American electric vehicle (EV) start-up Lucid Motors has announced that it will reveal the Air – a luxurious saloon capable of 235mph – in production form at the New York motor show in April.
First revealed in prototype form in December 2016, the Air is positioned as a rival to the Tesla Model S as well as conventionally powered premium limousines, such as the BMW 7 Series and Mercedes-Benz S-Class.
In entry-level, rear-wheel-drive guise, the Air features a 75kWh battery pack from Samsung and an electric motor producing 395bhp and 443lb ft. It’s said to be capable of travelling 240 miles on a single charge and is available to pre-order in the US now, priced from $52,500 (£40,190).
The four-wheel-drive model gains a second motor for a total system output of 1000bhp and is expected to manage more than 400 miles per charge, thanks to a 130kWh battery.
Shortly after the original unveiling, Lucid released footage of the top-spec Air hitting a top speed of 217mph, before taking it to 235mph in testing, suggesting it will become the fastest series-production EV when it launches.
