Lucid Motors has launched the non-limited Air Grand Touring, with an all-electric range of over 800 km, in Germany and the Netherlands. At the same time, the American manufacturer unveils a very compact drive unit to be used in 2023’s Formula E cars.

Lucid tentatively launched the Air, its luxury electric sedan, in Germany and the Netherlands late last year, but only as the limited Dream Edition. That has 1 123 hp and a WLTP range of over 850 km, but it also cost 222 000 euros and is no longer available. Now, Lucid has launched the non-limited Air Grand Touring in the same two markets.

Up to 839 km for 165 000 euros

The Lucid Air Grand Touring has a more reasonable peak power of 819 hp and still manages a WLTP of up to 839 km. It’s still pricy, though, with a starting price of 165 000 euros. There’s also a launch edition of the Grand Touring, which adds unique wheels, a premium sound system, and the DreamDrive Pro ADAS package for 180 500 euros.

At this price point, Lucid only has the Tesla Model S Plaid and the Mercedes EQS as its competition. It handily beats both luxury electric sedans in terms of range but falls short of the Benz in terms of luxury and interior decoration. On the other hand, the Tesla has the performance crown in its Plaid configuration.

However, cheaper versions of the Lucid Air are to follow, with the Touring and Pure versions planned for later this year. The expected European starting price for the Pure will be just above 100 000 euros, which is on par with the base models of the Model S and EQS, while still offering 480 hp and 653 km of range.

Front drive unit for Formula E

Aside from the European launch of the Air Grand Touring, Lucid also announced that it’s supplying the front electric motors for the Gen3 Formula E cars for the 2023 season, which kicked off earlier in January.

The Lucid drive unit for motorsports is very compact, with a weight of only 32 kilos, and can deliver up to 350 kW (476 hp). However, in the Formula E application, the front motor can only regenerate up to 250 kW, with no drive to the front wheels allowed. So instead, there’s a second 350 kW electric motor on the rear axle used for driving.