Latest news with #LucidAirGrandTouring
Miami Herald
6 days ago
- Automotive
- Miami Herald
Lucid Launches Killer 2025 Air Lease Offer for June
The Lucid Air is one of the standout candidates in the EV segment, with attractive looks, impressive specs, and plenty of space to boot. If you've been waiting for the right time to see what all the hype is about, Lucid is now offering up to $31,500 off the Air, but you better move fast, as the offer ends at the end of June. The lease offers for the 2026 Lucid Air are nationwide, meaning that regardless of where you live in the U.S., you'll be able to save a Scrooge McDuck-sized bag of cash. The Lucid Air Pure is available for $519/month for 36 months with $3,639 due at signing and up to $21,500 off split between a $2,000 on-site bonus, a $2,000 conquest bonus, a $10,000 Air Credit, and a $7,500 EV Credit. Step up to more powerful Lucid Air Touring, and you'll get $539/month for 36 months with $4,079 due at signing and up to $26,500 off split between a $2,000 on-site bonus, a $2,000 conquest bonus, a $15,000 Air Credit, and a $7,500 EV Credit. At the top of the trim tree is the Lucid Air Grand Touring, with a payment of $849/month for 36 months with $6,819 due at signing and up to $31,500 off split between a $2,000 on-site bonus, a $2,000 conquest bonus, a $20,000 Air Credit, and a $7,500 EV Credit. These lease offers end on June 30, 2025, at 11:59 p.m. ET, which is also when you'll need to take delivery of your Air to take advantage of the on-site bonus or Air Credit. The conquest bonus is available to U.S. residents who own or lease an internal combustion or hybrid vehicle from a competitive brand including Acura, Alfa Romeo, Audi, BMW, Cadillac, Genesis, Infiniti, Jaguar, Land Rover, Lexus, Lincoln, Mercedes, Maserati, Porsche, Volvo, Aston Martin, Bentley, Ferrari, Ineos, Lamborghini, Lotus, McLaren, MINI, and Rolls Royce. If you trade in a Tesla, you can even get an additional $4,000 Tesla Trade-in Allowance. Potential lessees who want to save money on the upfront costs can pay $0 at signing, with some adjustments to the monthly payment. We have estimated the monthly payments by spreading the amount at signing over the lease's term. A $0 down payment on a Lucid Air Pure by around $101 per month, for a total payment of ~$620 per month. On a Lucid Air Touring, you'll see a monthly increase of ~$113 for a total payment of ~$652 per month. Lastly, the top Lucid Air Grand Touring would see an increase of ~$189 for a total payment of $1,038 per month. *This $0 down figure is an estimation. Official $0 down lease offers from Lucid may differ based on their specific calculations, credit approval, and potential money factor adjustments. Always obtain a quote directly from Lucid. Even in its base $69,900 Pure trim, the Lucid Air doesn't fail to impress. With a 420-mile range, 430 hp, a 0-60 mph time of 4.5 seconds, and a charge to 200 miles time of 17 minutes on a 350 kW DC fast charger, it will easily knock many other EVs clear out of the water. Step up to the $78,900 Touring, and those figures jump up significantly in most areas. We're talking a 406-mile range, 620 hp, a 0-60 mph time of 3.4 seconds, and a charge to 200 miles time of 16 minutes on a 350 kW DC fast charger. Lastly, we have the Grand Touring, with a 512-mile range, 819 hp, a 0-60 mph time of 3.0 seconds, and a charge to 200 miles time of 12 minutes on a 350 kW DC fast charger. Save for a few extra amenities, like a full-length sunroof, all of the Air's trim levels sport tremendous opulence inside, with tasteful wood touches all around. A 34-inch "Glass Cockpit" houses both the digital cluster and the infotainment system, with an optional 21-speaker Surreal Sound Pro sound system filling the cabin with your sweet tunes. Cargo space in the Air is 22.1 cubic feet in the trunk that expands to 64.8 cubic feet with the rear seats folded down, and 10 cubic feet in the front trunk. We won't mention the $249,000 Sapphire, as that's in a league all of its own. Lease offers can vary based on location and specific vehicle configuration (trim level, options, etc.) and are subject to credit approval. Advertised payments typically exclude taxes, title, registration, and other potential fees. To take advantage of this offer or to get a precise quote based on your needs (including an official $0 down option), visit the official Lucid website here. *Disclaimer: This article is provided for informational purposes only. The information presented herein is based on manufacturer-provided lease offer information, which is subject to frequent change and may vary based on location, creditworthiness, and other factors. We are not a party to any lease agreements and assume no liability for the terms, conditions, availability, or accuracy of any lease offers mentioned. All terms, including but not limited to pricing, mileage allowances, and residual values, require direct verification with an authorized local OEM dealership. This article does not constitute financial advice or an endorsement of any particular lease or vehicle. Copyright 2025 The Arena Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Yahoo
