News
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.”
SpaceX reached an incredible milestone with its Starlink program with a launch last night, as the 3,000th satellite of the year was launched into low Earth orbit.
On Monday, SpaceX also achieved its 32nd flight with a single Falcon 9 rocket from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center.
The mission was Starlink 6-92, and it utilized the Falcon 9 B1067 for the 32nd time this year, the most-used Falcon booster. The flight delivered SpaceX’s 3000th Starlink satellite of the year, a massive achievement.
There were 29 Starlink satellites launched and deployed into LEO during this particular mission:
Falcon 9 launches 29 @Starlink satellites from Florida pic.twitter.com/utKrXjHzPN
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) December 9, 2025
SpaceX has a current goal of certifying its Falcon boosters for 40 missions apiece, according to Spaceflight Now.
The flight was the 350th orbital launch from the nearby SLC-40, and the 3,000 satellites that have been successfully launched this year continue to contribute to the company’s goal of having 12,000 satellites contributing to global internet coverage.
There are over five million users of Starlink, the latest data shows.
Following the launch and stage separation, the Falcon 9 booster completed its mission with a perfect landing on the ‘Just Read the Instructions’ droneship.
The mission was the 575th overall Falcon 9 launch, highlighting SpaceX’s operational tempo, which continues to be accelerated. The company averages two missions per week, and underscores CEO Elon Musk’s vision of a multi-planetary future, where reliable connectivity is crucial for remote work, education, and emergency response.
As Starlink expands and works toward that elusive and crucial 12,000 satellite goal, missions like 6-92 pave the way for innovations in telecommunications and enable more internet access to people across the globe.
With regulatory approvals in over 100 countries and millions of current subscribers, SpaceX continues to democratize space, proving that reusability is not just feasible, but it’s also revolutionary.
Tesla expanded its new Full Self-Driving program, which gives people the opportunity to experience the company’s suite, in Europe.
Tesla recently launched an opportunity for Europeans to experience Full Self-Driving, not in their personal vehicles, but through a new ride-along program that initially launched in Italy, France, and Germany back in late November.
People could experience it by booking a reservation with a local Tesla showroom, but timeslots quickly filled up, making it difficult to keep up with demand. Tesla expanded the program and offered some additional times, but it also had its sights set on getting the program out to new markets.
It finally achieved that on December 9, as it launched rides in Denmark and Switzerland, adding the fourth and fifth countries to the program.
Tesla confirmed the arrival of the program to Denmark and Switzerland on X:
Now available in Denmark & Switzerland
🇩🇰 https://t.co/IpCSwHO566 https://t.co/V2N5EarLNX
— Tesla Europe & Middle East (@teslaeurope) December 9, 2025
The program, while a major contributor to Tesla’s butts in seats strategy, is truly another way for the company to leverage its fans in an effort to work through the regulatory hurdles it is facing in Europe.
Tesla has faced significant red tape in the region, and although it has tested the FSD suite and been able to launch this ride-along program, it is still having some tremendous issues convincing regulatory agencies to allow it to give it to customers.
CEO Elon Musk has worked with regulators, but admitted the process has been “insanely painful.”
The most recent development with FSD and its potential use in Europe dealt with the Dutch approval authority, known as the RDW.
Tesla says Europe could finally get FSD in 2026, and Dutch regulator RDW is key
Tesla said it believes some regulations are “outdated and rules-based,” which makes the suite ineligible for use in the European jurisdiction.
The RDW is working with Tesla to gain approval sometime early next year, but there are no guarantees. However, Tesla’s angle with the ride-along program seems to be that if it can push consumers to experience it and have a positive time, it should be easier for it to gain its footing across Europe with regulatory agencies.
News
Tesla ramps hiring for Roadster as latest unveiling approaches
Tesla published three new positions for the Roadster this week, relating to Battery Manufacturing, General Manufacturing, and Vision Engineering.
Tesla is ramping up hiring for positions related to the Roadster program, the company’s ultra-fast supercar that has been teased to potentially hover by CEO Elon Musk.
The company seems to be crossing off its last handful of things before it plans to unveil the vehicle on April Fool’s Day, just about four months away.
Tesla published three new positions for the Roadster this week, relating to Battery Manufacturing, General Manufacturing, and Vision Engineering. All three are located in Northern California, with two being at the Fremont Factory and the other at the company’s Engineering HQ in Palo Alto.
Technical Program Manager, Battery Manufacturing
Located in Fremont, this role specifically caters to the design of the Roadster to factory operations. It appears this role will mostly have to do with developing and engineering the Roadster’s battery pack and establishing the production processes for it:
“You will foster collaboration across design engineering, manufacturing, quality, facilities, and production to align with company priorities. Additionally, you will understand project opportunities, challenges, and dependencies; translate scattered information into concise, complete messages; and communicate them to every team member. As the business process development lead, you will develop, maintain, and implement tools and processes to accelerate battery manufacturing execution, achieve cross-functional alignment, and deliver highly efficient systems.”
Manufacturing Engineer, Roadster
Also located in Fremont, this role also has to deal with the concept development and launch of battery manufacturing equipment. Tesla says:
“In this role, you will take large-scale manufacturing systems for new battery products and architectures from the early concept development stage through equipment launch, optimization, and handover to local operations teams.”
Manufacturing Vision Engineer, Battery Vision
This position is in Palo Alto at Tesla’s Engineering Headquarters, and requires the design and scale of advanced inspection and control systems to next-generation battery products:
“You’ll work on automation processes that directly improve battery performance, quality, and cost, collaborating with world-class engineers in a fast-paced, hands-on environment.”
Developing and deploying 2D and 3D vision and measurement systems from proof-of-concept to deployment on high-volume battery manufacturing lines is part of the job description.
Roadster Unveiling
Tesla plans to unveil the Roadster on April 1, and although it was planned for late this year, it is nice to see the company put out a definitive date.
Musk said on the Joe Rogan Experience Podcast in late October:
“Whether it’s good or bad, it will be unforgettable. My friend Peter Thiel once reflected that the future was supposed to have flying cars, but we don’t have flying cars. I think if Peter wants a flying car, he should be able to buy one…I think it has a shot at being the most memorable product unveil ever.”
Production should begin between 12 to 18 months after unveiling, so we could see it sometime in 2027.
SpaceX reaches incredible milestone with Starlink program
Tesla expands new Full Self-Driving program in Europe
