In addition to our recent drive of the Lucid Air Sapphire, we got the opportunity to test drive all of the American automaker’s 2024 models, including Pure, Touring, and Grand Touring, and have shared our thoughts below. As part of our visit, Lucid Motors also invited us behind the scenes at its design studio in California, where we got a look at the progress of its upcoming “Mid-Size” EVs.
Lucid Motors ($LCID) began its entry into the EV segment with its flagship Air sedan, which arrived as a 2022 model. In December, the American automaker unveiled its 2024 model year Airs, which added a new RWD version of the entry-level Pure variant.
That new Air started at an MSRP of $77,400 – its most affordable model to date. By February 2024, Lucid shared it was slashing prices of three of the four Air variants, including the RWD Pure, which now sits at a starting MSRP below $70,000.
Just yesterday, Lucid shared its upgrades to the Grand Touring version of the 2024 Air, which now utilizes the heat pump from its top-tier Sapphire edition and significantly faster charging speeds while offering the same EPA estimated range of 516 miles on a charge.
Last week, we visited Lucid in Northern California and had the opportunity to test out all four versions of the 2024 Air models, and got an exclusive look behind the scenes of its design center, which included a peek underneath the sheet of the mid-size EVs it has in development.
Lucid’s 2024 Air models don’t disappoint, especially Pure
On a sunny and foggy day near Half Moon Bay last week, I got a chance to take all four of the 2024 model year Lucid Airs out and open them up on winding roads and coastal straightaways. I captured images of each of the four trims: RWD Pure, Touring, Grand Touring, and the tri-motor Sapphire.
The latter has been on my to-do list since it was first announced in the fall of 2022, so that review got its own dedicated post and video review. You can learn more about my experience here.
After Sapphire, I took each of the other three Lucid Air variants around an hour-long route to see how things differ in the 2024 models. Let’s start with Grand Touring. As previously mentioned, the Air GT saw the most significant upgrades in 2024, but the drive is admittedly the same from my experience.
Future customers will be able to take advantage of 15% to 30% faster DC charging speeds and better performance under winter conditions with the heat pump, but neither of those played a factor in my specific test drive.
The Grand Touring still screams luxury. As the top model not including the $249k Sapphire, the GT comes equipped with all the best features, including a beautiful panoramic glass canopy roof and a comfortable, roomy interior complete with metallic accents.
Its 819 horsepower cannot be denied when overtaking slower cars with dual motors, but in my opinion, the addable features like massage seats and power shades are the only noticeable upgrades compared to other trims. Yes, it’s the fastest of the three models below Sapphire (0-60 mph in 3 seconds), but I’d personally be more than happy in a Touring while saving some cash. The new upgrades are a welcomed addition; however, the GT is still a bit pricey, starting at $109,900.
When I drove the 2023 Air Touring for the first time, I hailed it as the model to splurge on. I found its acceleration and EV performance well beyond what the average consumer needs and didn’t really miss any of the additional bells and whistles present on the GT. For that reason, I felt that Touring fit the sweet spot for consumers interested in the Air… at least at the time.
The 2024 Lucid Air Touring strays the least from its previous iterations, but still delivers better specs than most other vehicles in its class. The current version offers 620 horsepower and can accelerate 0-60 mph in 3.4 seconds, all while promising 411 miles of all-electric range. At a lower price of $77,900, you can now get a Touring near the price of the original Air Pure.
Still, it’s a slam dunk in many ways if you’re interested in more interior features, but if you’re more hellbent on performance in terms of value, the new RWD Air Pure is where it’s at.
The two stars of my day of driving the 2024 model year Lucid Airs were Sapphire and Pure—both ends of the automaker’s current EV portfolio. Lucid CTO and CEO Peter Rawlinson has told us many times that the RWD Pure variant is his favorite, and it’s hard to disagree.