01-06-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Electric Car Secrets No One Talks About
Owning an EV can be like a marquee signing for your sports team; the right one is a game-changer. Nonetheless, we can agree there are many stories of woe out there. For instance, finding charging stations in some regions may cost multiple hours searching or waiting for a charge. Repeat this on a weekly basis, and you have a problem. It is an example of how, for some, buying an EV comes with hidden truths that might have discouraged them otherwise. Of course, some realities are manageable. However, even for the most diligent EV driver, there are unhidden truths — or costs — they didn't consider before buying. Put simply, knowing what to expect will help you avoid these pitfalls. The truth is king in this world, and we aim to bring full disclosure about the intricacies of EV ownership. There is a network of fantastic online commentators from the auto world whose opinions matter; we have looked at what they say on the matter. However, this insight also comes from the real owners in forums across the EV map. By scouring the virtual public square, we can garner what EV drivers are saying about buying, driving, and maintaining their EVs. What electric car secrets do people need to know? If you think an EV is your ticket to more on-road entitlements than gas-powered vehicle owners, think again. A 6abc Philadelphia story in April 2025 announced that the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation will now charge electric vehicle (EV) owners annual road taxes. While motorists have traditionally paid this at the pump, EV owners will pay a $200 fee, rising to $250 in 2026, states the news report. Until now, states have been experimenting with how they charge EV owners for federal transportation taxes, upping registration fees, for one. Others, like Pennsylvania, will instead charge higher taxes — more severe than gas-powered cars, in some cases. Consumer Reports found in January 2025 that proposed fees for 19 states were far more punitive for EV owners than gas-powered motorists. In general, EVs will save the owner money in the long term — roughly half, if this Forbes article can be believed. In contrast, parts can be a headache, costing more and being harder to locate for older models. An example is that tires on many EVs must contend with a far heavier battery, more torque, and quicker acceleration. According to Kelley Blue Book, EV tires wear out 20% faster than regular gas-powered car tires. 'Since there are fewer choices for electric vehicle tires,' reads the KBB guide, 'you will pay a higher price for four new tires.' It is something all prospective EV drivers should also know. While Lucid Air Grand Touring owners can boast 518 miles of range on a single charge, some EVs might only get you one-third of that. Obviously, you are asking for trouble going anywhere long-range without first mapping out the journey for charging stations. EV forums are awash with stories of getting almost stranded or doubling road trip times. Of course, Tesla is way ahead of the curve with its Go Anywhere road trip planning app, and things are improving all the time for others. Nonetheless, a 2024 PlugInAmerica survey found that public charging infrastructure was a concern for over half of the respondents. Even if you live in suburbia, you need a car that suits your medium-range needs, so buying a Fiat 500e would be brave. AutoWeb's Brady Holt reviewed the 2024 version. While he praised the car's performance, style, and comfort, he also gave it a revealing descriptor of 'errand-running range.' If you plan a daily commute on the Interstate, the chances are you will need to drive an average of 70 mph. Your Subaru Solterra's 228 upper range might be good on paper. As Car and Driver explains in its review, the reality is different: more like 200 miles. You've just got your new EV, so you get to charge it fully as soon as you get home. However, this would be bad advice, according to the consensus on charging matters. A SmartCharge guide explores the many nuances of EV battery care, not least choosing the right charging level for daily use. 