During its “Production Preview Week” in Arizona, EV automaker Lucid Motors opened the doors of its AMP-1 production facility to the media, investors, and Air Dream Edition reservation holders to showcase the first customer-quality Air EVs rolling off the assembly line. Lucid shared that it will deliver in late October.
The past year alone has been a journey for Lucid Motors. That’s on top of a nearly 15-year journey to this point in which the US automaker is (finally) set to deliver its flagship EV, the Lucid Air sedan. Yes!
For over a year, Lucid Motors has been teasing the Air, consistently sharing new details of its features alongside its progress toward full production. Like many goods and services during a seemingly never-ending global pandemic, the Lucid Air sedan has seen delays.
Originally slotted to arrive in spring 2021, Lucid announced production delays, pushing the delivery window of the Dream Edition trims and beyond to “sometime in the second half of 2021.”
This announcement came just days after more encouraging news, in which Lucid had begun entering into a SPAC merger with Churchill Capital Corp. IV ($CCIV). That move was made official this past July, and the automaker is now on the Nasdaq under $LCID.
Just recently and following an initial announcement that the Air Dream Edition would deliver in two separate versions for customers, Lucid shared more detailed numbers that were quite astounding.
In fact, the 520 miles of EPA estimated range on the Air Dream Edition Range is a record for any passenger EV. Not to be outdone, the Performance version of Lucid’s Air Dream Edition delivers 1,111 horsepower, another impressive feat.
Now during an event at its Advanced Manufacturing Plant or AMP-1, Lucid has rolled the first Air models off its assembly lines before they deliver to customers next month.
Lucid Air Dream Editions to deliver late October, other trims to follow
In a press release coinciding with the preview event attended by yours truly, Lucid has officially begun rolling customer-quality Air sedans off its AMP-1 assembly lines in Arizona.
Further, the first trim of the long-anticipated luxury EV, Dream Edition will begin to deliver to reservation holders in late October. The limited run of the Air Dream Edition will be followed by the Air Grand Touring, Touring, and the most affordable Air Pure trim.
The detailed glimpse into Lucid’s production facility included a factory commissioning ceremony with Arizona governor Doug Ducey, who highlighted the US automaker’s local job creation and economic development, and plans for future expansion in Arizona at AMP-1.
With Dream Edition versions of the Air coming a month from now, Lucid can finally begin doing what the public has been cheering it on to do for years: Deliver its first EV.
Lucid Group’s CEO and CTO, Peter Rawlinson spoke specifically about the potential of other trims following the Dream Edition, hopefully setting a precedent for performance in Lucid EV’s at a smaller price:
The proprietary EV technology that Lucid has developed will make it possible to travel more miles using less battery energy. For example, our Lucid Air Grand Touring has an official EPA rating of 516 miles of range with a 112-kWh battery pack, giving it an industry-leading efficiency of 4.6 miles per kWh. Our technology will allow for increasingly lighter, more efficient, and less expensive EVs, and today represents a major step in our journey to expand the accessibility of more sustainable transportation. I’m delighted that production cars endowed with this level of efficiency are currently driving off our factory line.
According to Lucid Motors, it currently has over 13,000 reservations on the Air that they will look to deliver following the 520 planned Dream Editions.
The automaker also has huge plans for its AMP-1 facility that only completed phase 1 in November 2020. The next planned phase will add 2.85 million square feet to the 590-acre site in Casa Grande, AZ.
Phase 2 will support an increase in Air production as well as the forthcoming production of the Gravity, Lucid’s first electric SUV. Gravity production is expected to start in 2023.
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