California is testing Lucid Air for highway patrol

While there are plenty of electric vehicles that serve as police cars, the vast majority only see urban use where they can quietly sneak up on criminals without having to travel long distances. You don’t really see electric vehicles on the highway, but in California that could change. The state recently adopted a Clear sky to assess whether it would be a good vehicle to keep the highway safe, and given the Air’s incredibly good electric range, criminals probably shouldn’t count on it running out of power sooner.

Most electric vehicles wouldn’t be as good as an internal combustion engine car on highway patrol, simply because they cover a lot of miles every day, and they can’t compete with ICE in this regard. However, the Lucid Air is the longest-range EV available today, and its acceleration will embarrass some sports cars. Even the entry-level model Air Pure boasts an EPA range of 420 miles and 450 horsepower, allowing for a 0 to 60 mph sprint time of 4.5 seconds, and pricing starts at $69,900.

Lucid posted photos of what a highway patrol car might look like, even though it doesn’t actually wear police livery. If you look closer, you’ll see that it says ‘Lucid Pursuit’ on the door, with a mix of the Bright logo (a stylized California bear) in a star to resemble a police weapon.

The manufacturer doesn’t say much about it, only stating that the Air participated in the tests. The manufacturer also touts the Air’s surprisingly cavernous interior for a sedan. Not only does this make it comfortable for the officers sitting in the front, but the roomy backseat would ensure that people being detained have room to stretch out, especially if it’s a smaller battery model where the rear footwell is deeper.

Clear engines

The Air could also carry more police equipment thanks to the front trunk, which adds 10 cubic feet of cargo space on top of the regular trunk’s 22.1 cubic feet.

At least one Lucid Air is already operating as a police car in Dubai, where the police also have several Tesla Model 3s, Model Ys and Cybertrucks. Saudi Arabia also has an Air in its police fleet.

Dubai opted for the Lucid Air Grand Touring, currently the most expensive variant, costing $109,900, more to show off the state’s wealth, not because this variant was necessary. It’s $40,000 more than the Air Pure, making it an unlikely candidate for the highway patrol role in California, where even the Pure can be considered expensive.