'Rely on your private level 1 charger to charge overnight,' reads the post. 'If needed, use a level 2 or level 3 fast charging station to supplement your charge on the go.' Furthermore, newcomers must research their car's capabilities. Keeping the battery within the 20-80% rule is widely considered the best route to battery longevity. If you live in a large city, owning a vehicle, let alone an EV, can be very hard. It is possible for those with the capacity for home charging, and even some tower blocks might have subterranean charging ports. However, other owners have to get in line at their local charging stations, often for much longer than they want. It's easy for us, the gas-powered masses, to scoff at those EV advocates. Some might giggle at the images of people lining up at 11 pm for a charger, like this classic TikTok shot in Burbank, California. Let's not get too carried away because technology is improving fast, and those waiting times will fall soon. An argument you will often hear from EV-resistant debaters is that switching to EVs isn't as clean-energy-oriented as we might think. The hypothesis is that electricity generation has to come from somewhere, usually a fossil fuel. They would be half-right, too. A Department of Energy report shows that it depends on the quality of the energy used. For instance, a car charging on West Virginia's 86% coal-fired electricity will generate more emissions than one in California. The Golden State gets over half its power from renewables. California needs over one million public charging stations installed by 2030 to meet demand — a pipe dream, says Alejandro Lazo of CalMatters. There are several reasons EVs lose value so quickly compared to gasoline vehicles. Most importantly, EV technology makes such huge advances each year that even recent car models can look dated. Like a Hollywood starlet, an EV's visual appeal shelf life is fleeting, soon forgotten for a fresh-faced newcomer. A Motor1 post surfaced recently, revealing the 10 fastest-depreciating EVs in the US marketplace. Sadly for the 2019 Jaguar I-Pace, used buyer confidence must be low — we won't get into these reasons. Nevertheless, these EVs lose up to 72.5% on average over five years, which resembles a $51,953 difference in MSRP, according to the post. One day in the future, charging hubs might resemble the gas stations of today, though at least gas stations are plentiful. Most EV news hounds will have seen videos of charging station confrontations. One such video posted on X recently shows a skirmish between two Tesla drivers, one accusing the other of line jumping. Of course, these events aren't too common, and most visits to charging hubs will go swimmingly. However, as EV adoption rolls out across the country, we can probably expect to see more people go head-to-head in the pursuit of those sweet kilowatts. The Department of Energy predicts the need for 28 million charging stations by 2030, and the country is nowhere near this projection. What's more, an Axios report confirms that President Trump will be halting Federal spending on the previous administration's costly rollout. There appears to be no shortage of irony as an EV owner, including the fact that you probably cough up more than internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicle owners. A recent report from AAA unpacks why this is possibly the case. Higher vehicle value, more niche repair procedures, and unique risks like cybersecurity threats all contribute to these costs. What's more, replacing EVs isn't as simple as their analog cousins. Finding a spare part for a limited vehicle fleet makes replacements more expensive. It all makes grim reading for Tesla owners reeling from the recent spate of nationwide vandalism. Even those unaffected will feel the sting. Three out of five Tesla owners will pay an average of $340 increase per year, according to auto insurance firm Guardian Service. In the wise words of Joni Mitchell: 'You don't know what you've got till it's gone.' One must be careful not to just see greener grass across the river if their living situation doesn't allow it. Buying an EV could help you land in motoring Heaven or a logistical nightmare, depending on the approach and conditions. It's pertinent to navigate the real world with this understanding of what to expect. Of course, while these observations may seem anti-EV, this isn't the intention. We just want future EV owners to know what they may have in store. Happy charging.