Even with the lowest specs of the lineup, the Pure delivers 430 hp and can accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in 4.5 seconds. With performance like that, you don’t even miss the second motor, trust me. Furthermore, its 410-mile range is a mere mile behind the Touring, but for $8,000 less.
What impressed me most about the RWD Pure was how smooth and quiet of a ride it was. All of the models are quiet, but there is something more polished about this new Pure I have trouble describing. What’s even crazier to think about is that this model could be considered a halo version in other automaker’s portfolios, and it’s Lucid’s entry-level option. This is another testament to how far ahead the automaker is in its EV architecture, inverters, and overall efficiency.
Not to mention the level of comfort and luxury Lucid puts into each and every one of its models. I still think Lucid could improve its software in all the vehicles. I certainly didn’t encounter as many bugs in the 2024 Lucid Air models as I’ve encountered in the past, but the UX still lags sometimes, and I had a few issues connecting my smartphone wirelessly using Apple Carplay.
Overall, I was impressed with all four of the 2024 Lucid Airs, but Sapphire and Pure are my favorites. Obviously, a tri-motor luxury EV with 1,234 hp will impress people, so that’s a given, but I think the RWD Pure is my new favorite and would be the model I recommend to consumers. Because of that, I felt like the Touring and Grand Touring got lost in the shuffle – I’d only recommend splurging on one of those trims if you absolutely require their better acceleration.
Looking ahead, Lucid continues to develop its second model – the Gravity SUV, which is set to begin production later this year. After that, Lucid intends to unveil a third mid-size option, which the company has teased in the past as a direct competitor to the Tesla Model 3 and Model Y.
As part of my trip, I got to see mid-size up close and gain some insight as to what we can expect.
A peek at “Mid-Size” while touring Lucid’s design studio
This was another exciting trip with Lucid as I not only got to experience the power of the Air Sapphire, but also got to tour the automaker’s design studio outside of San Francisco as one of the few media to ever get taken into the back to see where all the EV magic happens.
Pictures were not allowed for obvious reasons, but we did get another up-close look at Gravity before we walked over to the main floor, where two clay models of the new mid-size EVs sat covered by sheets.
Although the developing models were covered, I was surprised at how large and assumedly spacious they still looked. From what I saw, Lucid is planning at least two variants for mid-size – a more passenger and family-friendly crossover and a more rugged SUV for the elements (we saw a roof rack and Toyo off-road tires).
Some of the targeted competitors are the upcoming Macan EV and Kia EV5 and we were told the new EVs will function similarly to model like the Hyundai Santa Fe, Rivian R2, and Ford Bronco. Lucid’s Senior Vice President of Design and Brand, Derek Jenkins walked us around the covered vehicles and even lifted up a corner of the sheet at the crossover’s rear to give us a peak at the clay. It’s definitely a work in progress, but it looks sleek and unique… although its design is sure to change several more times before its targeted arrival in 2026.
One exciting design aspect that Jenkins preached was this idea of “inclusivity,” particularly in the cabin of the mid-seize models. He mentioned integrating music, video, and phone use as immersive experiences unlike anything the public has ever seen, all of which can be controlled from anywhere in the vehicle – adding a sort of group experience to driving… although many of these incoming features will likely only be available while parked.
Jenkins also shared that the smartphone will play a critical role in the mid-size experience, whatever that means. He said that Lucid is not trying to beat or replace the phone but that there is potential in that technology and its experience that the automaker feels can do better with a car.
Peter Rawlinson was also with us, showing plenty of excitement about Lucid’s third vehicle design. However, he and Jenkins both admitted they are still a ways away from agreeing on the new EV names. When asked about pricing, Rawlinson said Lucid is targeting $48,000 to $50,000 starting MSRPs, but “it could get up to $60,000, I suppose.”
To help keep prices down in the future, Rawlinson expressed a trickle-down design efficiency that bolsters tech throughout the portfolio and streamlines production while utilizing the components across multiple models to help lower costs. We’re already seeing it happen with the Sapphire heat pump in the Air Grand Touring, as mentioned above, so expect more of that strategy in “mid-size” and beyond.
