Lucid Air Pure, made in Arizona, wins a spot on prestigious list from Car and Driver

An Arizona-built car made a prestigious top 10 list during its first year of eligibility. But will the honor bolster the fledgling company's finances?

Car and Driver included the Lucid Air Pure, an electric vehicle built in Casa Grande, on its 10 Best list for 2024, joining models from General Motors, Honda, Porsche and other carmakers.

The Pure "delivers better EPA range than the most expensive or longest-range electrics from Tesla, Hyundai, Mercedes-Benz or any other EV maker in the market," the publication said. "And the all-wheel-drive Pure's slightly shorter range still exceeds the distance some gas-fed cars can go before refueling." The magazine cited the model "for those reasons, and many others."

Car and Driver restricted its analysis to vehicles with a base price below $110,000, and its staff spent two weeks driving each one. "Our annual awards cut through the clutter to find the 10 cars that live up to their purpose while delivering incredible value and a great driving experience," the article stated.

The Lucid Air Pure sells for $77,400, can drive up to 419 miles per charge and has a quick-charging capability that can add 150 miles in 12 minutes.

The rest of the 10Best list consisted of these models: Acura Integra Type S, Cadillac CT4-V Blackwing, Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing, Chevrolet Corvette/Corvette E-Ray, Honda Accord, Honda Civic, Porsche 718 Boxster/Cayman, Subaru BRZ/Toyota GR86 and Toyota Prius.

Parent Lucid Group welcomed the honor at a time when the company has downshifted production at its plant in Casa Grande.

Lucid said it produced 1,550 vehicles and delivered 1,457 to customers during the third quarter, when its quarterly revenue dropped to $137.8 million compared with $195.5 million in the same period in 2022.

The company lost $630.9 million in the latest three-month stretch, a slight improvement from $670.2 million in red ink from July through September 2022.

Lucid recently announced that it would produce 8,000 to 8,500 cars in 2023, a decrease from a prior estimate of 10,000. Earlier this year, the company laid off some workers in Casa Grande.

In addition to its Arizona factory, Lucid recently opened a manufacturing plant in Saudi Arabia.

Reach the reporter at russ.wiles@arizonarepublic.com.