Lucid Air vs rivals
A stunning US rival gives green-minded executives an intriguing new alternative to Tesla, Mercedes and BMW
Of all the classes of car, the executive saloon is better suited to going electric than anything. They’re big enough to cope with the extra weight, and unlike more sporting cars they can sell their near-silence as a virtue. And, price-wise, they were already heading for five-figure territory, even before EV development costs came into the picture.
But let’s face it, not a single one of those sensible points is in the thoughts of the crowds that gather around the Lucid everywhere we go. It’s an absolute people magnet. Even among such an imposing, eye-catching bunch, it’s the new American saloon that people want to look at. That’s partly down to the novelty of a new badge – one that’s only just arrived in Europe, and not yet made it to the UK market – but that magnetism must also be in large part attributable to the sheer presence of the Air Grand Touring.
Lucid has been edging ever closer for several years now, with the first Air saloons leaving the Arizona factory just under two years ago. It’s aiming to build more than 10,000 cars this year, with an SUV, the Gravity, due in 2024. It’s clearly aiming in some ways to be the new Tesla, minus much of the Musk nonsense, but of course the old Tesla is still going strong… very strong.
The focus lately has been on the Model 3 and Model Y, both huge sellers in Europe, but Tesla has also found time to significantly over-haul the venerable Model S, now also available as the ultra-powerful, ultra-rapid Plaid. It’s much more powerful than the Air, while still being essentially what it always was: a big, comfortable, fast saloon.
And when you’re talking premium executive transport, you inevitably need some German cars in the conversation. The Mercedes EQS is – like the Air and Model S – apure-electric creation. Our BMW, an i7, is the only car here that’s also offered with an engine; hybrid 7-series are now available alongside the all-electric i7.
Put them together and you find an intriguing choice of classy transport for the executive who enjoys driving but doesn’t want to be seen as part of the climate-change problem. Those high flyers are probably more open than ever to switching away from their default German choices. Some who have sampled BMW and Mercedes EVs may have found themselves disappointed or frustrated by cars that are ambitiously complex in concept and yet compromised in execution. A BMW that doesn’t look or drive like BMWs used to? A Mercedes that stubbornly ignores core brand values? If there are viable alternatives, why stick with old habits?
L