That’s all for now. We likely won’t see any genuine looks at the new mid-size Lucid EVs for a while, as they remain a work in progress. That progress does sound quite encouraging however, and we will be sure to keep you in the know as we learn more. For now, we will remain focused on the 2024 Lucid Air models as we gear up for the official launch of Gravity.
FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links.More.
Volvo has been steadily applying its Scandinavian minimalist ethos to its EV lineup, as the all-new EX90 SUV is set to launch in the US. But the brand also wanted to significantly spruce up the EX90’s older sibling, the XC90 – the brand’s most popular vehicle since its debut and the de facto family car for hordes of Americans and Europeans. This month, Volvo invited Electrek to test-drive the revised XC90 on its home turf and experience its new and improved “electrified” functionality. Here’s how it went.
Introduced in 2003, the XC90 was the brand’s first foray into the SUV market. It has been modified in recent years as a hybrid and plug-in, but it’s still the company’s top seller, despite almost a decade since its last full redesign. For 2025, the XC90 comes in three variants: two mild hybrids, the B5 and B6, and a T8 PHEV – which the company says is one of the few plug-ins with a seven-seat option, giving drivers space to haul kids or gear on short daily trips with its limited 33 miles of electric range.
Of course, restyling the XC90 itself after all of this time sidesteps the brand’s original goal of 100% electric cars by 2030. That’s no longer the case, as Volvo has backtracked, as has Mercedes, with a new target of 90% electrified vehicles by the same date. Clearly, that’s not the same thing.
First-drive impressions – safe, comfortable, and very Volvo-esque
Mid-November, Volvo flew journalists out from the US, with me flying over from France to Copenhagen for four days of quality time with the new variants and meet-and-greets with designers, propulsion experts, and interior specialists. From Copenhagen, we paired up in twos for a full day and a half of driving from Denmark across the famed Oresund Bridge on the border between Sweden and Denmark (fans of the Swedish series The Bridge will know it well) to cruise around the mellow Swedish countryside, stopping by fishing villages, a chocolate factory, and into Malmö on a gloomy afternoon, as the sun started to set at 3:30 p.m.
The T8 plug-in – which we drove along with the B5 hybrid – is the brand’s most powerful and efficient of the XC90s, offering 310 horsepower with 295 pound-feet of torque and a 0-to-60 mph time of 5 seconds. It has an inline four-cylinder gas engine with an electric motor and 400-volt three-layer lithium ion 18.8 kWh battery with 14.7 kWh of usable energy. The fact that drivers can do most of their short daily drives on pure electric power is a plus, of course, but you need to put in the time to recharge it. Its 6.4 kW onboard charger takes five hours to go from empty to 100% charged (or 10 hours on an ordinary 120-volt outlet).
As for the test drive, rural southern Sweden is picturesque, but the course itself was flat, unvaried, and sparsely populated except for our roving caravan of some 20 beige SUVs. But we had plenty of time to tinker with the infotainment and the advanced driver assist systems – including loads of state-of-the-art bonuses like intelligent speed assist, pilot assist, parking assist, and a truly incredible head-up display. It also comes with five drive modes, including off-road, but this vehicle is about quiet luxury, not thrill rides.
Of course, testing the electric range was a short-lived experience, so after those 33 or so miles, we spent the rest of the day gas-guzzling via a high-performance four-cylinder petrol engine with advanced e-boost and turbo technology. Honestly, it was hard to feel the difference, and the transition from electric to gas was quick and unnoticeable despite trying out some fast acceleration (smooth as butter) and maneuvering. Plus the interior of the car feels like a cocoon – it’s so quiet. The refresh includes enhanced sound insulation and suspension, so it’s like you’re traveling in a safe, protective Scandi-bubble. And that’s Volvo’s goal.
