Lucid Air Dream Edition Arrives in Europe With Longest WLTP EV Range to Date

Tesla set out to change the paradigm of how we understand the automotive industry almost two decades ago, but it was not until the middle of 2012, when they launched the luxury Model S sedan that people started taking them seriously. Now, more than a decade later, the first proper responses are finally here.

One example might come from Porsche and its sleek Panamera. But as far as American competitors are concerned, the most noteworthy name is Lucid Air. Also born out of the madness of a startup, this battery-powered luxury four-door sedan was mostly seen as a figment of the Lucid founder’s imagination until the first Air Dream Edition units were delivered and the flagship Air Sapphire started beating the Tesla Model S Plaid in terms of bonkers performance.

Now, the company is setting another stepping stone on the foundation of its EV business, after previously expanding its reach to Europe with its Dutch headquarters and first Old Continent sales studios. As such, the company recently announced its Air has arrived in Europe with the start of first deliveries to various customers in Germany and the Netherlands. More so, they also have good news to share from a technical standpoint.

Their limited series (reservations are already closed) Air Dream Edition has been certified for an official Worldwide Harmonized Light Vehicles Test Procedure (WLTP) driving range of 883 km, which is almost 549 miles. This is a bit more compared to the 520 miles (837 km) best-of achieved under EPA supervision by the long-range version (the performance variant has 471 miles/758km EPA) in America, by the way. And it also makes the Air Dream “the longest-range electric vehicle in the European market.”

On the Old Continent, Lucid offers both versions of the Air Dream Edition. The Performance variant has dual motors and 1,111 hp, which is good enough for a range of 799 km (496 miles) and a sprint time to 100 kph (62 mph) of just 2.5 seconds. The Dream Edition Range, meanwhile, is the record breaker, and also comes with two motors but will settle with ‘just’ 933 ponies. Plus, Lucid aims to set new industry standards in terms of charging speeds, as well.

The company has a 900V+ electrical architecture for Air Dream Edition and Air Grand Touring, so an ultra-fast DC charger capable of 300+ kW will add up to 400 km (249 miles) of additional range within the span of a typical 15-minute recharging break. Lucid’s European headquarters are in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, and also has a trio of retail locations in Hilversum, the Netherlands, Geneva (Switzerland), and Munich, Germany.