Lucid Motors offered up a specially outfitted Lucid Air to the California Highway Patrol. The department is looking at different vehicles to fit its various needs, and Lucid is the latest to slap a police livery on one of its vehicles to see if it can cut the mustard. Tesla and Ford have done the same in recent months.
Like others before them, Lucid Motors entered one of its vehicles into the vehicle testing program for the California Highway Patrol.
Aside from a few mentions in its social media, Lucid’s not offering many details. Looking at the pictures, it certainly looks the part with the police lights, crash bar, a public-address system and steel wheels.
What’s unclear is what type of electric powertrain is sitting below the black and white shell. Is it he 430-horsepower rear-wheel drive model? Could it be the completely zonkers 1,234-hp, all-wheel drive Sapphire, which would offer a new take on “high speed pursuit.” Lucid Motors officials did not respond to requests for comment from Headlight.News.
Additionally, Lucid implied in a post on X, formerly Twitter, it also lent a vehicle to the Arizona State Police for testing as well. Again, no comment from Lucid officials beyond the post.
Pros and cons
EVs do offer some benefits that their gas-powered siblings do not, starting with the instant torque that would suggest they might make excellent pursuit vehicles. The Air Grand Touring with its more than 400 miles of range would also make it difficult for gas-powered offenders to attempt to get away simply by driving further.
Lucid didn’t offer any insight into what went into its specialized police model.
They also don’t have any issues with idling — they don’t idle so they’re not burning fuel while sitting still monitoring traffic.
However, they are more expensive than the current vehicles in use by many law enforcement agencies, such as the Dodge Challenger, Chevrolet Yukon, Ford Explorer and others. The Lucid Air starts at $69,995 — and that’s before any modifications needed by police vehicles.
“A modified version of the Lucid Air recently participated in California Highway Patrol vehicle testing,” the company noted on X. “What do you think about the potential for Lucid Air to lend its unmatched combination of range, interior and cargo space and performance to law enforcement duty?”
While we may or may not have questions (editor’s note: we do), if the CHP did, they haven’t made them public. There is no confirmed timeline for making a decision on adding the Lucid Air to CHP’s active fleet, which also includes Ford Explorers, Dodge Chargers and BMW motorcycles.
More Lucid Stories
- Lucid Sales on the Rise – With the Help of Big Discounts
- Lucid CEO Claims His Company Surpassed Tesla as Tech Leader
- Lucid Gravity Makes LA Auto Show Debut
Plenty of competition
CHP is also testing other EVs, including the Chevrolet Silverado EV, at its West Sacramento training facility, according to reports. It also tested Tesla Model 3 sedands and Model Y crossovers at various departments, but they didn’t receive high marks.
Dozens of agencies in Michigan, New York, California and more have already adopted electric models like the Ford Mustang Mach-E.
Complaints focused on the size of the vehicles, but some officers reportedly complained about the technology needed for the vehicle interfered with their daily activities. The Model 3’s shortcomings also included space: it can only carry one passenger in the backseat.
The Menlo Park PD in Menlo Park, California tested a few Model Ys and had a litany of complaints, including the “small interior space, ‘smart car’ features, and low vehicle profile limiting maneuverability (e.g., jumping curbs, off-road use),” according TheDrive.com. They also noted problems with a delay shifting into drive and issues with the officer pulling over to the side of the road. The vehicle’s Autopilot system assumes the driver has lost control and stops the vehicle before it should.
Dozens of agencies in Michigan, New York, California and more have already adopted electric models like the Ford Mustang Mach-E and the F-150 Lightning with dozens of police departments across the country. They’ve been used for routine patrols, traffic enforcement and even simply public affairs opportunities.
0 Comments