Exterior refresh – lots of tweaks, new wheels, new color
Looking at the outside of the car, the new XC90’s exterior changes offer a fresh new take on the brand’s “Thor’s Hammer” T-shaped headlights, flanking a new asymmetric grille, layered with the Volvo trademark. The new front sheet metal has seen a few tweakments, with an overall cleaner, fresher look, while the rest of the profile looks relatively unchanged. Of course, a proper refresh comes with a new color and some new wheels, and there are new designs in 20-, 21-, and 22-inch sizes, along with a new red paint option called 739 Mulberry Red. While we tested the “Bright Dusk” T8, the deep Mulberry Red version was on view at a mid-drive event, and it was a nice surprise from the grays and beiges.
The driving experience – smooth, safe, and so very quiet
The most significant upgrade to the XC90 is to the interior, which has been revamped to accommodate an 11.2-inch infotainment screen complete with built-in Google apps. Volvo says it has a higher pixel density and faster response time than earlier versions. Both the EX90 and the XC90 get the latest version of Volvo’s Google-based infotainment system with a ton of updated menu items that, in theory, allow you to gain access to commonly used functions with fewer steps. But do people only want access to opening the glove box via the infotainment system? I guess that’s all part of the minimalism. While Volvo says it is as intuitive as a smartphone, there is a small learning curve if you’re not already familiar with it.
Stepping into the vehicle, comfort is clearly the focus, with Volvo touting it as an “upgraded Scandinavian living room.” It leans into a premium feel without any garish touches, relying on a rich, tasteful, unfettered design. It feels good. New to the XC90 are the tailored dashboard in grained charcoal vinyl and recycled textile decors. Two new stunning “responsibly produced” upholsteries are added, in new bio-attributed leather-free Nordico and recycled-textile Herringbone Weave. And just like the EX90, this vehicle gets the new Bowers & Wilkins speaker mesh for the instrument panel and door panels, and the sound quality of the system is rich and crisp.
Maximum towing capacity: up to 5,000 pounds when properly equipped
Fuel tank capacity: 18.8 US gallons
AC charging time 0–100%: 5 hours (240v, 16a)/10 hours (120v, 16a
On-sale date: end of 2024
Final thoughts on the XC90
The new facelift is pretty much that, loads of superficial changes to the interior and exterior, as well as a new user experience and a larger, faster touchscreen, all designed to stretch out this hybrid a few more years before the EX90 takes over completely. Like its EV sibling, the focus is on a safe, comfortable, luxurious vehicle to haul kids and loads of gear around, with a few ecological Scandi touches that give it special appeal.
The XC90 competes in a crowded three-row midsize luxury SUV market against the Audi Q7, Lincoln Aviator, and Genesis GV80, among so many others. But saying that, plug-in hybrids like the XC90 T8 in the category are a rare breed, giving you the option to take your daily drives on pure electric before switching to fuel. But with a range of 33 miles, you of course won’t get very far. Plus while Volvo is pushing the seven-seat option, it seemed a bit tight to me, and only optional for kids or very quick trips, not big road trips.
Set to go on sale next month, prices for the B5 mild hybrids start at $58,450, with the XC90 T8 AWD plug-in seven-seater starting at a very reasonable $73,000 for the quality and pure good looks of the thing. Owned by China’s Geely, Volvo tells me that all of its US-bound XC90s will be made in Sweden. Volvo is targeting the US market for the XC90, followed by China, and thirdly, Europe.
Size-wise, I guess it’s perfect for loading up your car at IKEA. In Sweden, we certainly passed many IKEAs, and it was tempting. With a pure electric range of 33 miles, I suppose you could make at least part of the trip before having to switch over to gas power. The whole concept is a bit of a conundrum, but Volvo says it is giving the people what they want – a plug-in hybrid SUV that can go the distance – and it’s betting this vehicle will be a big winner for years to come.
