Lucid Pushes Efficiency to New Levels with 2025 Air Pure Model

by Michael Strong | July 16, 2024

Many EV makers want to see just how far they can get their vehicles to travel on a single charge or how fast it can recharge using a fast DC charger, but Lucid’s improved its industry-leading efficiency to a new high.

Lucid CEO Peter Rawlinson said the new efficiency numbers for the Air Pure embody the company’s commitment to optimization.

The new Lucid Air Pure is now the first EV to achieve 5 miles of range per kilowatt hour of energy, resulting in its 84 kWh battery traveling an EPA-rated 420 miles on a full charge. That translates to 146 MPGe. MPGe is the EPA’s equivalent of miles per gallon used by gas-powered vehicles. One gallon of gas equals 33.7 kWh of energy. The Pure is Lucid’s entry-level model.

“The advancements introduced across the Lucid Air lineup for 2025 further cement our leadership position,” said Peter Rawlinson, CEO and CTO of Lucid. “Lucid Air is the very embodiment of our relentless approach to optimization, enabling Air Pure to use less electrical energy than any other vehicle for any journey taken, A to B.”

The new number puts it above other EVs like the newly released 2024 Tesla Model 3 long range rear-wheel drive at 4.4 mi/kWh, or 2024 Hyundai Ioniq 6 Long range RWD at 4.2 miles per kWh or 140 MPGe, the 2024 Lexus RZ 300e at 3.7 mi/kWh or 125 MPGe.

Additional improvements

The new Lucid Air Pure is now the first EV to achieve 5 miles of range per kilowatt hour of energy.

The improved efficiency wasn’t the only upgrade for the new Lucid Air Pure. Lucid revealed it’s now offering the energy-saving heat pump previously offered only on the Air Sapphire will now be standard equipment across the entire lineup.

All 2025 Air models now receive new-generation control hardware, which boasts triple the processing power and twice the memory compared to the previous generation. The end result is a significantly enhanced and faster in-car infotainment experience. One of the complaints about the Lucid Air was the laggy performance of its in-vehicle electronics.

Lucid’s DreamDrive Premium ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance System), is now standard across the entire Air portfolio. This includes 3D Surround View Monitoring, live Blind Spot Display and more. The in-car entertainment experience is also enhanced for Air Grand Touring models with Lucid’s advanced SurrealSound Pro sound system now standard, officials said.

What does it mean?

The efficiency improvements mean that the new Lucid Air Pure gets from Point A to Point B using less electricity to generate power than any other EV on the road. This allows for longer range using the current battery pack. It also permits the company to offer a smaller, less costly battery for buyers who want to pay less.

The new level of efficiency results in its 84 kWh battery traveling an EPA-rated 420 miles on a full charge.

It also means that the Lucid can charge faster while using the smaller battery packs, reducing the strain on the electrical grid as well as cutting electricity bills for those who charge at home. Higher efficiency cuts down on the wait time for anyone using a public charger.

Lucid vehicles

Lucid offers three versions of its Air sedan: the Pure, Touring and Grand Touring. It’s offered limited edition models like the Sapphire as well.

The Pure is the most efficient and least expensive model, with pricing starting at $69,900. The Touring offers a little better performance capability than the Pure while getting 406 miles of range. Pricing begins at $78,900. The Grand Touring gets 512 miles of range and is currently the longest-range EV consumers can buy right now. Of course, if you want the best, you’ll pay for it at $110,900 to start.