If you thought Lucid Motors’ 1,234 tri-motor Air Sapphire was elite, threat mitigation specialist US Armor Group has taken the luxury sedan to an entirely new echelon. Today, the company unveiled an armored version of the Lucid Air Sapphire, described as being indestructible. Designed for heads of state and high-ranking executives, it can be equipped with features like bulletproof glass, poison gas protection. Wait until you see the price tag.
If you’re an avid reader of Electrek (you should be), you’re very familiar with our coverage of American automaker Lucid Motors, and its flagship BEV, the Air sedan. In the summer of 2022, Lucid announced a new tri-motor variant of the Air called Sapphire, which can accelerate 0-60 mph in 1.98 seconds (from a standstill), 0-100 mph in under 4 seconds, and a reach top speed of 205 mph – all while delivering over 400 miles of all-electric range.
We got a chance to take the Sapphire for a spin this past April, and it’s hands down the fastest passenger vehicle we’ve ever driven. Its instant torque is not for the faint of heart but a true exercise in the clear benefits of all-electric performance.
Sapphire is outside most people’s price range, at $250,000 fully equipped. However, affluent customers and political leaders can now opt for an armored version of Lucid Air designed to circumvent any threats to the safety of its passengers.
This armored Lucid Air Sapphire costs $475,000
Today, US Armor Group unveiled an “indestructible” armored version of the Lucid Air Sapphire, complete with ballistic windows and lightweight laminated, transparent armor that replaces the factory-installed glass. The armor is capable of stopping a round from a .44 magnum.
US Armor also added lightweight composite armor to the doors, and the rest of the EV provides 360-degree protection inside. The military-grade armor is ten times stronger than ballistic steel yet five times lighter, enabling the speedy sedan to still do its thing on roads without any loss of performance (the upgrade only adds 385 lbs. of weight). US Armor Group founder and CEO Jeffrey Engen spoke about the capabilities of the new armored Lucid Air Sapphire:
At US Armor Group, our mission has always been to protect our clients against any andall potential threats, however we did not want to sacrifice in terms of performance or amenities. With the armored Air Sapphire, our company has taken one of the world’s fastest production vehicles ever built and transformed it into the fastest armored car onthe planet. While the original vehicle was already exceptional, we’ve further enhanced it for clients looking for modern day security solutions. Armoring is important, but for our clients, digital security is also an integral part of their modern-day needs as c-suite executives and business owners. They want to travel in style securely. In today’s modern world, that means full protection from cyber attacks, tracking, and other digital age threats, which are just as dangerous to them in many cases as a physical attack on the vehicle itself.
The armored Lucid Air Sapphire interior features the same luxury materials, with some added security measures. For instance, US Armor Group added an impenetrable internet/WiFi security package to safeguard all sensitive data from hackers, as well as scanners that gather intelligence from over a million sources, including local Police and Fire stations, to stay aware of any potential threats on the road.
The security specialist has also added a one-touch outreach feature that instantly connects them with US Armor Group for assistance using an integrated communication system.
In addition to ballistic glass and a bolstered exterior, US Armor Group says it can add several custom countermeasures to ensure the safety of its customers, including electric-shock door handles, pepper spray dispensers, concealed gun ports, and poison gas protection/detection. It can also add upgraded armor to stop high-powered rifles, grenades, and explosive devices.
Such peace of mind costs a pretty penny, however. Driving off in one of these armored Lucid Air Sapphires will cost at least $475,000. That’s before all of the Batmobile add-ons mentioned above. What do we think? Could we see the POTUS being transported around in a bulletproof Sapphire someday?
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The Hyundai IONIQ 5 got a raft of upgrades and sporty, rally-focused XRT trim level for 2025 – but the biggest upgrade for the Made in America Hyundai might be this: the 5 has regained eligibility for the full $7,500 federal EV tax credit!
Despite being assembled at Hyundai’s Georgia meta plant for the last four month, the 2025 Hyundai IONIQ 5 was nowhere to be found on the EPA’s list of rebate-eligible vehicles. But that was then – with a fresh updated to the list coming online May 1st, Hyundai’s new-age electric hot hatch is back in the rebate game.
As if to celebrate, Hyundai announced that it was taking on the celebrate One Lap of America road rayy and race event in a factory collaboration with the track-focused enthusiasts at Grassroots Motorsports this week with One Lap veterans Andy Hollis and Tom Suddard campaigning a stock, 601 hp 2025 Hyundai IONIQ 5 N in the Alternative Fuels class.
“After winning our class in a gutted, caged race car last year, we wanted to compete in the best-of-all worlds this year: A vehicle that’s incredibly fast, incredibly comfortable on a road trip, and incredibly capable on a racetrack,” explains Suddard. “Electrification means it’s finally possible to have huge power without huge compromises in a street car, and the IONIQ 5 N promises to pair that huge power with the durability and capability to survive a week of racing.”
