Lucid lowers price on Air sedan, undercuts Tesla Model S

Lucid on Saturday confirmed a price drop for most of its Air electric sedan lineup—one that once again positions the Air at a significantly lower bottom-line price versus that of the Tesla Model S. 

After the price adjustment, the base Lucid Air Pure starts at $83,900 in Dual Motor all-wheel-drive form, including the $1,500 destination fee. That model offers an EPA-rated range of 410 miles with the standard 19-inch wheels—or 384 miles if you step up to 20-inch wheels.

The base Tesla Model S Dual Motor that most closely compares, currently starts at $89,880, including a $1,390 destination charge, and delivers an EPA-rated 405-mile range with its standard 19-inch wheels or 375 miles with the available 21-inch wheels. 

That leaves room for the rear-wheel-drive Lucid Air Pure Single Motor, at $78,900. Lucid now notes this base Air will be available starting in September. 

Most of the rest of the Air lineup also sees the downward adjustment, with the Air Touring now starting at $96,500 and the Air Grand Touring starting at $127,100. Lucid Air Touring models make 620 hp and achieve up to a 425-mile range, and the Grand Touring models make up to 1,050 hp and hits 516 miles of EPA range in some versions due to their larger 112-kwh battery pack (versus 92 kwh). 

As Lucid notes, it’s back to the original pricing for the Air—pricing that was originally positioned to be $71,400 ($69,900 before destination) after the EV tax credit. After new rules it no longer qualifies for that on the basis of price. 

When announced, that low base price appeared to push Tesla CEO Elon Musk to lower Model S prices for a time, to a level much lower than they remain today. That was prior to a refreshed 2021 Model S lineup, and a 520+ mile Plaid+ model that never arrived. 

Lucid’s 36-month lease prices are dropping, too—to $749 a month on the Air Pure, $1,149 a month for the Touring, and $1,399 a month for the Grand Touring. Lucid was one of the first automakers earlier this year to tap into a federal tax credit of up to $7,500 that can figure into EV leases, regardless of sticker price or where the vehicle was built.

Lucid continues to update and overhaul its interface and, as Green Car Reports experienced in a review of the top Air Grand Touring model late last year, its cabin tech and comfort are more impressive than that offered by rival models—with a few exceptions that remained works in progress, like its Highway Assist functionality. 

There’s no indication the price cut will apply to the exclusive tri-motor, 1,200-hp Lucid Air Sapphire. It boasts performance numbers that beat those of the Tesla Model S Plaid—at a far higher price of $250,500.

The drop in prices for the rest of the Air lineup may help spur more sales, after several quarters that indicate it’s making more vehicles than it’s selling. Lucid reported in July that during the second quarter of 2022 it produced 2,173 vehicles at its Arizona factory while it delivered 1,404 vehicles to customers in that period. That brought the year-to-date total, through June, to 4,487 vehicles made and 2,810 vehicles delivered.