Photo: Screenshot
The Tesla Model S has been the benchmark EV ever since it came out in 2012. The electric sedan has been so good, actually, that the only real rivals it's had so far also wore a Tesla badge.
You could argue the Porsche Taycan tried to steal some of its limelight, but unlike the Tesla products which strive to be competitive in both performance and maximum range, the German EV appeared to be a little unidimensional in its approach. Besides, it was more of a Model 3 competitor in terms of size and had a price four times as much.
No, the only real threat to the Model S' crown is a car that's only just been revealed in its alleged production form, but will only be available next year the earliest. We're talking about the Lucid Air, the electric sedan that's been around for ages, but has only now been firmly confirmed for a commercial release.
Over the past few months, the Lucid has been gunning for all the titles held by the Model S. First, it was the maximum range. Tesla made a big case about the Model S going over the 400 miles (644 km) mark, only for Lucid to announce the Air should be able to cover 517 miles (832 km) of a full charge.
Then, it was the quarter mile time. The most powerful Air version was first said to cover the benchmark distance in under ten seconds. After Tesla fought back with the announcement of the Model S Plaid, that number continued to drop all the way to 9.245 seconds, albeit thanks to a prototype using a tri-motor setup.
Finally, there's the lap record on various tracks. Most notably, the two vehicles have been locked in a distant fight over the time on the Laguna Seca circuit. Currently, it's the Model S Plaid that holds the upper hand, but Lucid Air is slowly clawing its way back up having recently closed the gap to just one second.
Now, though, it looks like Lucid might win one battle that could prove a lot more important than quarte mile or Laguna Seca times: pricing. Tesla has just announced a $3,000 cut on the starting price for the S, bringing the most affordable model, the Long Race Plus, down to $71,990.
However, even so, the base Lucid Air is going to undercut it by $2,000 while still offering 480 hp and 406 miles (653 km) of maximum range (as opposed to the 402 - 647 km - the Model S Long Range has). It's all fine margins - price, performance, range - yet it does hand Lucid access to all bragging rights.
The $69,900 price for the base Air, however, is only achieved thanks to the Federal Tax Credit that Tesla lost access to. The actual cost of a standard Air is $77,400, and that's the price buyers will have to pay once Lucid Motors builds more than 200,000 units. At this point, though, that seems like a very distant prospect.
It's also worth pointing out two aspects. First, like Tesla, Lucid isn't going to make the low-end trim available from launch with potential buyers having to wait until "early 2022". Second, the EPA hasn't yet reviewed the Air's range, so the numbers we have are not official in that sense and could be subject to change. Either way, it's clear that Tesla finally has a fight on its hands.
No, the only real threat to the Model S' crown is a car that's only just been revealed in its alleged production form, but will only be available next year the earliest. We're talking about the Lucid Air, the electric sedan that's been around for ages, but has only now been firmly confirmed for a commercial release.
Over the past few months, the Lucid has been gunning for all the titles held by the Model S. First, it was the maximum range. Tesla made a big case about the Model S going over the 400 miles (644 km) mark, only for Lucid to announce the Air should be able to cover 517 miles (832 km) of a full charge.
Then, it was the quarter mile time. The most powerful Air version was first said to cover the benchmark distance in under ten seconds. After Tesla fought back with the announcement of the Model S Plaid, that number continued to drop all the way to 9.245 seconds, albeit thanks to a prototype using a tri-motor setup.
Finally, there's the lap record on various tracks. Most notably, the two vehicles have been locked in a distant fight over the time on the Laguna Seca circuit. Currently, it's the Model S Plaid that holds the upper hand, but Lucid Air is slowly clawing its way back up having recently closed the gap to just one second.
Now, though, it looks like Lucid might win one battle that could prove a lot more important than quarte mile or Laguna Seca times: pricing. Tesla has just announced a $3,000 cut on the starting price for the S, bringing the most affordable model, the Long Race Plus, down to $71,990.
However, even so, the base Lucid Air is going to undercut it by $2,000 while still offering 480 hp and 406 miles (653 km) of maximum range (as opposed to the 402 - 647 km - the Model S Long Range has). It's all fine margins - price, performance, range - yet it does hand Lucid access to all bragging rights.
The $69,900 price for the base Air, however, is only achieved thanks to the Federal Tax Credit that Tesla lost access to. The actual cost of a standard Air is $77,400, and that's the price buyers will have to pay once Lucid Motors builds more than 200,000 units. At this point, though, that seems like a very distant prospect.
It's also worth pointing out two aspects. First, like Tesla, Lucid isn't going to make the low-end trim available from launch with potential buyers having to wait until "early 2022". Second, the EPA hasn't yet reviewed the Air's range, so the numbers we have are not official in that sense and could be subject to change. Either way, it's clear that Tesla finally has a fight on its hands.
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