Yahoo
31-03-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
2025 Polestar 3 Sheds 1 Motor, Gains Range—but It's Still Expensive
2025 Polestar 3 is now available as a 'Long Range Single Motor' variant that lops off the front motor, reducing output and weight and cutting the sticker price while extending range to an EPA-estimated 350 miles. Our well-equipped single-motor test vehicle carried a $76,700 sticker price with 21-inch Plus five-spoke rims ($1,200) and repurposed aluminum inside. There are generous incentives on a 27-month lease for a Polestar 3: Save up to $20,000, including $5,000 as a conquest bonus for Tesla owners. What's the appropriate threshold that needs crossing before an automaker can claim 'long range' for its battery-electric vehicle? These days, it seems to be about 300 miles, although shoppers—especially those on the fence about EVs—will appreciate the day that target exceeds 450 miles, if possible, without a punishing step up in price. I just drove a 2025 Chevy Silverado EV work truck rated at 492 miles, and in a week I couldn't get close to draining the battery, even while towing a 20-foot camper for a morning. The Lucid Air Grand Touring offers an eye-opening 512 miles of range. But a Grand Touring is a six-figure investment, and that Silverado stickered for over $80k. The challenge for every EV maker is to hit that 300-mile target while pricing close to the $48,000 average price for a new car in America. Polestar has surpassed the range target with its Polestar 3, although its price continues to reflect an upstart Swedish brand (Chinese owned) that wants a seat at the performance luxury table, even while entrenched German brands with long-established luxury roots struggle to sell the EVs they already have in market. The two-row Polestar 3 midsize crossover achieved 315 miles of range when it launched in the US last fall with two motors—one in front, one in back—and a stout 489 hp and 620 lb-ft of torque. But it also carried a base price of $74,800 with destination, and our model as tested last September was a hard-to-swallow $93,100. The 2025 Polestar 3 is now available as a 'Long Range Single Motor' variant that lops off the front motor, reducing output and weight and—most importantly—cutting the sticker price while extending range to an EPA-estimated 350 miles. The base price cut to $68,900 with destination certainly helps, but is it enough when rivals such as the Acura ZDX, Audi Q6 e-tron, Cadillac Lyriq, Genesis GV60, Lexus RZ, and Mercedes-Benz EQB all sell for less? Heck, the RZ can be had for under $45,000. This quandary perhaps explains the generous incentives currently on a 27-month lease for a Polestar 3: Save up to $20,000, including Polestar's $15,000 Clean Vehicle Incentive plus $5,000 as a Conquest Bonus for Tesla owners. The Polestar 3 build configurator says the $5,000 Tesla offer expires today, March 31, so act fast. The Polestar 3 is built in South Carolina (for export as well), so it's eligible for a $7,500 federal tax credit—as long as that lasts—and potentially avoids a tariff hit. But take a closer look at the build sheet for this new long-range Polestar 3, and you see that 45% of the content comes from China, 25% from Mexico, and powertrain/transmission parts come from Sweden. Tariffs are bound to cost you something, but we don't yet know how much. That build sheet also reveals a $76,700 sticker price for this well-equipped single-motor test vehicle with 21-inch Plus five-spoke rims ($1,200) and repurposed aluminum inside, along with charcoal 'Animal Welfare Wool' upholstery. On road, this new long-range Polestar 3 is more than competent, agile, and powerful, with one motor sending 295 hp and 361 lb-ft of torque to the rear wheels. The front end is lighter, which makes for spirited driving on the weaving roads of Agoura Hills west of Los Angeles and then south to Malibu. These roads were a lot more entertaining than the congested two-lanes around Jackson, Wyoming, for last September's drive of the 510-hp AWD dual-motor Polestar 3, so it's hard to make an apples-to-apples comparison. But at no point did I find the new single-motor variant to be lacking in performance or straining to propel its curb weight of up to 5,445 pounds uphill. That's 338 pounds lighter than the heaviest dual-motor Polestar 3. On paper, the compromise is clear: 0 to 60 mph in 4.8 seconds with the dual-motor, but 7.5 seconds with one motor. Both versions get the same 400-volt lithium-ion battery with 111 kWh of capacity. Another difference between the two—and an opportunity to take out more cost—is the passive dampers with coil springs in place of the adjustable active air suspension employed in the dual-motor Polestar 3. Again, in Wyoming, the air suspension didn't get much of a workout in our dual-motor test drive, but the less sophisticated passive setup in the single-motor Polestar 3 mitigated body lean and kept it well planted on some fantastic roads last week. Torque vectoring is only available with AWD, but the single-motor model did just fine without it. Inside, the look, feel and Scandinavian design ethic of the dual-motor version carry over to the single-motor, and the Google-based infotainment platform running a massive 14.5-inch floating center screen will be user-friendly enough to certain shoppers. But if you crave simple controls and despise drilling into menus to reposition your mirrors, change a radio station, adjust one-pedal driving, tweak your driver-assistance settings, or open the glovebox, then bring your patience when you come for the test drive. When navigating the touchscreen, be deliberate with an accusatory finger when jabbing it to make your selection, lest the frustration take hold. There might be a setting to change that, and perhaps we needed to drill deeper. Also, the same complaint stands from last September about the steering wheel controls that are unlabeled. The left side is for Pilot Assist ADAS settings (which didn't work for me), while the right side is for voice activation, adjusting mirrors and the steering wheel angle, and switching the information displayed in the nine-inch digital cluster in front of the driver. Apparently Scandinavian minimalism can indeed go too far. Polestar has a three-car all-electric lineup that will gain a fourth model (Polestar 5 grand tourer) before year's end and then the Polestar 7 crossover after that. But based on the brand selling fewer than 100 Polestar 3s (with one or two motors) in the first two months of 2025 in the US, moving the metal is the number one priority. Does a lower price and longer range for the Polestar 3 make it more attractive to you as an upscale electric crossover? Please comment below.
