by Mike Gulett –
I adopt new technology slowly because I want to give the technology companies and their engineers plenty of time to work out all the bugs. Having spent most of my adult life working in the technology business I have experienced first hand the kind of problems that new products and new technology can inflict on early adapters.
I did not buy the first version of the iPhone but the third and I did not buy the first Apple Macintosh computer but the second one on the market in 1985.
This approach to acquiring new technology products has served me well over the years leading me to avoid buying an electric car — until now — we just bought a new Lucid Air Pure.
This came about rather suddenly because I drove one. Someone I know bought a Lucid Air and handed me the key fob and told me to take a test drive. I did so with my wife and a friend. I loved it and realized it was a luxury 4-door sedan that drove and performed like a sports car!
I was smitten.
When I found out that Lucid was having a big year end sale I started shopping on their web site and found the exact model, color and options that I wanted in inventory at the nearest dealer to my home, which is about 80 miles away.
I know Lucid is a young company but they have been delivering cars for four years. The Lucid Air is their first model and it has gone through these four years of evolution with the resulting improvements and bug fixes.
The new Lucid shares the garage with our Aston Martin Vanquish S
After about one week of ownership and 160 miles driving our Lucid Air Pure I still love it (so does Rebecca) and it provides plenty of new things to learn. Like many modern cars the Lucid Air has more capabilities that most drivers will use but it is fun figuring out what features I want to use and which ones I do not need. And the acceleration and handling is fantastic – like a sports car as I said.
Lucid Air Interior – photo by Lucid Motors
Let us know what you think in the Comments.
Lucid Air on the road – photo by Lucid Motors
I rented a Polestar 2 a couple of years ago.
I was very impressed with everything about it except the dinky rear window. But I got used to that.
Pick-up was insane. Went to pass a dualie on a single lane highway doing 55. Took a peak, then put my foot to the floor. Hardly needed. Was past that 100′ beats in a flash at about 80mph.
Handled great at any speed in turns and lane changes where drivers are terrible, Florida.
Comfortable at 6′. Plenty or room in the back seat. Storage for 3 large pizzas in the hatch.
Fast L2 charge time. Superfast L3, 30m from 10% to 80%. Nice sound system and infotainment in general.
Thankfully, a DC idiot has all but disabled the eCar industry and enabled wilderness drilling at last.
Mike, did you get a chance to compare the Lucid to the Tesla for both specifications, costs and driving experience?
No, I have never been in a Tesla.
Back in 2019 or so, some idiot hit our car and had to get a loaner from Enterprise while our daily was in the shop. They offered me a Tesla Model S. I figured, “why not”, and took them up on it. I loved it. In fact, a few of my hard core Cobra friends in the Bay Area Cobra Club own them and swear by them. I found the acceleration to be exhilarating (a car guy thing, right?). I found the center stack screen easy to use and the navigation system and mapping overall to be great. I can imagine that since 2019, the tech in Teslas is even better than 2019. I also drove a Model 3 that a realtor friend in Las Vegas owned. He was sold on the Model 3 and let me drive his car. It also, was terrific. I first saw a Tesla in the flesh during 2012 car week. Tesla had a display of a few cars on Ocean Avenue, further down the street toward the water. I was blown away at the quality and how nice they were, for a manufacturer coming right out of the box. After that, I bought a few shares of Tesla and held them all of these years. One of my few stock picks that has done well. While Elon is on the eccentric side and is stretched very thin, I equate him to a Steve Jobs of Apple or a Howard Hughes. He’s a visionary and I remain a Tesla fan, though I am a hard core IC V8 guy. I have toyed with the idea of getting a Tesla, but no room right now in the garage.
Glad you like your Lucid, Mike. They are also very nice cars.
I was wondering why someone would buy from a new company (remembering how Fisker went down in inm flames) but this choice fits your life style of embracing the new, so let’s hope it bodes well. I think Tesla make good cars but sometimes Elon adds too much politics and I can see them getting outlawed by his political enemies(maybe for the door hmndles or mis-labeled Full self Driving option))
With cars like your AC Mk. IV still in your garage, you are keeping one foot in th Old Car world