California Testing Lucid Air For Highway Patrol Duty

Whereas there are many electrical autos serving as police automobiles, the overwhelming majority solely see city use the place they will quietly sneak up on criminals with out having to journey lengthy distances. You don’t actually see EVs on freeway patrol obligation, however which will change in California. The state lately examined a Lucid Air to judge whether or not it might be a great car to maintain the freeway secure, and given the Air’s unbelievably good electrical vary, criminals in all probability should not depend on it working out of juice earlier than they do. 

Most electrical autos wouldn’t be pretty much as good as a combustion automobile at patrolling highways, just because it requires lots of miles day by day, and so they can’t compete with ICE on this respect. Nonetheless, the Lucid Air is the longest-range EV at the moment out there, and its acceleration will embarrass some sports activities automobiles. Even the entry-level Air Pure boasts a 420-mile EPA vary and 450 horsepower, enabling a zero to 60 mph dash time of 4.5 seconds, and its worth begins at $69,900.

Lucid posted images of what an Air freeway patrol automobile may seem like, though it’s not really sporting police livery. If you happen to look nearer, you’ll see it says “Lucid Pursuit” on the door, that includes a mixture of the Lucid emblem (a stylized California bear) inside a star to make it seem like a police crest.

The producer doesn’t say a lot about this, solely stating that the Air took half within the trials. The producer additionally touts the Air’s surprisingly cavernous inside for a sedan. This not solely makes it comfy for the officers driving within the entrance, however the roomy again seat would be certain that people who find themselves detained have room to stretch out, particularly if it’s a smaller battery mannequin whose rear footwell is deeper.

The Air may additionally carry extra police tools due to its entrance trunk, which provides 10 cubic toes of cargo room on high of the common trunk’s 22.1 cu ft.

At the least one Lucid Air is already in service as a cop automobile in Dubai, the place the police even have a number of Tesla Mannequin 3s, Mannequin Ys and Cybertrucks. Saudi Arabia additionally has an Air in its police fleet.

Dubai selected the Lucid Air Grand Touring, which is at the moment the costliest variant, costing $109,900, extra to flaunt the state’s wealth, not as a result of this variant was required. It’s $40,000 greater than the Air Pure, making it an unlikely candidate for the freeway patrol position in California, the place even the Pure could be thought-about costly.