Lucid Motors to launch 2021 Lucid Air, an electric luxury vehicle that could rival Tesla

Lucid Motors is rolling full steam ahead in its production of luxury electronic cars that could compete with Tesla.

The company announced updates to its rollout and said a flagship New York City studio will open this week. A studio in Chicago opened on June 11.

As the company prepares for the launch of the 2021 Lucid Air model, a midsized sedan  capable of going up to 517 miles on a single charge, Lucid Motors said it has completed preproduction builds and surpassed 10,000 paid reservations for the car in its different versions.

The company projects Lucid Air to launch in the second half of 2021.

Lucid Motors is a Silicon-Valley based company that has developed the longest-ranged battery-powered vehicle. The company said the Lucid Air Grand Touring model  will start at $131,500 with a range of 517 miles and 800 horsepower.

For comparison, Tesla’s longest-range electric car, the Model S Long Range Plus, gets  402 miles and has a starting price of $74,990 that can go over $100,000 depending on options.

The Lucid Air base model will sell for $69,900 with 406 mile projected range and 480 horsepower. The Lucid Air Touring model will start at $87,500 with a range of 406 miles and 620 horsepower and a the limited-edition performance model, the Lucid Air Dream Edition, will start at $161,000with a range of 465 or 503 miles, depending on wheel size and 1,080 horsepower.

“What we’ve got is a breakthrough in electric cars,” Lucid CEO and Chief Technical Officer Rawlinson previously told USA TODAY. “Lucid is going to change the world.”

By Asha C. Gilbert www.usatoday.com