A Look at the Lucid Air Touring From a Tesla Perspective

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Recently, I had the opportunity to test drive the Lucid Air Touring while I was on a trip to Toronto. It was an interesting experience, so I’d like to tell you what I thought, coming from a two-year Tesla owner.

For context, I currently own a Tesla Model Y—a 2022 MYLR—and have driven both a Model S Long Range and a Model S Plaid. I use FSD nearly every day and go on road trips all the time. EVs have become a central part of my car ownership experience, and I’ve tried out everything from the original Kona EV to the Audi e-Tron and back.

I hope that my experience and perspective provide an interesting view of Lucid’s pretty amazing vehicle.

The Lucid Air

The Lucid Air is Lucid’s primary and only vehicle – until the Lucid Gravity SUV launches later this year. It’s available in various trim lines that go from lowest to highest – Air Pure, Air Touring, Air Grand Touring, and Air Sapphire.

I got to sit in the three primary models – the Air Pure, the Air Touring, and the Air Grand Touring. I intended to try out the Grand Touring as well – but more on that later. My focus for this will be on the Lucid Air Touring – the one that I had the opportunity to take to the streets with a Lucid employee sitting in the front passenger seat and a few friends sitting in the back.

The Lucid Air is a 4-seat sedan aimed at the upscale and luxury market. And from the price tag, you can tell who it is aimed at - $96,500 CAD (~$70,000 USD) for the Air Pure – without any options. The fully specced out Touring I drove cost $146,999 CAD (~$107,000 USD).

Lucid Air Touring – Options and Pricing

So, let’s get into it, starting with the specs of the car I had the opportunity to drive. The Lucid Air Touring is quite a vehicle, especially spec-wise. Lucid’s Air Touring is a dual-motor EV, with a rated range of approximately 587 km (365mi) and 620 horsepower – pulling 3.4s 0-60 mph (0-100 km/h).

Let’s talk options, as there are quite a few on the Lucid Air. The vehicle I drove was painted in the standard Infinite Black Metallic – a free paint option on any Lucid Air. All paint options only cost $1,000 CAD ($800 USD), which is quite nice.

The vehicle was equipped with an optional glass canopy. Yes – Lucid’s glass canopy is an option that goes for $5,000 CAD ($4,000 USD) and is only available on Touring or higher. The Air Pure is only available with a metallic roof. By default, the vehicles come with a platinum pillar trim which matches the rest of the vehicle. The one I drove had the Stealth package – another $4,500 CAD (~$3500 USD).

There are a few wheel options, and the Stealth package does blackout all the wheel options if it's selected, which is neat. 19” Aero Range wheels are standard, but 20” and 21” packages are available for another $2,500 or $5,000 CAD ($1750 or $3,500 USD). Once again – this vehicle had the 21” rims.

In terms of interior options, there are a few to pick from – by default, you get the Mojave PurLuxe Alternative Leather – if you pony up another $4,000 CAD ($3,000 USD), you can select from three real leather choices – Mojave (Black), Tahoe (Brown), or Santa Cruz (White). If you also choose the glass roof, the headliner, pillar trim, and sun visors on the roof interior are in Alcantara. If not, they’re in cloth.

The full leather packages also include leather or Alcantara on more surfaces within the vehicle, removing the cloth and plastic from anywhere in the interior.

The Lucid Air Touring in the showroom

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Other Features

Lucid also has an extensive list of features, including a Driver Assistance Package – DreamDrive (more on this later), an upgraded sound system, additional seating controls (12-way power seats or 20-way power seats with ventilation and massage), and a comfort package.

The comfort package includes a power frunk, heated wipers, soft-close doors, heated rear seats, four-zone climate control, heated steering wheel, and power rear window shades.

Honestly, in my opinion, many of the features in the “comfort package” should be standard. Paying for a heated steering wheel on a car that starts at $109,000 CAD is ridiculously silly in 2024.

I could imagine seeing this as an option for BMW – who allows customers to part out every piece of their higher-end vehicles (for a premium), but for an EV vendor like Lucid? It feels almost disappointing. Most interesting is that nearly every inventory vehicle that Lucid has in stock in North America has the package included by default.

