Lucid Air passes the Canadian winter check with flying colours

I had the chance to drive the Lucid Air Touring for a bit of greater than per week through the holidays, and I can say with confidence that the California-designed and engineered electrical luxurious sedan passes the Canadian winter check with flying colours.

I’m impressed. Let’s dive into it.

I had by no means had the possibility to drive a Lucid earlier than. Our personal Scooter Doll is our important reporter on the Lucid beat, and he’s an enormous fan of the Air, to say the least. His important criticism has been the software program, which has been enhancing as of late, so I used to be excited to present it a shot with a extra full model of the automotive.

Since launching in Quebec, they’d tried to get me in a automotive, however we couldn’t make it occur. Ultimately, they informed me they’d one for me on December twenty third.

Despite the fact that it was the vacations, I couldn’t move on the chance and went to choose the smooth purple Air Touring for my vacation travels.

I’ve been following the corporate for a very long time. From their transition as Atieva, an electrical powertrain and power storage firm, to Lucid, an entire electrical automobile maker. Attending to drive one felt like a very long time coming.

Lucid Air Touring

Now, I say it passes the Canadian winter check, and in case you are from the area, you would possibly say: “What winter?” Winters are certainly changing into milder round right here, however I had the automotive for simply over per week, and the timing was excellent for a real winter check.

A couple of hours after choosing up the automotive in Montreal, I needed to drive it again dwelling to Shawinigan in the course of an honest snowstorm. Two hours within the snow and the left lane on the 40 East wasn’t even plowed.

Usually talking, a brand new automotive I’m not aware of plus a snowstorm equals being further cautious, and I used to be clearly cautious, however the Lucid Air’s spectacular driving dynamics shortly gave me an unbelievable quantity of confidence.

At 5,200 lbs, it’s a heavy automobile, however it’s an extremely well-balanced 5,200 lbs.

The Air Touring is simply the third strongest model of Lucid’s flagship sedan, however I by no means felt like I wanted extra energy, and that is smart, contemplating it’s pushing 620 hp and may speed up from 0 to 60 mph in 3.4 seconds.

I used to be in a position to move automobiles simply, even within the snow, and at all times felt in full management of the automobile. It’s a enjoyable, snug drive.

Talking of consolation, the Lucid Air is a real luxurious sedan with all of the consolation options you’d anticipate and extra. The extent of customization can also be spectacular for the seats. You may regulate them for hours to get them excellent.

The backseat can also be spectacular. Lucid did a terrific job optimizing the inside. The backseat seems like a limousine:

It’s a terrific automotive for drivers, for passengers, however the trunk house is the place some individuals criticize the Lucid Air.

I perceive why, however I might argue that trunk house will not be an actual downside. The trunk opening is one. This can be very small and brief:

Nonetheless, by way of quantity, it’s greater than first rate. You simply want to have the ability to get issues in. Because of Lucid’s extraordinarily compact motors, there are very deep hidden compartments on the backside of the trunk and frunk.

It leaves loads of room for baggage, however once more, it wants to suit the opening first.

For our travels, it was simply my girlfriend, our cat, and I, however I may see this automotive simply becoming 4 individuals and baggage for per week.

That’s a superb factor as a result of it is a nice street journey automotive, because of its unbelievable effectivity.

The Lucid Air Touring is rated at an EPA vary of 406 miles (653 km), however like every other EVs or gas-powered automobiles, your mileage might range, and the chilly impacts the mileage badly.

As I mentioned, our winters have gotten milder, however I had the right Canadian winter check situation on Christmas day. We drove from Shawinigan to Quebec Metropolis, drove across the metropolis, parked for hours within the chilly with out charging, after which went again to Shawinigan on a single cost.

Total, it was simply over 400 km (250 miles) and I arrived dwelling with 27 km:

That may not appear too spectacular for a 400-mile automotive, however the temperature on the drive ranged from -18 to -8°C (-1 to 18°F). If in case you have drivem EVs in these temperatures, you understand that that is spectacular.

What’s most spectacular is that I didn’t need to adapt my driving because of the spectacular vary and effectivity.

Once I drive lengthy distances in an electrical automobile within the chilly, I might usually scale back my velocity with the intention to lengthen the vary, however on this case, I acquired a reasonably good thought of the effectivity on the drive to Quebec Metropolis, so I used to be assured on my approach again that I may make it with out stopping to cost.

It enabled me to drive on the freeway at my standard 119 km/h on cruise management and make it with out breaking a sweat.

Electrek’s Take

That’s a game-changer. There’s no compromise. At Electrek, we like to emphasise that vary will not be every part with EVs. Non-EV drivers are inclined to suppose that you simply want greater than 400 miles to have a viable EV. That’s incorrect until you drive 400 miles or extra in a single go usually, which isn’t how most individuals use automobiles.

A 200-mile EV with fast-charging is a good resolution for most individuals as you get up with a full cost day-after-day and for the few occasions a yr if you drive lengthy distances, you’ll be able to cease for a fast 20-40-minute cost, which allows you to drive 300-400 miles in a single day simply.

Nonetheless, issues change in excessive chilly. When you begin hitting temperatures beneath -15°C (5°F), the vary begins to be affected badly, and that’s when an extended vary turns into tremendous helpful.

Truthfully, I’ve been driving EVs within the Canadian chilly for nearly a decade, and it hasn’t been a significant difficulty for me. Should you adapt your driving, you can be OK, and over that decade, I’ve additionally seen vary prediction and effectivity enhancing, which assist with this difficulty.

However now, in case you have the cash, you even have one other resolution: the Lucid Air. It’s really a terrific, no compromise automobile, so long as you’ve the cash because the Lucid Air Touring at $78,900 USD ($109,300. CAD).

Should you do, it could be laborious to discover a draw back in comparison with different equally priced automobiles. As beforehand talked about, the software program has been a difficulty with early variations of the Air.

I’ve solely ever skilled the most recent model of Lucid’s software program and regardless of some points, I discovered it greater than first rate, particularly in comparison with legacy automakers.

It’s geared up with Apple Carplay for individuals who prefer it, however the native navigation labored nice for me, and it additionally has a local Spotify app. Personally, I don’t want rather more than that. It’s not all excellent although. On two events, I had difficulty connecting my telephone to the automotive and I needed to disconnect and reconnect it a number of occasions for it to work.

There’s additionally loads of room for UI optimization. I wish to see one thing like media controls for the passenger on the backside of the middle show or the proper of the highest show.