One Lap is widely regarded as one of the toughest street-legal motorsports events in the world, pitting amateur and professional drivers alike compete in stock and heavily modified vehicles of every description, battling it out in a series of scored challenges, including timed events at road courses, drag strips, skid pads, and autocross courses.
In between tracks, competitors safely travel thousands of miles around the country, proving the mettle and durability of the vehicles and the teams that drive them. This year, 86 teams from all over the country will compete in 17 scored events over the course of eight days at tracks like Virginia International Raceway and NCM Motorsports Park.
The Tire Rack One Lap of America is currently underway – you can track the Hyundai’s progress here, then let us know what you think of this new tax development in the comments.
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With the launch of the first-ever Class 8 vocational EV in the North American market, PACCAR Kenworth is raising the battery-electric bar and underscoring just how far the market has come since the Tesla Semi made its debut nearly a decade ago.
When Tesla pulled the wraps off its all electric Semi truck all the way back in November of 2017, the rest of the industry was hardly thinking about BEVs. Nearly a decade later, the world is still waiting for the Semi to begin regular production, and PACCAR is launching its second generation of HDEVs with the debut of this, the all-new Kenworth T880E vocational truck.
“The Kenworth T880E marks a groundbreaking milestone in Kenworth’s history as we bring to market the first Class 8 battery-electric solution built for vocational applications,” explains Kevin Haygood, Kenworth assistant general manager for sales and marketing. “The T880E is engineered to meet the evolving needs of operators and vocational fleets while still providing the durability, reliability and customization our customers expect.”
The new electric K-whopper is motivated by PACCAR’s in-house ePowertrain platform, capable of putting up to 605 hp and 1,850 lb-ft of peak torque to work, while delivering the same levels of drivability and dependability fleets expect from a Kenworth – but power and torque are only part of the T880E’s work-ready résumé.
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Open to work
Kenworth T880E; via PACCAR.
In addition to a stout, Class 8 electric chassis fitted with heavy-duty Kenworth brakes and axles, the T880E’s central drive eMotor allows for significant wheelbase flexibility so fleet buyers can spec out exactly the machine they need to get the job done. The T880E was also designed to enable lift axle installations from trusted Kenworth upfitters for a vocational-friendly BEV integration.
Additionally, the T880E features a wide selection of factory-installed options that include both high- and low-voltage ePTO (electric Power Take Off) ports, mechanical ePTOs, and the same wide array of body configurations as the ICE version.
Speaking of the ICE version, the electric T880E also can also be had in the same set-back front axle and set-forward front axle configurations with the same multi-piece hood construction. Inside the cab, the latest in driver-focused technology includes the Kenworth SmartWheel and a new 15″ DriverConnect digital touchscreen. Dash and vocational features like RAM Mounts and factory-installed PTO switches are available. The T880E is also offered with Kenworth ADAS packages for customers interested in DigitalVision Mirrors, Bendix Fusion, and Lane Keeping Assist.
It’s so big, you guys
Kenworth T880E; photo by the author.
The T880E was on static display at last week’s ACT Expo in Anaheim, California. Check with your local Kenworth dealer for availability.
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The tire-blistering SU7 Ultra has been the Xiaomi brand’s flagship super sedan since its launch, but a controversial software setting has limited the car to “just” 900 hp in regular driving – resulting in an outcry from owners who ponied up for the big boy numbers. With its latest software update, that missing 648 hp is back on tap!
The SU7 Ultra made waves throughout the performance car world when a bright yellow striped example lined up alongside a white quarter mile king, the 1,000+ hp Tesla Model S Plaid, and promptly smoked it.
That wasn’t all. A preproduction SU7 Ultra prototype lapped the legendary Nürburgring circuit in just 6 minutes and 46.874 seconds, firmly stamping the 1,500+ hp Xiaomi’s alphanumeric into the track’s record books with a time nearly fifteen seconds quicker than a Rimac Nevera or, on the ICE front, either a Corvette ZR1, Viper ACR, or Porsche 918 (take your pick).
It’s hardly any wonder, then, that the customers who signed up – in droves, too – were disappointed to learn that the SU7 they were allowed to buy had been neutered by the safety nannies to the tune of nearly 650 hp. (!)
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We’re so back
The outrage from SU7 Ultra owners was immediate. And, facing mounting pressure online and on social media, Xiaomi ultimately decided to withdraw the performance-limiting features while acknowledging the need for more transparent communication about future software updates they messed up, saying in a statement, “we appreciate the passionate feedback from our community and will ensure better transparency moving forward.”
So, rich people can rocket themselves down the road in 9 second hypercars again and all is right with the world. A happy ending – but one that sort of illuminates a fresh set challenges for automakers peddling “software-defined vehicles” to a market that still thinks of their cars as very much hardware defined products.
The new reality is playing out in real time now, and the Jeff Bezos-backed $20,000 electric compact pickup from Slate Auto is going the other way entirely – time will tell whether more, or less tech is the answer.
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