169,000, available Spring 2021. ($161,500 after federal tax credits)
Reservations are now open for customers in the U.S. and Canada, as well as in select countries in Europe and the Middle East. The reservation requires a $1,000 refundable deposit, or $7,500 refundable deposits for the Dream Edition. Prices and delivery dates will be available for international markets at a later date.
The Air will be available through 20 Lucid Studios and Service Centers that will open across North America by the end of 2021.
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- Credit: Lucid Motors
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- Credit: Lucid Motors
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- Credit: Lucid Motors
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- Credit: Lucid Motors
Dream Edition
“The Lucid Air Dream Edition will feature a unique combination of Lucid attributes and technology, combining incredible performance with exceptional range. The 1,080 horsepower luxury EV sedan will be available in Stellar White, Infinite Black, or a Dream Edition-exclusive, Eureka Gold finish. Each color will come with an exclusive “Santa Monica” themed interior trim, including full Nappa grain, Bridge of Weir leather throughout with silvered Eucalyptus wood. The Dream Edition will also feature a unique 21-inch “AeroDream” wheel design and be highlighted by special badging and trim that marks its position as a limited-production halo edition of the Lucid Air.”
Tesla has reopened reservations for its long-delayed next-generation Roadster, asking buyers for a $50,000 deposit just days before an October 1 reveal event in Waco, Texas. The move revives a reservation process first launched in 2017 and later paused when Tesla pulled pricing from its website in 2021.
The reservation page requires an immediate $5,000 credit-card payment, described as fully refundable, followed by a $45,000 wire transfer due within 10 days, which is identical to what was expected previously. Reservations are not considered final until the wire clears.
The structure matches the 2017 terms Tesla used when it first collected deposits after unveiling a prototype. Tesla has not published a confirmed retail price or production start date on the order page.
Go buy a Roadster pic.twitter.com/n7rhouAmIS
— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) September 21, 2026
The October 1 event is scheduled in Waco, about 90 minutes north of Tesla’s Austin headquarters and near SpaceX’s McGregor rocket test site. Tesla sent invitations to existing reservation holders and posted a “Go for launch” teaser on September 12.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) established a temporary flight restriction over the McGregor area from September 18 through October 2, consistent with plans for a demonstration involving SpaceX-designed cold-gas thrusters. Elon Musk has previously described the optional package as enabling extreme acceleration or brief hovering. Tesla has said the event will include pricing, specifications, and production targets.
The second-generation Roadster was first shown in November 2017 during Tesla’s Semi launch. Musk promised production in 2020, with claimed performance of 0-60 mph in 1.9 seconds, more than 250 mph top speed, and roughly 620 miles of range.
Those targets have slipped repeatedly.
Tesla later pointed to 2022, 2023, 2024, and 2025-2026 before indicating production would not begin until 2027 or 2028 at Gigafactory Texas. Design work has continued, with reports of a sharper, Cybertruck-influenced look replacing the original curvy prototype.
Original reservation holders who paid $50,000 in 2017, or $250,000 for the Founders Series, have waited nearly nine years without a production car. Some high-profile customers canceled. Tesla’s decision to reopen orders now, after previously shutting them down, tests whether new buyers will commit substantial funds before seeing a finalized production vehicle. The October 1 event is intended to answer remaining questions about what those buyers will actually receive and when.
Tesla’s Full Self-Driving (Supervised) is heading to Czechia after the Czech Ministry of Transport recognised the Dutch RDW’s provisional type approval, making the country the seventh EU member state to clear the system for public roads. Tesla Europe announced on 21 September 2026 that “FSD Supervised is now approved in Czechia” and that rollout “will begin soon.”
The decision marks a notable reversal. Earlier in 2026, Prague had declined to automatically recognise the Netherlands’ April approval, citing concerns over speed-limit compliance, traffic-sign recognition and driver-attention monitoring, and arguing that a coordinated EU approach was preferable. Officials said months of expert review, talks with Tesla and other member states, and real-world data from countries already using the system resolved those issues.
🚨 Tesla FSD heading to Czechia 🇨🇿 pic.twitter.com/mkzlM9QjrB
— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) September 21, 2026
“Safety remains the top priority,” the ministry stated.
FSD Supervised remains a Level 2 driver-assistance system: the driver must stay engaged and is legally responsible. Eligible vehicles need AI4, the company’s most up-to-date hardware version. Tesla is expected to push the feature over the air in the coming days, following the pattern seen after earlier national approvals.
Europe’s rollout began when Dutch regulator RDW issued a provisional EU type approval on 10 April 2026 after extensive testing. Mutual recognition then produced a rapid cascade: Lithuania (20 May), Estonia (29 May), Denmark (9 June), Belgium (10 June) and Slovenia (7 September). Czechia now completes that list of seven.
The approvals cover only a modest share of the EU population, but they add political weight ahead of a 6 October vote by the Technical Committee on Motor Vehicles. A qualified majority, at least 15 of 27 member states representing 65 percent of the EU population, could open the remaining markets, including large ones such as Germany, France, Italy and Spain that have so far preferred to wait for a bloc-wide decision.
For Czech Tesla owners, the immediate prize is access to the same supervised highway and city driving already available in the other six countries. For Tesla, each new market generates additional European driving data and strengthens the case that FSD Supervised can operate safely under the continent’s varied road rules. The Czech approval is therefore both a local milestone and another incremental step toward a wider European launch.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has established a Temporary Flight Restriction over SpaceX’s McGregor, Texas, rocket development and test facility, a move widely viewed as preparation for Tesla’s October 1 Roadster reveal. The restriction took effect September 18 and runs through October 2.
NOTAM FDC 6/3825 covers a 1.5-nautical-mile radius around the site near Waco and extends from the surface to 10,000 feet above ground level. The FAA cited hazards under 14 CFR 91.137(a)(3) and barred aircraft and drones from the zone. Tesla’s invitation to reservation holders already placed the event in Waco, about 20 minutes from McGregor, making the timing and location more than coincidental.
A TFR has appeared around SpaceX’s McGregor Testing Site up to 10,000ft and runs through until the 2nd of October 👀 pic.twitter.com/rcZ4p4JkLm
— Niall Anderson (@INiallAnderson) September 18, 2026
What stands out is the altitude. Typical recent TFRs at McGregor for engine static fires and component tests have used far lower ceilings, often around 2,000 feet. Raising the limit to 10,000 feet is unusually high even compared with some Starbase restrictions and signals operations that go beyond a standard ground-level engine test.
That extra airspace has fueled speculation about the long-promised SpaceX Package for the Roadster. Elon Musk has described cold-gas thrusters that could deliver sub-one-second 0-60 times and, more dramatically, brief lift-off. Reports earlier this year indicated Tesla planned a remote-controlled demonstration at McGregor in which the car would leave the ground with no one inside; spectators kept hundreds of yards away because of the noise.
The 10,000-foot envelope would give operators a large safety buffer even if the vehicle only hovers a short distance.
Tesla has not confirmed a flight demo. The company has only used the phrase “Go for launch” and posted a teaser image of the car on what looks like a launch pad. The TFR itself mentions only hazards. Still, closing airspace this high and this close to the reveal date strongly suggests the event will include more than a static display.
Whether the Roadster actually hovers on October 1 remains to be seen. What is certain is that the FAA has cleared a large vertical slice of Texas sky for whatever Tesla and SpaceX intend to show. Reservation holders heading to Waco will be among the first to find out if the car can do more than drive.
Tesla Roadster is available for order once again following brief hold
Tesla Full Self-Driving expands to another European country
