Lucid Air Pure Achieves 146 MPGe & 5 Miles Per Kilowatt-Hour – CleanTechnica

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California-based Lucid Motors recently announced that its Air Pure all-electric sedan has achieved two important energy-efficiency milestones: 146 MPGe and 5 miles per kilowatt-hour. The Air Pure also has about 420 miles of range from its 84 kWh battery.

If you follow electric vehicles, you know the Air Pure’s energy-efficiency milestones are very impressive. If you don’t know much about electric vehicles, the miles per gallon equivalent measure, or MPGe, is supposed to be a way of comparing how efficient an electric vehicle is to a gas-powered one, because we all understand what miles per gallon means for gas vehicles. So, in this particular case, if you think of a gas-powered car that could drive 146 miles on one gallon of gas, you got it. (Like many things in life, there’s more to it than such a simple explanation. The US EPA has more in-depth information.)

If you consider the most fuel-efficient gas vehicle you have ever owned, the Lucid Air Pure blows it away. If you have an EV, the Air Pure beats it too, at least when it comes to MPGe. Some sources list the Hyundai Ioniq 6 as the EV with the best MPGe, at 140, but that was before Lucid’s Air Pure recent announcement.

Wulfer de Bruijn, Director of Efficiency and EV Systems at Lucid, answered some questions about the Air Pure for CleanTechnica.

Is the Air Pure now the most energy-efficient mass market fully electric sedan?

Yes, the Lucid Air Pure is the most energy efficient vehicle, period, electric or gas-powered, sedan or compact. Efficiency is not a knob you can turn, or a switch you can flip. Efficiency is a mindset that you need to carry into everything you design, code, or implement. Only by owning and designing our own drive units and our own battery packs and by writing our own controls software, are we able to achieve the landmark 5.0 mi/kWh efficiency and 146 MPGe.

How much more energy efficient is the Air Pure compared to other EVs in its class?

The Lucid Air Pure is over 70% more efficient than a Porsche Taycan, over 50% more efficient than a Mercedes Benz EQS, and roughly 20% more efficient than a Tesla Model S. Vehicles that come close to our achieved MPGe values are compact vehicles, whereas the Pure is a full-size sedan with ample interior space and lots of room for luggage.

See below graphic detailing on-road efficiency comparisons for competitive EVs in its class.

Is it accurate to say the Air Pure is far more energy-efficient than a gas-powered luxury sedan at the same price point?

The Lucid Air Pure is over 6 times more efficient as a comparable gas-mild hybrid powered luxury sedan, with equivalent power, better performance, at half the price point.

The EPA uses MPGe (Miles Per Gallon Equivalent) for EVs for the purpose of comparing EV and ICE vehicle efficiency on the same scale. For reference, a gallon of gasoline contains 33.7 kWh of energy.

The fuel economy database maintained by the US DOE and EPA allows us to compare vehicles side by side for this purpose as well. (2025 results are not published on the database currently)

What is the chemistry for the 84-kWh battery pack?

Lucid has cell supply agreements with LG Energy Solutions, Samsung SDI, and Panasonic. As a policy, we do not provide detailed information about cell applications in individual models.

Does the heat pump play any role in supporting the vehicle’s energy efficiency?

The heat pump helps redistribute energy for cabin conditioning, either using the vehicle powertrain or ambient air as the heat source. Because most of the heat is transferred rather than generated, heat pumps are about 3 to 4 times as efficient than conventional heating technologies such as electric heaters.

Does the Air Pure qualify for the federal EV incentive to purchase, if not, what about leasing?

All Lucid Air models qualify for a $7500 credit on leases, which Lucid passes through to lower customer payments. Under the current rules, Lucid Air vehicles purchased by individuals do not qualify for federal tax credit incentive program.