The Curious Case of Someone Paying $225 for What's Left of a Lucid Air

How about a Lucid Air priced at approximately $169,000 that has turned to ashes? The ad says that the primary damage of this 2022 Lucid Air Dream in the color "burn" would be "flood." But the problem with this car seems to be caused by the combination of fire and water.

We find it very hard to believe that the car in the pictures can still be put back on the road. However, the wreckage was for sale and someone was willing to pay only $225 for it. We don't know why someone would buy a car so badly damaged by fire, but we suspect that they wanted to give it a proper "burial."

Does this Lucid Air Dream Edition deserve a second chance?

Normally, any Lucid Air deserves a second chance. It's such a good-looking and interesting electric car that it's bound to excite admiration. Lucid Air was intended to compete with other luxury EV models such as Tesla Model S, the Porsche Taycan, the Mercedes EQS, and so on. Officially released in September 2020, with production beginning in late 2021, it was available in five trim levels: Pure (480 hp/487 ps), Touring (620 hp/629 ps), Grand Touring (819 hp/830 ps), Dream Edition (933 hp / 946 ps), and Sapphire (over 1,200 hp/1,217 ps).

The Dream Edition began deliveries in October 2021, and the base Pure was scheduled to reach customers starting in late 2022. In addition to being the highest-performing version and a direct rival to the 1,020 hp Tesla Model S Plaid, the Sapphire is the name Lucid will use for its sporty lineup in future models. Sapphire is like N for Hyundai, M for BMW, or AMG for Mercedes-Benz.

Lucid Air is an electric super sedan

Clearly, the most spectacular version is the Sapphire. This electric super sedan features a three-motor drive system, the first of its kind from Lucid. It includes a two-motor rear-wheel drive unit and a single-motor front-wheel drive unit, all developed and manufactured in-house by Lucid. Having two motors driving the rear wheels allows torque vectoring and helps make the car feel smaller and lighter than it is, while the front engine contributes to acceleration. With more than 1,200 horsepower on tap, the Lucid Air Sapphire is the world's most powerful electric sedan (and sedan, period). It can accelerate from 0-60 mph in less than 2 seconds and features standard carbon-ceramic disc brakes.

The aerodynamic character of the car has been refined to provide extra downforce for stability at high speeds while reducing drag to improve performance and efficiency. The interior of the Lucid Air Sapphire is equally impressive, with a new theme called Sapphire Mojave that includes comfortable, heated, cooled, 18-way power-adjustable sport seats with a massage function. At launch (August 2022), this version had an announced price of $249,000. At this time, a $25,000 deposit is required to apply for an order.

However, the Lucid Air Dream Edition deserves just as much attention. The Dream Edition is a limited-run luxury electric sedan that comes in two variations - the Performance and Range. The Performance version boasts a dual-motor setup generating a combined output of 828 kW – 1,126 ps (1,111 hp) and can travel up to 799 km (497 miles) WLTP on a single charge.

It has a quick acceleration time of 2.5 seconds from 0 to 100 kph (0-62 mph). On the other hand, the Range version prioritizes efficiency, with a potential driving distance of 883 km (549 miles) according to the WLTP testing standard, on a single charge. It also has a dual-motor setup, producing 696 kW (933 horsepower). When it was launched, the Dream Edition was priced at $169,000. At the time of writing, on the Lucid Motors website, this version was dropped from the configurator.

What happened to this Lucid Air?

Going back to the Lucid Dream from the ad, it's clear that the glory of yesteryear is long gone. The only thing left suggesting that this wreckage was once a Lucid are the 21-inch Aero Dream wheels.

We wish we knew more about the story of this car but there are minimal details in the ad. We did a litlte background check, though. According to a report from the Massachusetts fire department, this Lucid Air was engulfed by fire last year in April 2022, in Bridgewater, while it was on a trailer. The fire reportedly started in the engine compartment of the truck that carried the EV. The driver, who had stopped for a coffee break, used a chemical fire extinguisher, but his effort was far from enough. Both his truck and the car it transported were destroyed.

One thing is for sure. Putting out a fire when it comes to an electric car is no easy job for firefighters. They eventually requested a roll-off dumpster filled with water, in which they sank the car.

Speaking of crash and safety, Lucid Air has not yet been reviewed by the NHTSA or IIHS, but due to its attention to detail, it is expected to perform well in the event of an accident. Crash testing will be completed once production increases.

In Europe, though, according to Euro NCAP, the Lucid Air 2022 has impressed with a maximum rating of five stars. That's no surprise given the latest safety technology on board.

Let's remember what a Lucid Air Dream Edition looks like, when it's not subject to fire.