Lucid's new base Air Pure EV seems like a hell of a car

With the launch of the new rear-wheel-drive Pure, the Lucid Air lineup is now complete. The single-motor Pure is the least-expensive version of Lucid’s fetching electric sedan, and it’s available to order right now, starting at $78,900 including a $1,500 destination fee.

To put that price in perspective, the Air Pure RWD is $5,000 less than its dual-motor counterpart, and $17,600 cheaper than the next-step-up Air Touring. It’s also one third of the price of the 1,234hp Air Sapphire, though to be fair, the Air Pure also has one third as much power.

Not that the RWD Air Pure is anything to scoff at, mind you. Lucid’s base model offers 430hp and 406lb ft of torque, meaning this large luxury sedan can scoot to 60mph in 4.4 seconds. More importantly, the single-motor Air Pure has an estimated driving range of 419 miles, according to the US test cycle. That’s better than anything else in its class, including the Tesla Model S.

The Pure’s sole rear-mounted motor is powered by an 88kWh battery pack that can fast-charge at a max rate of 250kW (assuming you can find a fully functional DC charger, anyway). This version also comes standard with 19-inch wheels, which is what you’ll want if you’re going to attempt to hit that 419-mile range number. Even better, the Air Pure has an aluminum roof, not the full-glass one that doesn’t tint enough to keep the cabin cool.

If you don’t need the full-on assault of one of Lucid’s quicker Airs, the RWD Pure seems like a pretty good deal. It might have one third the power of a Sapphire, but it definitely isn’t one third as good of a car.