Photos: courtesy Volvo
If you’re an electric vehicle owner, charge up your car at home with rooftop solar panels. To make sure you find a trusted, reliable solar installer near you that offers competitive pricing on solar, check out EnergySage, a free service that makes it easy for you to go solar. They have hundreds of pre-vetted solar installers competing for your business, ensuring you get high quality solutions and save 20-30% compared to going it alone. Plus, it’s free to use and you won’t get sales calls until you select an installer and share your phone number with them.
Your personalized solar quotes are easy to compare online and you’ll get access to unbiased Energy Advisers to help you every step of the way. Get started here.
FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links.More.
Digital render of NEOM’s The Line project in Saudi Arabia
The Line, NEOM
In Saudi Arabia’s northwestern desert, a sprawling construction site replete with cranes and pile drivers sits encircled by a recently-built road. A pair of tracks cuts through the site like deep gashes through the sand, comprising the spine of what planners say will be a high-speed rail system.
The skeletal infrastructure forms the foundations of The Line, a multi-billion dollar high-tech city that its architects say will eventually house 9 million people between two 106-mile long glass skyscrapers more than 1,600 feet high.
The project, whose estimated cost is in the hundreds of billions, is just one of the hyper-futuristic venues planned in Neom, the brainchild of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and a region that the kingdom hopes will bring millions of new residents to Saudi Arabia and revolutionize living and technology in the country. It’s a core pillar of Vision 2030, which aims to diversify the Saudi economy away from oil revenues and create new jobs and industries for its burgeoning young population.
The cost of Neom has been estimated to be as high as $1.5 trillion. In the years since it was announced, Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, the mammoth sovereign wealth fund now overseeing $925 billion in assets, has poured billions into overseas investments, with ever-increasing waves of foreign investors flying to the kingdom to raise cash.
This year, however, has seen a sharp change in direction in terms of spending, with a stated emphasis on keeping investments at home along with reports of cutting costs on megaprojects like those in Neom. The changes come as the Saudi deficit grows and the outlook for oil demand, along with global oil prices, sees sustained lows.
Construction for The Line project in Saudi Arabia’s NEOM, October 2024
Giles Pendleton, The Line at NEOM
That begs the question: does Saudi Arabia have enough money to meet its lofty goals? Or will it have to be more flexible to make its spending trajectory sustainable?
One Gulf-based financier with years of experience in the kingdom told CNBC: “The PIF’s pivot towards domestic investments, widely acknowledged but now officially admitted, suggests that there is still a lot of spending needed. Saudi Arabia has poured tens of billions into projects that have yet to hint of any financial returns.”
The financier spoke anonymously as they were not authorized to speak to the press.
Andrew Leber, a researcher at Tulane University who focuses on the political economy of the Middle East, believes that the current pace of spending won’t last.
“The number of ‘we pay up front and hope for economic returns later’ giga projects that are currently underway is not sustainable,” Leber said.
“With that being said,” he added, “the Saudi monarchy has shown itself to be somewhat flexible whenever economic realities assert themselves. I do think that eventually, a number of projects will be quietly shelved in order to bring its fiscal outlays back into greater sustainability.”
Digital render of NEOM’s The Line project in Saudi Arabia
The kingdom’s economy also swung dramatically from a budget surplus of $27.68 billion in 2022 to a deficit of $21.6 billion in 2023 as it ramped up public spending and decreased oil production due to its OPEC+ supply cut agreement. Its government forecasts a deficit of $21.1 billion for 2024, projecting revenue at $312.5 billion and expenditures at $333.5 billion.
Saudi authorities expect that the budget will remain in deficit for the next several years as it pursues its Vision 2030 plans, but they add that they are fully prepared for this.
“Our non-oil revenues have grown significantly, now it covers about 37% of expenditure. That’s a significant diversification, and that gives you a lot of comfort that you can maneuver and be stable despite the fluctuation in oil price,” Saudi Finance Minister Mohammed Al-Jadaan told CNBC in October. “Our aim is to make sure that our plans are stable and predictable.”
