The BMW i5 isn’t even here yet and it’s already going to have to face a gauntlet of tough competitors when it debuts. Cars like the Tesla Model S, Mercedes EQE, Porsche Taycan, Audi e-tron GT, eventually the Audi A6 e-tron, and now the Lucid Air Pure RWD. It’s clear now BMW is far too late to the game. However, the Lucid is an interesting competitor because of its power, range, powertrain layout, and price.
While there’s no official release date for the Lucid Air Pure RWD, the upcoming entry-level model is on its way with an interesting combination of specs. It’s going to start at just over $80,000, which will likely be priced similarly to a very well equipped BMW i5 eDrive40. The Lucid will probably be more expensive but its specs will make it every bit as attractive.
According to an email sent by Lucid to customers (and discovered by Auto Evolution), the Air Pure RWD will come with a single rear-mounted motor that makes 430 horsepower and 406 lb-ft, which is almost 100 more horsepower and lb-ft of torque than the BMW i5 eDrive40 should have. More importantly, though, it will also have 406 miles of range, which is easily 100 miles more than the i5 will have. It’s also said to get from 0-60 mph in 4.4 seconds, which is faster than every none-M Performance 5 Series.
Of course, we don’t have specs or pricing on the BMW i5 just yet. However, BMW has kept its EV pricing similar to its gasoline alternatives, just a bit higher for most EV model variants, so for a BMW i5 that can compete with the Lucid Air Pure RWD, in terms of performance, will probably cost similarly. But even if the Lucid is more money, it will come with similar performance but more range and far better packing, as it’s build on a bespoke EV chassis, while the i5 will be based on the traditional 5 Series platform.
Obviously, this isn’t an exact apples-to-apples comparison, especially since we don’t have the specs of the i5 just yet. The Lucid will have more range, similar power, and similar performance, while the BMW i5 will be down on range but it will likely be priced a bit lower and have a far better dealer network. However they compare, the Lucid Air Pure will be an intriguing competitor for the BMW i5, when they both debut and it will be a ton of fun to see how they compare.