Upgrade Chart

Here’s a chart showing the available upgrades and their prices for the Touring.

Comfort Package includes Power Frunk, Heated Wipers, Soft-Close Doors, Heated Rear Seats, Four-Zone Climate Control, Heated Steering Wheel, Power Rear Windows/Side Window Sunshades

If you add up all those features, it costs an additional $35,800 CAD in options – or $26,950 USD for a fully loaded Touring. Those same costs apply to the Grand Touring as well. It's slightly less for the Pure – there are fewer options, including not being able to equip it with a glass roof. The Sapphire, on the other hand, comes fully equipped at $327,300 CAD, or $249,000 USD.

Battery and Motors

Lucid’s biggest bragging points are its battery and motor technologies. The Lucid Air Grand Touring has a 718km EPA range-estimated battery, leaving behind its closest contender – the Tesla Model S Long Range, at 647km. However, the Grand Touring costs 1.5 times more than the Model S.

Besides the absolutely fantastic range figures – Lucid also brings an astonishing 5 mi per kWh, while the Model S only reaches 3.2 mi per kWh. The Model 3 narrows the gap at 3.9mi per kWh, but Lucid is still head and shoulders above in terms of efficiency. Of course, that efficiency comes at a cost – as even the Air Pure is far more expensive than a Model 3 Performance.

Here's a table comparing some key specs between the Lucid Air trims, the Model 3 and the Model S.

Lucid has some pretty extreme competition for the price and specs – but those aren’t all that matter. The interior, materials, fit, and finish are truly up to par for what you pay for.

Exterior

Let’s take a look at the outside of the vehicle. Overall, it's stylish, with nice, clean lines. If you opt for the default Stellar White Metallic, the vehicle looks good – even if you choose to have a metallic roof.

If you opt for the Glass Roof, it looks much better. However, you’ll want the Stealth Package on any color other than the Stellar White Metallic or Cosmos Silver Metallic. The platinum trims just stand out too much and take away from the car. All three wheel sets, including the base Aero wheels, are fairly stylish – especially so in the Stealth package.

Interior

On the interior, especially in the driver’s seat, the Lucid Air Touring with the extended real leather package is quite something to behold. Lucid has put a lot of care into designing the interior of the vehicle, with some subtle but clean ambient lighting highlighting the curves of the dash and interior of the vehicle.

The screens are mostly comfortably spaced (more on this in the UI section), but if you’re tall, you’ll find it a struggle to see around inside the vehicle. The A-pillar is extremely low and prevents taller people from seeing to the front left of the vehicle. This can be annoying when doing a left turn – you’ll find yourself leaning forward to see around the pillar.

However, the driver seat is fantastically comfy and holds you well in place when you put the vehicle into a higher speed mode and put your foot down to really take advantage of that acceleration. A well-placed reverse mirror and pop-up repeater cameras assist in making lane changes.

Backing up to the passenger side, the seats are super comfortable. If I had to choose a vehicle to be chauffeured around in – the Lucid Air with the extended real leather would be up there. It's fantastically built and very comfortable. The only thing missing is rear-ventilated seats and a better display. The rear display is only for accessing the rear climate controls since the vehicle is equipped with a quad-zone climate system. The rear screen currently has no other functionality – a big miss from the newer Model 3 Model S and Model X in my eyes, especially for those hoping to move their small families around in comfort.

Lucid has taken the rear passenger seats to the next level – they’re super comfortable and super spacious. In fact, my passengers found it to be more spacious than the Rivian R1T Quad Max we test-drove just an hour prior – and more comfortable. Behind those seats, in the trunk, you can find a fairly deep amount of space. Unlike Tesla’s long hoods that provide plenty of vertical space, the Lucid Air’s trunk is more similar to one you may find on a regular sedan but extremely deep. Plenty of space for several suitcases.

The frunk is massive. In fact, it's bigger than any Tesla frunk – a big win in my eyes, especially with the automatic frunk in the comfort package. I’d love to use the frunk on my Model Y more often – but having to manually open and close it means it's mostly relegated to storing safety equipment, a spare first-aid kit, and a portable air compressor. The Lucid Air’s frunk is fantastically large – you could easily fit three full gym bags up front, with space for a bit more stuff as well.

