Lucid to start deliveries of electric cars with range exceeding Tesla’s in October – Reuters

Lucid to start deliveries of electric cars with range exceeding Tesla’s in October – Reuters

CASA GRANDE, Ariz., Sept 28 (Reuters) - U.S. startup Lucid Group Inc (LCID.O) said on Tuesday it will start delivering luxury electric sedans with a Tesla-beating driving range in late October, posing a major challenge to the market leader whose sales of premium models have stagnated.

The California-based Lucid began production of its long-delayed Lucid Air cars at its Arizona factory on Tuesday, and said it aims to ramp plant's capacity up to 90,000 vehicles per annum in the next two years.

The top-end Lucid Air Dream Edition will be available in late October, followed by less expensive models: Grand Touring, Touring and Air Pure. The company said it has received more than 13,000 reservations for Lucid Air models, and it has increased the planned total production of the Lucid Air Dream Edition to 520 vehicles.

A version of the Lucid Air Dream Edition, priced at $169,000, received an official U.S. government rating of a 520-mile (837 km) driving range, over 100 miles more than its closest rival, Tesla's Model S, which is priced at $89,990. The higher range helped lead to a 23% jump in Lucid's shares this month.

Speaking at the production site, Lucid Chief Executive Officer Peter Rawlinson, a former