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Old 17th August 2017, 07:25   #1
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The Lucid Air electric sedan

One highly secretive company called Lucid working out of California has come out of nowhere to release the fully working model of the Air to give fierce competition to the Model S and from the pricing point they seem to have succeeded - prices start at 52,500$ compared to the Model S which starts at 69,000$. The claim to fame for the Lucid Air is that they promise something that no car today can, the space of a Mercedes S/BMW 7 and almost 80% of the max power of a Bugatti Veyron and much better torque. Here's the video :



Lucid is composed of people who were employees of Tesla and Oracle.. I loved the video as it explores into areas that no other electric manufacturer thought of until now - luxury, space and refinement. The power itself will not be used even upto 50% of its potential over most roads globally and should most likely end up speed-restricted to under 150 mph but glad to see that they are pushing the limits on that during prototype testing.

From the looks of it, check and mate.. Elon Musk.
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Old 17th August 2017, 07:56   #2
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re: The Lucid Air electric sedan

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Originally Posted by dark.knight View Post
From the looks of it, check and mate.. Elon Musk.
I doubt it.

The success of Elon Musk lies in the fact that his cars are out on the roads, used by the mass market who've accepted Tesla as the leader of the electric car revolution. And with the model 3, they've become a mainstream brand to compete with!

It is easy for any company with good technology skills to come up with a better prototype on paper, but to bring it out on the roads consistently and reliably would be the actual challenge. And as I see it - the mass production of the Lucid Air is still a few years away. Precious time that is lost allowing Tesla and the others (VW group, Volvo etc who are burning midnight oil to get this done) enough time to catchup with the technology and exceed with the sheer brand presence and coverage.

Tesla took the other established players by surprise and ran away with the market. Now all the big elephants of the industry have woken up and have become super aggressive about their electric car program - so I doubt any other new player can come up as a mainstream one, except for niche markets.
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Old 17th August 2017, 11:20   #3
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Re: The Lucid Air electric sedan

Another day, another electric car (or sports car) startup making tall claims & asking for customer deposits. Not to paint all of them with the same brush, but an overwhelming majority of these aren't going to roll out production cars. Ever.

Yes, the Lucid team has people with a storied background, but anyone can build a prototype. What matters is conquering all the challenges to make it a production car that customers love (like the Tesla Model S). Meeting safety norms, production facilities, retail network, service etc. Let's not overlook the fact that the early mover advantage Tesla enjoyed has diminished with all the major car manufacturers rolling out their own EV programs.

Here's an interview with AutoNews.com. The company simply doesn't have the cash for a factory. Recode states that an acquisition cannot be ruled out either.

All that said, it is one sexy looking sedan !
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Old 17th August 2017, 13:47   #4
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Re: The Lucid Air electric sedan

Now an operator of coal power plants is planning to invest Rs. 4,000 cr in development of electric vehicles.
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/...w/60021092.cms

Last edited by SmartCat : 17th August 2017 at 13:58.
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Old 17th August 2017, 15:56   #5
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Re: The Lucid Air electric sedan

Loans to companies operating in coal is difficult to come by with Paris climate accord. So maybe its easier to get thousands of crores in loans if you work in electric cars

Just show our govt's plan and the rosy picture of future and our banks should be happy to lend.
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Old 17th August 2017, 16:53   #6
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Re: The Lucid Air electric sedan

This is a very interesting concept. I feel that there should be competition in the market as that brings about the best for us consumers. If Tesla has competition then we as users will finally benefit.
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Old 17th August 2017, 18:52   #7
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Re: The Lucid Air electric sedan

I see a common theme here being that Lucid wont be successful, or rather that the odds are stacked against it.

Agreed.

Two points -

1. Lucid has made an awesome product. We liked Tesla. But here is a product, which we think is better than Tesla. At least on looks and some features shown in the video. So, has Lucid got the first step (product) right? Oh yeah...

2. As consumers, we need more and more of electric cars. Newer players. Existing players bringing newer cars. That's how we benefit, and that's how oil will die. So even a small step should be considered a win!

Electric cars is still in its nascent stage, with mobile phone like growth potential. The initial moves are going to be like this. Some firms/products will fail.

On another note, I wonder why I want to see oil die so much. I guess, its the high fuel prices pinching my pocket that's driving my emotions!
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Old 18th August 2017, 06:38   #8
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Re: The Lucid Air electric sedan

Thanks for all the replies, I still feel that Lucid might be a very successful company, they have the Air which beats just about every Tesla hollow and things are moving fast to increase production and commence deliveries.. here are some of the reasons I feel Lucid 'might' even beat Tesla in sales :

- The firm has been open since 2007, so already a decade has been over and they've worked on this very car for that long.

- Arizona state has already earmarked land for their factory and announced the same.

- The firm is being financed most notably by Venrock, which is a Rockefeller company and they don't take any investment lightly and ensure heavy returns are in the making. They also financed Apple, Intel among others during their initial stages. Lucid Motors have other Asian investors also like Sumitomo Mitsui of Japan, LeEco of China and Tsing Capital again of China

- Lucid alongwith McLaren & Sony, will collaborate and build battery packs for Formula-E (electric) 2018 onwards.

- 130 $ million spent so far, about 500 $ million more to be spent for the factory and marketing activities.


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Originally Posted by OrangeCar View Post
Lucid has made an awesome product. We liked Tesla. But here is a product, which we think is better than Tesla. At least on looks and some features shown in the video. So, has Lucid got the first step (product) right? Oh yeah...
Absolutely, I never liked Tesla's design and the interiors in my opinion are very poorly thought of.. Lucid Air though, I love everything about it, its like the first electric luxury car that undercuts the non-luxury Tesla Model S on price. Tesla has proven itself in terms of production, reliability (thus far) and sales but just like it took baby steps from 2003, Lucid which is 4 years younger should be given 4 years extra time I suppose.