The Lucid Air Touring's interior in extended real leather

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Drive and Handling

The Lucid Air has three drive modes – Smooth, Swift, and Track (and one called Sapphire – on the same-named model). Smooth is effectively Eco mode and is nice, soft, and accelerates easily. It also limits horsepower to around 430 hp (the same as the Air Pure) if you’re on the Touring or Grand Touring.

Track mode disables much of the traction control and drive assists and also unlocks 100% of the vehicle’s power. Track mode has some sub-modes for racetracks, including Dragstrip, Hot Lap, and Endurance. Interestingly, Swift doesn’t unlock all of the horsepower, but reduces the amount of traction control and driver assists similar to Track. If you want all the horsepower, you’ll need to up it to Track mode.

Overall, while on Smooth, the Lucid Air handles extremely comfortably. In addition, while the vehicle doesn’t have air suspension, its adaptive suspension handles exceptionally well – the pothole-ridden roads we drove over were pretty much unnoticed by the passengers and myself. Lucid has done an absolutely spectacular job of fine-tuning the driving experience for comfort.

In Swift, the car handles a bit more robustly, and you can feel it start to come to life. Sadly, I didn’t have the opportunity to test track mode on Toronto’s congested streets. However – fret not – I have made plans with a friend to take a Lucid Air Grand Touring to the track in the future. Sadly, there are no Sapphires in my future – but if a reader has one and you’re in the Toronto or Ottawa area, let us know.

Overall, I enjoyed driving the car for the luxurious experience. However, it didn’t feel particularly sporty or snappy and felt more like driving a high-end ICE vehicle with an EV’s instantaneous response times. Overall, a good feeling in terms of ride quality and handling for a day-to-day driving experience.

Honestly, if Tesla could replicate Lucid’s absolutely spectacularly comfortable driving experience, that would be amazing, especially in the Model S and X. There’s definitely room for Tesla to improve – even past the “comfort” suspension they added in the 2023 Model Y. And that’s pretty evident – third-party suspension upgrades like those from Unplugged Performance are far superior to Tesla’s, especially in the comfort factor.

User Interface

Lucid’s overall user interface felt smooth, quick, and slick to operate. There were no delays or lag when switching back and forth between modes (like the Q4 e-Tron…). The upper displays show key vehicle information on the right and center and navigation or audio information on the right side. The center display also shows the repeater cameras when signals are active.

The larger display at the bottom is used primarily for options, drive mode swaps, and the 360º parking view. However, it feels like it's not being fully utilized—it’s there and very available, but it's next to useless. If I could display a full-screen nav or more media controls there, that’d be a huge improvement.

I may be spoiled by having everything on a single display on my Tesla and being comfortable with it – I personally don’t love the instrument cluster on the Model S and X. It’s great for your next turn and speedometer, but some features like the smaller visualizations and Autopark feel much less intuitive since you can’t tap or drag the screen.

DreamDrive and DreamDrive Pro

The Grand Touring I drove was equipped with DreamDrive Pro, Lucid’s version of FSD, but due to the lack of time and location, I didn’t have the opportunity to test it out. I’m hoping to do that sometime soon, but the Lucid Air comes with DreamDrive standard and DreamDrive Pro as an optional upgrade.

The standard version includes a long list of features, many of which are standard on a Tesla:

• 3D Surround View

• Blind-spot Monitoring

• Driver Monitoring system to warn against distractions

• Front / Rear Cross-traffic Protection

• Automatic Emergency Braking

• Forward Collision Monitoring

• Lane Departure Protection

• Adaptive Cruise Control

• Traffic Drive-off Alert (think the Green Light Chime on a Tesla)

• Traffic Sign Recognition

• Auto Park in and out (parallel and perpendicular)

• Park Distance Warning

• Rear View Camera

That sounds like a lot of stuff, but it's mostly standard features that are available on a Tesla.

