Lucid Silently Delays the Launch of Its Most Affordable Air Sedan

UPDATE - Lucid reached out and explained that "it's very common for automakers to slightly adjust the date of next available customer deliveries for a sub-variant of a variant of an existing product."

The original article continues below.

Two weeks into 2023, Tesla rocked the automotive industry with massive discounts. It made its four EVs considerably cheaper.

Earlier this month, it applied another round of price reductions. That allowed the Model X SUV to become eligible for the full EV tax credit, an advantage poised to increase sales of new or inventory units. It upset existing owners who paid much more but aligned the company's products with current market trends.

Both Americans and Canadians want new cars that aren't absurdly pricey. Tesla's Model 3 is one of the few vehicles on the market today that can result in a monthly car note of around $400. The incoming facelift will only increase demand for the commuting appliance, so other brands must find new attractive ways to retain or bring new customers yesterday.

Sadly, lenders are no longer keen on approving all kinds of loans. Lately, more and more entities have renounced working with dealerships. On top of that, many reports showed that many Americans are stuck in an auto loan delinquency pitfall.

Tesla understood that things would shift, and it acted before anyone else. It was also one of the first well-known brands that adopted absurd hikes last year. It was always one step ahead in terms of pricing policy.

But Lucid followed suit. Maybe it did so reluctantly, but it eventually applied some discounts of its own. It even introduced a new entry-level all-wheel-drive Air named "Pure." It really wanted to find more customers.

Just a couple of days ago, the Newark-based EV maker with a factory in Casa Grande, Arizona, disabled the option of configuring a custom Air and placing an order. Prospective buyers are redirected to the inventory shop unless they want a top-of-the-line tri-motor 1,234-hp Sapphire.

But Lucid also had plans to introduce an even cheaper Air – the single-motor rear-wheel-drive Pure. It was supposed to debut in September at under $82,400.

Now, the brand has decided to delay the launch of the cheapest Air until October. That could mean a couple of days or a full month because no specific debut date is announced at the time of writing.
Lucid's only car may not be attractive to buyers looking for a new set of wheels, especially since the CCS Combo 1 charging infrastructure is not very good throughout North America. But the Pure RWD could bring in more customers because a cheaper EV with a great battery could translate into a great acquisition cost and an impressive range.

At the same time, Americans and Canadians might want an alternative to the Tesla Model S, BMW i5, and the Mercedes-Benz EQE. Lucid can fill that gap and make a profit while doing so.

Lastly, if the Air Pure RWD does arrive in October and the launch of the Gravity SUV will happen in November, we could see Lucid hop on an uptrend. This partially Saudi-owned American automaker deserves to be more popular. It makes impressive automobiles.

But if it doesn't have success in North America, it'll surely shine in Saudi Arabia, where the brand is nearing the completion of its first factory outside the US.