Basically I guess its to do with my own thinking.. I simply always love the better product or a product that balances everything rather than focus on just the demand or sales. Sales may not be proportionate to quality, it never is but I still want to appreciate Lucid for making a well-designed, simply awesome car. Their marketing is superb as well.. back to the basics with poetic ads that hit the heart home, my kind of marketing - sophisticated, sleek and organic :


Last edited by dark.knight : 18th August 2017 at 06:48.
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Old 18th August 2017, 13:39   #9
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Re: The Lucid Air electric sedan

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Originally Posted by mathuranuj View Post
I feel that there should be competition in the market as that brings about the best for us consumers.
Competition has started sailing and will arrive by the boatloads soon .

You're going to see electric cars from every big manufacturer out there within a handful of years. Tesla is no longer the only name in town. Equally, I might add, Tesla might be one of the only electric car startups that made it because they had the first-mover advantage. Car manufacturing is a highly complex business & once the giants learn how to build & sell EVs, I don't think there'll be a place for smaller / newer players.
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Old 18th August 2017, 21:29   #10
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Re: The Lucid Air electric sedan

I don't know why everyone here is discounting, or completely ignoring the fact that Tesla has built a steady charging infrastructure, they have battery factories, they have competence in software, all of which none of the others have. And to top it all, they make cool, desirable cars. They have negated the advantage which was the biggest barrier to entry in the automobile segment, which these stalwarts enjoyed: complex mechanical engineering for engines and transmissions.

I don't think there's any existing "old timer" car maker, big or small, that can really succeed with EVs and replicate Tesla without either partnering up, or giving up their existing business of "normal" cars. Which, if you think about it, how could they do that?

I truly believe these car makers, and the middle east, are screwed. They won't have anything to offer the world in the next couple of decades.

And because their biggest advantage has been negated, more start-ups with the right solutions have opportunities to enter this market and shape it as they see it.
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Old 18th August 2017, 23:04   #11
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Re: The Lucid Air electric sedan

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Originally Posted by dark.knight View Post
Thanks for all the replies, I still feel that Lucid might be a very successful company, they have the Air which beats just about every Tesla hollow and things are moving fast to increase production and commence deliveries
From all I hear, they laid of most of their employees from their US division and are in big financial trouble. Pretty much every product is hyped up to help with market perception in China. I watched the Le TV ship sink, then the Vizio deal sink, now this drama. As far as I can tell it is All Air, No Car. I am not canceling my Model 3 reservation with hopes of these cars.
https://www.engadget.com/2017/07/04/...s-debts-mount/
https://newsworld.co/chinese-giant-l...of-bankruptcy/

Last edited by prasadee : 18th August 2017 at 23:08.
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Old 19th August 2020, 21:08   #12
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Re: The Lucid Air electric sedan

https://www.autoblog.com/2020/08/19/...trify-america/

Well, it took a few more years (3 to be precise), but Lucid Air is finally ready for mass production with the following key features :

- Record best of 517 miles on a single charge under company testing.

- 350 kw DC fast charger

- 300 mile range on a 20 minute charge with the fast charging (YES! finally)

- More vehicles to be released after the Air.

I posted about this brand the first time in here, after being highly impressed by the roster of engineers and leaders at Lucid (most of whom, were entirely responsible for Tesla's first car and subsequent success, after which Musk hogged the limelight for almost negligible contribution).

Looks fantastic, looks luxurious compared to the bare-bones, incredibly dull Tesla interiors.

I said it above and I say it again, hope this decimates Tesla to the kerb.

Last edited by dark.knight : 19th August 2020 at 21:10.
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Old 19th August 2020, 22:32   #13
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Re: The Lucid Air electric sedan

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Originally Posted by dark.knight View Post

I said it above and I say it again, hope this decimates Tesla to the kerb.
I do not understand your hatred towards Tesla, if anything this is the only company because of which we are talking about electric cars. Understood you do not like Tesla or its products but your hatred seems another level, sorry to say that as a DBhpian you should show some rationality.

Without searching in google tell me who are the engineers who worked on iPhone, windows. You may know it but majority will identify Tesla or SpaceX with Musk, iPhone with Steve Jobs, Windows with Bill gates. Elon Musk never claimed he designed Model S. If you want to see the initial troubles Musk faced when setting up Tesla you may watch " The revenge of the electric car" nice documentary.

I do agree Tesla interiors are not for everyone's tastes, but still Tesla is selling almost 4 lakh cars and have a clear path to sell 1 million cars in 2022.

Some more things which you may not like, 3 major factories built simultaneously in 3 continents. With a share value of 1900$ even analysts agree that when Tesla needs 10$billion for building 3 more factories they can raise the capital tomorrow.

So thinking that the competition is coming, Tesla will be dead when the competition starts making cars, expecting a startup( hope Lucid succeeds) to push Tesla to the kerb is not going to happen. There is a reason when the competition says Tesla is ahead of us 6 years or 2 years try to identify.

I like the design of Lucid Air, hope the product succeeds. The fight is against air quality not with Lucid or Tesla.

See the struggles of Tesla during 2008 financial crisis:

Last edited by SKC-auto : 19th August 2020 at 22:34.
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Old 19th August 2020, 22:57   #14
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Re: The Lucid Air electric sedan

Lucid's upcoming SUV spied in the wild, used for filming promotional videos.

The Lucid Air electric sedan-img_20200819_225632.jpg

Source:
https://twitter.com/mvahead/status/1...670652422?s=19
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