First Lucid Air Dream electric cars are about to hit the road

The first Lucid Air electric vehicles will hit the street on Saturday, with a limited number of Dream Editions delivered to customers in an invitation-only event in California.

This will be followed by an “inaugural Lucid Rally” which suggests the Saudi-backed startup is keen on making this a yearly event to highlight the vehicle’s range and performance.

Indeed, Lucid’s electric sedan is one of those vehicles that may well have the potential to live up to the name “Tesla killer”, although with a trillion dollar market cap, the idea of “killing” Tesla is getting beyond the reach of the industry.

Having sold out its launch variants known as the Dream Edition in March, Lucid commenced production of the first vehicles in September.

Headed by Peter Rawlinson, who previously worked as an engineer on the Tesla Model S, the company has brought forth a sleek electric sedan that promises to offer both market-leading range and aerodynamic efficiency.

In announcing the delivery event, Rawlinson described the Lucid Air as “a labour of love”.

“I’m truly excited to hand the keys to our first dear customers and accompany them on an inaugural drive through the iconic California countryside,” he said in a statement.

It features two-way charging, acceleration to 96.5km/hr in 2.5 seconds and a maximum 300kW charging rate, and is certainly positioned as a very attractive alternative to Tesla’s premium Model S electric sedan.

The five-door hatchback sedan not only targets the Tesla Model S but also the BMW 7 Series and Mercedes S-Class, and seeks to impress with its minimal lines: at the front of the sedan, slit-like headlights with microlens LED technology dominate, which merge seamlessly into the narrow radiator grille.

Basic equipment includes LED headlights, 19-inch alloy wheels, four screens in the interior (three of which have a touch function), ten airbags and an audio system with ten speakers.

The lavishly designed interior also offers elegance, high-tech and luxury: a 34-inch 5K display arches around the driver, while lavish leather and space-saving aluminum seats provide plenty of comfort.

Available from $US77,400 ($A103,360 converted) the electric car is equipped with an electric motor that delivers over 480 hp (358kW) and a range of around 653 kilometres. In the basic version, the Lucid brings its power to the road via the rear wheels, optionally via all four wheels.

In its mid-range variant, the Air Touring costs $US95,000 ($126,860 at today’s rates) and delivers up to 620 hp (462kW). The estimated range for this variant, which has not yet been registered with the US-based EPA which officiates vehicle range and efficiency, is around 653 kilometres on one battery charge.

The range-topping third option is the Grand Touring with 800 hp (596kW), 830 kilometres of range, a glass canopy and “surreal sound system” as standard and a starting price of $US139,000 ($A185,620).

The Dream Edition of course tops all of these. Selling for $US169,000, it offers a maximum 1,111 hp (828kW) and is rated for 758km driving range on a combined EPA cycle. It includes all the features of the Grand Touring edition, as well as Lucid’s DreamDrive Pro semi-autonomous driving suite as standard.

Thanks to its 900-volt technology, the Lucid Air can recharge 482 kilometres in as little as 20 minutes. And since the usual combustion technology under the bonnet is omitted, the Lucid has two trunk compartments – front and rear – which add up to over 900 litres of trunk volume.