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Aside from a pricing announcement last month, EV startup Lucid has stayed relatively mum since the company introduced us to the Air, its Tesla Model S–fighting electric sedan, at the end of last year. The latest news, however, is something any manufacturer this side of Bugatti would happily crow about: The Air just hit 217 mph.
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During high-speed-stability testing at the Transportation Research Center proving ground in Ohio, Lucid’s test driver shepherded an Air alpha prototype around a 7.5-mile oval up to its software-limited Vmax of 350 km/h, or 217 mph in American. For those keeping score, that’s faster than a Porsche 918 and on par with a LaFerrari. Lucid’s justification for the stunt? The Germans, naturally. According to a release from the company: “The Lucid Air will compete with the best vehicles in the biggest markets around the world. In at least one of these markets, there is an expectation of high-speed cruising that we intend to satisfy.”
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- Lucid Air to Start at $ 60,000; Fancier Version to Top $ 100K
- Rarefied Air: Lucid’s New Car Just Might Be the Real Deal
- Tesla Owners: Will Lucid Make Your Next Car?
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Lucid also claims that the aero and power required for sustained high-speed cruising make for an automobile that’s efficient at speeds more prosaic than one might attain on derestricted stretches of the autobahn. We’d love to know how long the Air is capable of hanging at 217 mph before it either cuts power because of an overheated pack or just plain runs out of juice. And beyond that, how dang fast will it go if they yank the limiter? Check out the video below for footage of the run.
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