DawgTalkers.net Forums DawgTalk Everything Else... A Lucid Talk About Cars And Tech

So, I'm approaching a stop light, and in the lane to my right, I see the rear end of a car I'd never seen before. I'm not particularly a 'car guy,' but I've always taken notice of styling, architecture, etc. Sometimes, I find myself all, "daaaang- that sure looks nice. I'd have never thought of that treatment." Sometimes, it's "what group of idiots thought this look was a good idea? I mean- a whole food chain of folks, any one of whom could have said- 'uh, guys- maybe we should put in more time...' "

This azz looked beautiful. Sleek, contoured, sculpted... like a quality, high-end brazilian butt lift. I looked for a badge. Couldn't see one. But I did see the tail light treatment- a 3-inch light bar that ran the virtual width of the rear end. Then, I pulled farther up into my lane while it was stopped. Damn, this car was sleek. As I rolled to my stop, I was checking it out through the passenger windows of my entirely pedestrian SUV. It was like black liquid flowing backward. Craned my neck, and couldn't see a badge of any sort. Another sleek light bar-type treatment for the front illumination. No grille.

We were in parallel left-turn lanes, so when the light changed, I slow-walked my turn to get a second look. It poured past me, and I saw that tail light treatment again. Of course, the brake lights were gone, but the entire panel still glowed a subtle but noticeable red. I looked closer, and saw a name, silhouetted in front of that red glow: LUCID.

When I got home, I did a quick search, and found stuff about a car brand I'd never heard of until 5 hours ago. This is the car I saw. It gets >500 miles of use from a single charge.


Car guys: what's the inside talk about this brand? I'm mildly curious, but too lazy to join msg boards, and do research. I'd much rather get the skinny from folk I know.

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Also: if some of you Dawgs remember, back in ~2009/10, I authored a thread about the then brand-new Tesla Roadster. That thread was one of the first at DT to ever talk about EV's (I'm kinda proud of that fact). How different is our conversation about EV's now, almost 1.5 decades hence?

Time.
Perspective.

What make is that car? It's sweet.

I saw this car the other day. My head twisted around like a cartoon character when I drove past it in the parking lot. Mercedes AMG GT

beautiful cars... not quite there yet. Lucid was started by former VP of Tesla. They are still struggling with software and electrical issues. But I think they'll get there. They will take the Luxury EV market over I think. They set out to do that as opposed to tesla who picked more the performance route. You get into to the Lucid sapphire and you could have 2 Model S plaid for that price.. but they look really nice.

This is it right here. Enough time has passed to where the offerings are getting into the realm of "I think I can do this". The spectrum of fully electric offerings has expanded past just clown cars into normal everyday folk cars, SUVs, and even pickup trucks. I have my eye on a certain spec of Tesla and it's downright affordable right now.

With that time and progress, perspective is also shifting. Hyundai/Kia/Genesis are putting out some stellar products right now, and IMO the ones leading the charge are their electric vehicles. Ford has finally starting turning the ship. The appeal of an electric is slowly expanding past just the cost-benefit analysis.

Moreso in terms of perspective, I find myself more and more focused on where my dollars are ending up. EV batteries are still a pain point, but work is being done there. I can definitely get behind the idea of no longer spending my money on gasoline.

Eve, the brand is called Lucid. The model is called Air. It was decked out in what they call the 'stealth' trim package. Just a beautiful creation. At 80k for their entry level car, they're too rich for my wallet.

I wnt to find a 1972 Grand Prix with the 455 engine. (This was my first car)

Unfortunately, it's hard to find a decent one for under $20k, and some are as much as $50k.

Give me a ‘69 pearly white Mustang convertible, Clem. My dream car

Well, now that we've devolved into classic cars (lol Clem ), determined the stroker motor in my '72 Nova can actually get over 10mpg last week... if I take it easy. Unfortunately, that's very hard to do.

I have had my 69 Firebird for 26 years and counting.

Amen on the wallet- I hope folks think about the real purpose of a car- get from point A to B- safely and economically. JMHO, all other stuff is PRIDE. Spend your money on what you want- but everything keeps going UP- think long term before you buy-----Toyota Prius is great car.

Another aspect of electric cars that's quickly gaining momentum (now that we're getting past the early-adopter phase) is that EV's are absolutely going to be more reliable than gas equivalents. Kinks are still being worked out, but the reality is that EV's have less moving parts that require less attention. The only fluids are for windshield wipers and brakes (I think), and unless you're driving like Mario Andretti those brakes last FOREVER.

My understanding of EV maintenance is that when it happens it's a lot more intense, but it happens MUCH less.

I actually like this. For me, while I do like to get under my car and work, it's MUCH less enjoyable when I have the pressure of needing it for the usual A-->B the next morning.

I tend to agree with all of that. However, here's my elephant in the room...

I don't mortgage my future for new cars. I know it's the American way, but I don't participate. I'm more than a little leery of writing a big check for something with an expiration date. Imagine buying a used car when the dealership tells you the entire drivetrain will be toast in 30,000 miles. That's basically what you get when you buy a used EV. When the battery is toast, you're faced with about the same expense it would take to replace the entire drivetrain on an ICE vehicle.

Crazy as it seems, green is actually, in a sense, disposable.

I think we're starting to get out of that phase. I believe there is a report out there that talks about the expected longevity of batteries, and it's a positive one (I believe that magic number you're referring to is closer to, if not over, 200k miles). 200k with legit evidence behind that number is much more palatable.

That said, it still requires a shift in thinking. We have become so used to periodically sinking smaller amounts of money into a car over time. Every car has a cost associated with keeping it on the road in good working order. EV's are no different, just follow a different curve (on average).

I'm not quite sold yet, but I'm (obviously) coming around.

We are very much the same way in that regard. I've never been a fan of spending a HUGE amount of money on something that will greatly depreciate the moment I use it and only devalue further as time goes by. That's what happens when you buy a new vehicle. I don't consider that a sound way to invest my money. Now what a "HUGE amount of money" means varies from person to person depending on their personal wealth. Then there are just car lovers of which it's more than just a purchase but also a hobby investing in cars. There are those who feel more comfort in knowing their family has the security and dependability that comes along with a new vehicle. I see their side of it too.