Pro also promises future-capable ADAS for driving and parking, along with Highway Assist—including active lane centering with adaptive cruise control—essentially Autopilot.

Concluding Thoughts

Overall, the Lucid Air Touring is a compelling vehicle for its target market—older, well-off buyers who desire a more relaxed, luxurious, and comfortable EV. While I am absolutely in love with its adaptive suspension and luxurious interior, I really prefer the active dynamic of driving my Telsa.

If I did have a bunch of extra money, I think the Lucid Air would be a fantastic second vehicle for road trips – future models will have NACS ports and current models should be getting adapter capabilities. My friends and family would absolutely appreciate sitting in the comfortable cabin, and I’m sure the DreamDrive Pro would do a fairly good job of getting me around on highways during a trip.

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What Is the Cybertruck's Jack Mode and How to Use It

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Did you know the Cybertruck’s air suspension automatically levels the truck, even while it’s asleep? This is a great feature, especially for camping or off-road adventures. However, it can be an issue when lifting a wheel to change a tire.

Fortunately, there’s a solution: Jack Mode.

Jack Mode

Jack Mode is made for jacking up the truck and prevents the Cybertruck from self-leveling.

To enable Jack Mode, you’ll first need to set the Ride Height to Medium from Controls > Dynamics > Ride Height. You can also set it from the Tesla app by navigating to the Controls section and sliding up until you see Ride Height. This will give you enough clearance for most jacks to get under the truck and lift it.

You can also activate Jack Mode in Low or High, but Tesla recommends a Medium ride height for best control of the vehicle and sufficient tire clearance to safely remove and reinstall the tire. However, once the vehicle is in Jack Mode, the Ride Height cannot be changed.

Next up, go to Controls > Service > Jack Mode to enable Jack Mode. The vehicle will warn you that Jack Mode is enabled and can either be disabled by pressing the button again or by putting the vehicle into drive.

For the duration that Jack Mode is active, it is safe to lift your Cybertruck, even on one side only. It will not self-level for the duration that Jack Mode is enabled.

Automatic Jack Mode

Jack Mode can also activate automatically to protect the suspension from potential damage. For example, if the vehicle’s bumper is resting on a curb, Jack Mode may engage on its own.

Once the obstacle is cleared, or if you shift into Drive or Reverse, Jack Mode will automatically be disabled.

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How the 25% Auto Tariffs Will Impact Tesla

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On March 27, the U.S. Administration announced a 25% tariff on all imported vehicles and foreign-made automotive parts, an attempt to strengthen domestic manufacturing. Currently, Tesla and Rivian stand out as the major EV automakers with a predominantly U.S.-built lineup.

In this analysis, we’ll explore the potential impact of these tariffs, examining key factors and what they mean for the industry moving forward.

Percentage of American Parts

One key item we want to point out here before we continue is that the NHTSA defines North American made parts as parts built in either the United States or Canada - Mexico is not included in this number. In November 2024, we found out the percentage of parts Tesla uses that come from the U.S. and Canada. At the top we have Tesla’s Model 3, which uses 75% North American parts.

We’ll be sticking with overall percentage of North American parts since we don’t actually know what percentage Tesla sources from Canada. We do know today that some cameras, essential die parts, and other key components are sourced from Canada for nearly every vehicle in Tesla’s lineup - so it isn’t an insignificant percentage.

Insulated from Tariffs?

At first glance, Tesla may seem insulated from these tariffs. However, its dependence on a global supply chain—particularly parts moving across the U.S.-Canada border under the US-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA)—adds complexity to the equation. Additionally, potential retaliatory tariffs from Canada could further pressure Tesla, a trend already evident in the company being excluded from multiple EV incentives across the country.

While Canada isn’t Tesla’s largest market, it still accounts for a meaningful share of sales. Even a small decline in that market could have a noticeable impact on the company’s bottom line.

Domestic Advantage

Tesla’s domestic advantage is impressive—it manufactures all vehicles sold in North America at just two facilities: Tesla Fremont and Gigafactory Texas. The initial 25% tariff, set to take effect on April 2, 2025, applies to cars and light trucks assembled outside the U.S., likely dealing a heavy blow to competitors like Hyundai and Volkswagen. According to a Goldman Sachs report, these tariffs could drive up vehicle prices by $5,000 to $15,000.