“We are not going to blink, we have significant fiscal resource under our disposal, and we are very disciplined in our fiscal position,” the minister said.
Saudi Arabia has an A/A-1 credit rating with a positive outlook from S&P Global Ratings and an A+ rating with a stable outlook from Fitch. That combined with high foreign currency reserves — $456.97 billion as of September, a 4% percent increase year-on-year, according to the country’s central bank — puts the kingdom in a comfortable place to manage a deficit, economists told CNBC.
Riyadh is successfully issuing bonds,tapping debt markets for more than $35 billion so far this year. The kingdom has also rolled out a series of reforms to boost and de-risk foreign investment and diversify revenue streams, which S&P Global said in September “will continue to improve Saudi Arabia’s economic resilience and wealth.”
When asked if the kingdom’s spending trajectory is sustainable, Al-Jadaan replied: “Absolutely, yes,” adding that the government recently published its numbers for the next three years and that “we think it is very sustainable.”
Still, many analysts outside the kingdom, as well as individuals working within the kingdom and on NEOM projects, are skeptical of the megaprojects’ feasibility. Reports that some projects have been dramatically cut down — in the case of the Line, its size target slashed from 106 miles to 1.5 miles and population target down from 1.5 million by 2030 to less than 300,000 — attest to that concern on a higher level.
Neom executives acknowledge that the current phase of work on The Line is for a building length of 1.5 miles — which would still make it the longest building in the world. However, the eventual goal of 106 miles has not changed, they say, stressing that cities are not built overnight and that construction is continuing apace.
For Tarik Solomon, chairman emeritus at the American Chamber of Commerce in Saudi Arabia, “it’s promising to see transparency and some project cutbacks.”
“The Kingdom’s rising external borrowing reflects challenges with Vision 2030 feasibility,” he told CNBC.
“Though debt remains manageable at 26.5% of GDP, continued small pressures add up, underscoring the need for fiscal discipline and achievable goals.”
Solomon pointed to the desire of many Saudi residents for improvements to the infrastructure they use in their daily lives — like Riyadh’s public transport, network connectivity, schools, and health care.
“The road to resilience for Saudi Arabia isn’t in figuring out ski slopes in the desert but in building with innovation, complexity, and the courage to pursue what’s truly impactful,” he said.
Tesla and Rivian have been embroiled in a lawsuit in which the former accused the latter of having stolen battery technology by poaching Tesla employees.
It sounds like the two automakers are finally about to settle the lawsuit, which has been going on for 4 years.
When Tesla filed the lawsuit, it wasn’t clear what trade secrets Tesla was claiming Rivian had stolen. However, we noted that the employees listed in the lawsuits were two recruiters, an EHS manager, and a manager of Tesla’s charging networks.
The automaker claimed that these employees brought “documents consisting of highly sensitive trade secret, confidential, and proprietary engineering information” when they went to work for Rivian.
Over a year later, we now learn that Tesla had notified the court that it expects to file to get the lawsuit dismissed after reaching a conditional agreement with Rivian. The company didn’t disclose the details of the settlement (via Bloomberg):
Tesla didn’t disclose specifics about the agreement in a court filing, but told a California state judge that it expects to seek dismissal of the case by Dec. 24 upon satisfactory completion of the terms.
Neither Tesla nor Rivian have commented on the reported settlement.
While Tesla has claimed that it somewhat open-sourced its patents, we have previously noted that it’s not exactly the case. Tesla claims to let other companies use its patented technology as long as they themselves don’t sue them over patent rights.
And in this specific case, Tesla alleges that Rivian has specifically hired employees to steal technologies. Again, Rivian has denied the allegation.
Electrek’s Take
The terms are unknown, but in similar cases, it often involves things like some level of access to make sure that no proprietary technology is being used or has been used.
The lawsuit is not exactly clear, but based on the timeline and the allegations of “next-gen batteries”, Tesla could have been talking about its 4680 battery cells, although those are cells. It could also be the structural battery pack.