Yahoo
28-02-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Why Lucid Stock Plunged Today
Lucid Group (NASDAQ: LCID) recently launched its new fully electric SUV, and now has told investors it plans to produce more than twice as many electric vehicles (EVs) in 2025 as it did in 2024. It also beat expectations on both the top and bottom lines in the fourth-quarter report it delivered after the close of trading Tuesday. Yet despite all that seemingly good news, the stock was tanking Wednesday, down by 11.9% as of 12:55 p.m. ET. The luxury EV maker reported a fourth-quarter loss of $0.22 per share on sales of $234.5 million. Wall Street was looking for revenue of just $214 million and a $0.25 per share loss. But word that CEO Peter Rawlinson is stepping down may have rattled investors. Rawlinson was formerly a vice president of engineering at Tesla, where he played a large role in the design and launch of the Model S. While Lucid is still a low-volume automaker, it has become a technological leader under Rawlinson. The Lucid Air Grand Touring sedan has the longest battery range of any EV -- 512 miles. The company has entered a new phase of growth with the launch of its Gravity SUV. But as Rawlinson stated: "Now that we have successfully launched the Lucid Gravity, I have decided it is finally the right time for me to step aside from my roles at Lucid." Chief Operating Officer Marc Winterhoff was named interim CEO as the board searches for a permanent replacement for Rawlinson, who will stay connected to the company in the role of strategic technical advisor to the chairman of the board of directors. Investors seem to be focused on the leadership change rather than the company's forecast that it will produce about 20,000 EVs in 2025 -- more than twice as many as it manufactured last year. Lucid also failed to offer specific numerical guidance about Gravity orders during its conference call. That may be contributing to investors' concerns, too. Before you buy stock in Lucid Group, consider this: The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the for investors to buy now… and Lucid Group wasn't one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years. Consider when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $776,055!* Now, it's worth noting Stock Advisor's total average return is 892% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to 174% for the S&P 500. Don't miss out on the latest top 10 list, available when you join . See the 10 stocks » *Stock Advisor returns as of February 24, 2025 Howard Smith has positions in Lucid Group and Tesla. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Tesla. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. Why Lucid Stock Plunged Today was originally published by The Motley Fool Sign in to access your portfolio
Yahoo
07-02-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
EV Range: Everything You Need to Know
When it comes to electric vehicles, range is the all-important stat. Whether or not you make it to the next public charging spot, are able to complete your daily commute, or are instead stranded on the side of the road depends on it. Range is so heavily scrutinized because EVs can travel on average barely half the distance of gas-powered vehicles before they require a "fill-up," and because gas pumps are far more ubiquitous than public fast chargers. Most EV range discussions are centered around the EPA combined range, as that's the one that's published prominently on the window sticker. For the 2025 model year, 256 EVs have EPA ratings (this includes multiple variants of the same vehicle), and the EPA's combined-range figures span from 141 miles for the Fiat 500e to 512 miles for the Lucid Air Grand Touring on 19-inch wheels and tires. As with fuel-economy figures for gas-powered vehicles, EV's range figures are determined by running the vehicle inside a test lab on a dynamometer—think of it like a treadmill for cars—on the EPA's drive cycles. These tests result in separate city and highway figures, which are weighted 55 percent city and 45 percent highway to arrive at the combined figure that's shown on an EV's window sticker. Unlike gas-powered vehicles, whose highway efficiency almost always exceeds the city figure, most EVs have higher city range ratings than highway. Part of electric vehicles' magic in low- and variable-speed scenarios is their ability to recapture energy when decelerating by slowing the vehicle using the electric motor (or motors) rather than the traditional brakes. Another way EVs are different is that range and efficiency aren't directly related. That's because of