Hell has apparently frozen over as two different EV startups have begun production this month alone.
The first occurred on September 14th, when a Rivian R1T rolled off the assembly line in Normal, Illinois. Now, two weeks later, Lucid has built the first Air in Arizona.
This is a huge accomplishment for the automaker as Lucid introduced the Air in 2016 and planned to start production two years later. However, like many startups before it, Lucid was low on cash and faced an uncertain future.
Things quickly changed after Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund agreed to invest $1 billion into the company and this allowed Lucid to build their plant in Casa Grande, Arizona and finally bring the model to market.
Also Read: Lucid’s Flagship Air Dream Edition To Be Offered In ‘Performance’ And ‘Range’ Guise
As a result, the first Air Dream Editions should be delivered to customers late next month. Available in Range and Performance variants, the model boasts all-wheel drive as well as an output of up to 1,111 hp (828 kW / 1,126 PS). This enables the car to accelerate from 0-60 mph (0-96 km/h) in as little as 2.5 seconds and hit a top speed of up to 168 mph (270 km/h). Furthermore, the Range variant lives up to its name with a EPA-estimated range of 520 miles (837 km).
Lucid has already received more than 13,000 reservations for the model and customer deliveries will begin ramping up following the launch of the Air Dream Edition.
While production of the Air just got underway, Lucid is already working to expand the plant in order to support the launch of the upcoming Gravity. It’s slated to arrive in 2023 and become the brand’s first SUV.
