The Gravity has arrived
Two years after the Lucid Gravity arrived on the Los Angeles Auto Show floor, the long-promised “affordable” version of the all-electric SUV is here. The Gravity website has promised a sub-$80,000 option for months, and it’s now available. Announced Thursday at this year’s LA Auto Show, the Bay Area-based EV company introduced the Touring trim starting at $79,900.
Defying Gravity (and price)
The Gravity lineup now includes two options: the base Touring unveiled Thursday and the higher-end Grand Touring, which starts at $94,900 for comparison. The Touring is on the same platform as its predecessor and can seat up to seven adults with an optional third row. Yes, the wayback is actually for full-size humans, not just children.
The new trim offers 337 miles of range on a 89 kWh battery, a substantial cut from up to 450 miles on the Grand Touring with its 111 kWh battery. Both only have a native NACS charging port, which can be used at any Tesla Supercharger station and charge up to 220 kW. Still a dual-motor, all-wheel drive experience, the Touring offers up to 560 horsepower and a zero to 60 mph time of 4 seconds. For comparison, the Grand Touring makes up to 828 hp.
Technology-wise, the same 34-inch OLED screen is up front alongside the redesigned steering wheel and center console that arrived with the Gravity’s initial debut. Both Gravity trims join Lucid’s first vehicle, the luxury Air sedan, which launched as an ultra-luxury model with a 520-mile range and a $169,000 price to match. Several years later, a base trim, called the Air Pure, arrived with a starting price of $70,900.
Selling EVs in a post-EV subsidy world
A lot has changed since the Gravity was first introduced in 2023, both for Lucid and the EV industry as a whole. Lucid co-founder and CEO Peter Rawlinson left in February, and Marc Winterhoff has taken over as interim CEO. Rawlinson showed the Gravity at the LA Auto Show in 2023 and demoed how to sit in the front trunk, an activity dubbed “frunking.” Lucid even offers a $500 Gravity Frunk Seat that does not come standard with the SUV.
Gravity has had a slow start with deliveries, technically kicking off at the start of the year, but few units have made it to driveways. It’s ramping up now, but industry-wide, EVs are at an inflection point. At the end of September, the Trump administration’s “One Big Beautiful Bill” provided the $7,500 in tax credits for eligible clean cars. At first, it was a mad dash to scoop up an EV deal, but in the months since, EV interest has waned.
Lucid is a prime example of an all-electric brand trying to appeal to more car buyers with a simplified trim and trimmed-down starting price, especially after lease deals and huge discounts are no longer available through the federal EV credit. However, it’s a losing proposition, according to automotive research firm Edmunds’ insights director Ivan Drury. “The lower trims make sense in theory,” he said in a phone call. “In practice, it doesn’t materialize.” A luxury vehicle that’s stripped down and with less range, like the Gravity Touring, is a hard sell.
For luxury brands like Lucid, it’s harder to be strategic on pricing, especially compared to a more mainstream brand that can placate shoppers with cheaper options and fewer amenities, Drury argued. Besides, with most discounts gone, the used EV market for luxury vehicles is more appealing. “That used market is unreal,” Drury said. “[EVs] are flying off dealer lots.”
But as a new EV, Lucid’s Touring trim comes at a sizable discount from the top-end Grand Touring, especially compared to Tesla’s Standard models, which only knocked off about $500 from the full-featured versions.
Final thoughts
The Gravity Touring trim is available to order online starting Thursday, with immediate delivery for certain configurations. It will be available for test drives, along with the Gravity Grand Touring and Air Sapphire, at the LA Auto Show, which takes place at the LA Convention Center until November 30.
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