However, this advantage is partially offset by exemptions under the USMCA. To avoid the full tariff, vehicles and parts must meet a strict “rules of origin” requirement, meaning at least 75% of components must come from the U.S., Canada, or Mexico. This exemption remains in place until May 3, 2025, when the second stage of tariffs kicks in—targeting non-U.S. content more directly.

Effectively, the NHTSA and USMCA’s existing framework for defining “North American-made” components is being upended. This shift plays to Tesla’s strengths, but to understand the full impact, we need to take a closer look at its supply chain.

Supply Chains

Tesla’s supply chain is deeply integrated across North America. Approximately 25% of the Model 3 Long Range RWD and AWD comes from Mexico - and some undefined percentage also comes from Canada. That number rises significantly for the other vehicle’s in Tesla’s line-up, which is available in the chart below from early November 2024.

Phase 2 of the tariffs will place an increasing impact on Tesla - especially as it won’t be simple nor quick for Tesla to move all part production to the United States. 

Battery Production

This is particularly evident in Tesla’s reliance on Canadian minerals, which are crucial for its battery production. Tesla sources key materials like nickel, lithium, and cobalt from Canadian mines, with most of these resources being shipped across the border in an unrefined state. Currently, these shipments face a relatively low 10% tariff from Canada. However, potential retaliatory tariffs could drive costs higher or even restrict access to these essential minerals.

While limiting access may seem extreme, Ontario has already threatened to halt nickel exports from Canada’s largest nickel mine to the U.S.—a move that could pose a serious challenge for Tesla.

Even Elon Musk has acknowledged that Tesla won’t emerge from these tariffs unscathed.

Important to note that Tesla is NOT unscathed here. The tariff impact on Tesla is still significant.

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) March 27, 2025

Retaliatory Tariffs

Tariffs are rarely a one-way street. Canada and Mexico are likely to respond with retaliatory tariffs on U.S.-made auto parts or vehicles. Both countries have already explored reducing EV incentives by excluding Tesla from certain rebates. Additionally, there have been discussions about imposing tariffs specifically on Tesla, partly due to Elon Musk’s political involvement.

Consumer Impact

Several scenarios impacting consumers can unfold in response to these upcoming tariffs.

In the short term, higher prices for competitors could drive more customers toward Tesla as they seek more affordable products. However, increased import costs could force Tesla to either absorb the expense or raise prices—potentially offsetting any sales gains.

Cox Automotive, a leading industry analyst, has warned that by mid-April 2025, North America could see reduced production, tighter supply, and rising vehicle prices. Tesla, despite its domestic production, won’t be immune to these effects due to its reliance on a continental supply chain.

To mitigate long-term costs, Tesla could explore securing domestic mineral rights—an expensive move initially but one that could provide stability if tariffs remain in place for years under the current administration.

However, Tesla CFO Vaibhav Taneja acknowledged during the Q4 2025 Earnings Call that the company remains heavily dependent on global parts sourcing. Given Tesla’s own admission of the impact, consumers should expect price increases as the company adjusts to the shifting trade landscape.

What to Take Away

Overall, the 25% tariff presents a double-edged sword for Tesla. While it may offer short-term advantages by making competitors’ vehicles more expensive, long-term, Tesla will also be impacted. Tesla’s reliance on cross-border parts, coupled with potential retaliatory tariffs, could quickly escalate costs and increase vehicle prices.

As the political landscape around tariffs continues to evolve on what seems to be a daily basis, Tesla will need to navigate these changes carefully. Tesla’s supply chain has been optimized for cost-effectiveness and efficiency. Any changes that happen could be driven by the new tariffs. Tesla may be forced to make changes that prioritize reducing tariff costs, potentially at the expense of efficiency. However, if these policies continue to evolve or if tariffs are later removed, Tesla is then stuck with a less-efficient supply change.

The company will likely address these challenges in detail during the Q1 2025 Earnings Call, though that remains several weeks away.

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