There is a new king of mileage, charging and efficiency in the field of electric vehicles, which does not wear the Tesla badge.

The car that beats in all three categories is Lucid Air, a brand new electric luxury car that is now on the market.

With its gorgeous design, up to 520 miles of EPA-rated cruising range, up to 1,111 horsepower, and compact electric motor, it is no surprise that Lucid Air is the final nominee for the Motor Authority’s 2022 Best Car Purchase Award.

The first models to roll off the assembly line will be Air Dream Edition Range and Air Dream Edition Performance. Both are powered by compact twin electric motors that provide all-wheel drive. The former has only 933 horsepower and 520 miles of EPA rated range, while the latter has 1,111 horsepower and 471 miles of EPA rated range. Both are rated for 19-inch wheels; choosing 21s will reduce the range.

At launch, each Air is powered by a 112 kWh battery pack and can recover up to 20 miles per minute, or up to 300 miles in 20 minutes. We experienced this fast charging requirement and recovered 299 miles of range in 29 minutes. Although slightly different from the 20-minute promise, our conditions are not ideal (the battery is not fully pre-processed), and despite the problems with the Electrify America charging station, we still see a peak charging rate of 294 kilowatts.

The performance is ridiculous. In the field of supercars, the 0-60 mph sprint time is 2.5 seconds, although unlike Tesla or Porsche Taycan, the sprint is not purple or full of drama. It is fast and can throw the crew back into the seat, but it is a more refined launch experience, and it will never be like a trick at a party.

Unlike Tesla Model S and Mercedes-Benz EQS, Lucid Air does not have an air suspension. The simpler electromagnetically controlled semi-active dampers are installed on all four wheels to provide a solid, controlled driving experience and have an interesting fun that might not be possible for 5,050 full-size cars. It is much more sporty than EQS, but never harsh. This is the driver's car in this market segment.

Air has a lot of numbers, but it's not just Lucid's numbers game. Air is fascinating and pleasant with its excellent engineering and packaging, all of which are related to efficiency. Air has one of the best drag coefficients in the industry, only 0.21, but unlike the Mercedes-Benz EQS and its front cab design, it cuts out a stunning shape with the proportions of the traditional luxury flagship. The front, rear, and dashboard all use thin and wide design themes, which seem to be partly inspired by airplanes and partly French. The uniqueness of the luggage design is that it opens in a way that shows a low lifting height and a wide opening for swallowing luggage.

Compared with EQS and Model S, Inside the Air feels more spacious. The seats are comfortable and supportive, but there are no pillows, and the interior feels futuristic instead of traditional luxury. Part of this feeling comes from the glass canopy roof, which extends from the bottom of the windshield to the beam behind the head of the person sitting in front.

Lucid seems to have distinguished the difference between Mercedes-Benz's overwhelming Hyperscreen dashboard display and Tesla's minimalism. The dashboard has three screens, two of which are located under a single curved glass panel floating on the dashboard. The third is the touch screen, located on the center console, which can be retracted into the dashboard to access storage or simply hide distractions.

Lucid Air is a shockingly good car, whether it is appearance, ride or driving, it is the first attempt for a start-up car manufacturer. But the first batch of models is very expensive, about 170,000 US dollars. Later, the base model will sell for $77,400, but for now, this is an expensive proposal for early adopters. The interior uses materials made of alpaca wool and mixed recycled plastic bottles to create a new sense of luxury. Compared with Mercedes-Benz, the interior has a Volvo atmosphere. The rear seats are comfortable and the space is amazing, but the low roofline makes you have to bow your head. For all the technologies in the car, including the driver assistance system called Dream Drive, Air was launched without Apple CarPlay or Android Auto, although the former is said to be launched through wireless software updates at some point. These are small things that detract from the impressive packaging.

Does Lucid Air combine innovation, luxury, and performance to the top of this year's list of strong nominations? Can a new luxury car with breakthroughs in range, charging speed and power become the best model of traditional luxury cars, budget cars, sports cars and pickup trucks (which are reflected in our other nominations)? Will Lucid Air be rated by the Motor Authority as the most worthwhile car to buy in 2022? On January 3rd, we will announce the winners and the champions from our sister sites The Car Connection and Green Car Reports.

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