American electric automaker Lucid Motors officially released the production specifications of the “world’s first luxury electric super-sports sedan” on August 8. Notably, the company positions the new Lucid Air Sapphire to compete with the popular Tesla Model S Plaid.
“With the release of the Lucid Air Sapphire, we are witnessing an unprecedented moment in time. The technology that underpins Sapphire enables an unsurpassed blend of performance, agility, and versatility. The result is an extreme performance car that offers delightful responsiveness and everyday practicality. With the Lucid Air Sapphire, we have once again raised the bar and increased the gap between Lucid and its competitors, creating the world’s most well-rounded and versatile high-performance EV.”
Peter Rawlinson, Lucid Group CEO and CTO
Air Sapphire’s key specifications
Lucid formally introduced the new Sapphire EV at Monterey Car Week in August 2022 after hinting at the model for months. Now, the automaker has finally disclosed its specifications, ending the long-standing anticipation of interested customers.
The Lucid Air Sapphire will have the company’s self-developed twin-drive unit that integrates torque vectoring and a passive AWD system. It will support the single front-drive motor to generate a maximum output of 1,234 horsepower and 1,430 lb-ft of torque.
Moreover, it can also accelerate from 0-60 miles per hour in just below two seconds at 1.89 seconds. It can also accelerate from 0-100 mph in just 3.84 seconds, owing to its two drive units. It will apparently mark the company’s fastest production EV as it beat the Tesla Model S Plaid in a quarter-mile race.
In addition, it boasts an EPA-estimated driving range of 427 miles between charges. It apparently has an efficiency rating of 3.61 miles per kWh.
Presented below are some of Lucid Air Sapphire EV’s standard features:
Lucid Air Sapphire vs. Tesla Model S Plaid
Lucid Air Sapphire’s 1,234 hp is significantly greater than the well-known Tesla Model S Plaid with only 1,020 hp. It also accelerates faster than the Tesla EV’s 1.99 seconds at 0-60 mph.
Moreover, its top speed is 5 points higher than Tesla Model S Plaid’s 200 mph. However, the Lucid EV is way more expensive at $249,00 than the Tesla car’s $108,490 price.
Refer to the table below:
| Models | Horsepower | 0-60 mph (s) | Quarter mile (s) | Top Speed (mph) | Price |
| Lucid Air Sapphire | 1,234 | 1.89 | 8.95 | 205 | $249,00 |
| Tesla Model S Plaid | 1,020 | 1.99 | 9.23 | 200 | $108,490 |
See Also:
- Lucid Air Pure and Air Touring to be rolled out on November 15Lucid fights against Texas’ dealership rules
- Lucid fights against Texas’ dealership rules
- Lucid CEO sets sights on expanding luxury EV tech business with Aston Martin deal
- Lucid Air overthrows Tesla Model S as US’ fastest-charging electric car
- Lucid reports $780M loss in the first quarter of 2023
Lucid aims to begin producing the new Air Sapphire EV this September 2023. It plans to start customer deliveries soon after the production.
It would be interesting to see how this new Lucid EV would compete with Tesla in the coming years.
