Photo: Pernantor on Bring a Trailer
With a GVWR of 6,283 lb (2,850 kg), the dual-motor, all-wheel-drive Lucid Air Pure is a zero-emissions sedan with a hefty weight. It's the result of a dream from a former Tesla Model S engineer. But it seems these days, ambition and execution are nothing if you can't price your vehicles right and convince people that your rides are the best. Here's what's going on.
Someone decided they'd had enough of the EV lifestyle and turned to Bring a Trailer to sell their dual-motor 2023 Lucid Air Pure. The beautiful Electric vehicle It has about 250 miles (402 kilometers) on the odometer, a special exterior color (Zenith Red) that makes it look elegant, a dark interior, 20-inch wheels, a metal roof (ideal for warmer climates) and an upgraded audio system called Surreal Pro.
As of this writing, the Air Pure can only be ordered in rear-wheel drive form. The $5,500 upgrade to all-wheel drive is no longer available. It has a starting price of $69,900. A dual-motor version of the same EV did exist and had an MSRP of $75,990.
However, the new single-motor model can travel 420 miles (676 kilometers) on a single charge, which is about 40 miles (64 kilometers) less than the EPA-estimated range of the dual-motor model.
The roomy EV’s original owner paid $102,350, including shipping. Now it’s found a new home for 45.2 percent less. Someone is adding an efficient battery-electric sedan to their collection for just $56,000.
This raises some questions about the ability of EVs to retain their value. Earlier this year, we also discussed the Audi e-tron and how it lost over 65 percent of its MSRP after just a couple years on the market. More recently, we also looked at a $140,000 Lucid Air Grand Touring that failed to sell. The highest bid was $61,111, which was too low.
Photo: Pernantor on Bring a Trailer
It seems that people living in North America are not so keen on fully electric cars. Few are ready to pull the trigger on a first-generation vehicle that doesn't have an internal combustion engine under the hood.
That’s somewhat understandable, though. We talked about getting behind the wheel of a Lucid Air Pure and concluded that it would be better to rent one. While this car has some respectable names behind it and plenty of funding from Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF), few people are willing to help a company succeed with their own money and time. And, truth be told, they shouldn’t if they don’t want to.
However, the most interesting thing about this particular dual-motor Air Pure is that it was first listed on Bring a Trailer in early February and the reserve was not met. The current owner, a Florida resident, got his hands on it later and has only added 100 miles (161 kilometers) to the odometer. Now, he’s let it go. Is there something fishy about it? One can only wonder why such a sleek sedan can’t find a long-term home.
At the same time, could it be the result of all the scare stories about unreliable charging stations from Electrify America or the confusion over Tesla’s doorstep, aka NACS? Whatever it is, the situation seems dire for electric vehicles, which is sad. The Lucid Air, while a new vehicle, is not an experiment. The team behind the car is not made up of former Fisker employees. It’s full of passionate, knowledgeable people.
But most importantly, it wants to succeed and is doing everything it can to impress potential customers. Just look at the Lucid Sapphire. That thing is a track monster that can easily double as your opera house wagon.
For now, however, EV makers may have to deal with the harsh reality that people don’t want to pay more than $50,000 for something that could be expensive to repair or insure. The EV tax credit isn’t enough to divert Americans from gasoline-powered travel, which tells us something has to change sooner rather than later.