charging losses; roughly 85 to 90 percent of the total energy that comes from the wall makes it into the battery pack. That's why there are two terms used: efficiency, which can be expressed in MPGe, includes charging losses, while consumption, the energy use while driving, doesn't include them. Our EV range test is done at a steady 75 mph, because highway driving is where range matters most. If you're looking to cover 500 or 1000 miles in a day, it necessarily has to be done at high speeds. There are just not enough hours in the day to do otherwise. Even the shortest-range EV can manage more than seven hours of slogging through city traffic at an average speed of, say, 15 mph. Also, unlike a gas-powered vehicle, an EV's consumption increases dramatically as speeds rise. Of course, as with all cars, aerodynamic drag inflates with the square of speed, but EVs are particularly affected as most do without multiple gears. So, a higher vehicle speed means the electric motor is spinning at a faster and less efficient point. Included below is a subset of the data from our EV range testing and how it compares to the EPA range figure. Unlike with gas-powered cars, which tend to meet or exceed their EPA fuel-economy figure in our 75-mph highway test, EVs on average only achieve roughly 85 percent of their label value. However, some vehicles, typically those from German automakers, have outperformed their EPA label value in our highway test. It seems that those automakers in particular rate their vehicles' range much more conservatively than some others. For example, Lucid, which makes some of the longest-range EVs, is far more aggressive in its EPA range values. Although the 410 miles we achieved in a Lucid Air Grand Touring is the longest result of all of the EVs we've tested, its only 80 percent of its 516-mile EPA range. You'll notice that the biggest underperformer is the electric Mercedes-Benz G-wagon, which achieved a mere 67 percent of its EPA range in our test (160 miles to its 239-mile EPA range). But it makes sense that this brick-shaped vehicle would do comparably worse at the higher speed of our test. If you want to dive deeper into this topic, we co-authored a technical paper for SAE International outlining this difference between internal combustion vehicles and electrics using our test data. Two major factors are speed and ambient temperature. Traveling at a steady high rate of speed, as in our 75-mph test, is the worst case for EVs. Aerodynamic drag increases dramatically at higher speeds and when maintaining those speeds there's no opportunity to recapture energy while slowing. Cold weather can also affect range dramatically. One of the many reasons for that is that using the heater to warm the cabin—particularly on EVs that have resistive heaters—sucks a lot of juice. In a test with our long-term Model 3 we found that using the heat can increase consumption by as much as 35 percent and kill 60 miles of range, a significant chunk of the Model 3's 310-mile EPA rating. If you're driving in cold weather, it will help dramatically to pre-condition the vehicle while it's plugged in before you leave. This will warm both the cabin and the battery using energy from the grid rather than from the battery pack, which will preserve more energy to use for driving. Another simple way to improve range is to simply keep your speed modest. You should consider our real-world highway range figures the absolute maximum possible in high-speed highway conditions and, as with our zero-to-60-mph times, it will be difficult to achieve them with any regularity. That's because it involves charging the battery all the way to 100 percent, which is not the EV norm. Topping off the last 10–15 percent is when the rate of charging using a Level 3 DC fast charger slows considerably, and it also leads to increased degradation in battery capacity over time. For example, Tesla recommends limiting charging to 90 percent for daily use. Even on long-distance trips, the stops are determined more by the charging infrastructure than anything else, and the most expeditious method is to top up the battery just far enough—to maybe 80 or 90 percent, keeping it in the speedy part of the charge-rate curve—to get to the next charger. Range is critical; range is complicated. And if you want to drive an EV long distances and you live in a place where it gets cold, plan on a large buffer between the EPA combined rating and what you actually will be able to use. You Might Also Like Car and Driver's 10 Best Cars through the Decades How to Buy or Lease a New Car Lightning Lap Legends: Chevrolet Camaro vs. Ford Mustang!
