Tesla vs. Lucid: What to know about each company's electric vehicles before you buy

• Lucid Motors is one of the most exciting Tesla rivals today. 
• The California startup makes expensive, luxurious, and impressive luxury sedans. 
• Tesla's Model S is the closest competitor to the Lucid Air. 

Lots of startups and established manufacturers are trying hard to go toe-to-toe with Tesla, which basically created today's electric vehicle market. 

One of the most exciting new entrants is Lucid Motors, a California-based upstart making some incredibly impressive and astonishingly capable sedans. Here's what to know about the fresh new firm and how it compares to Elon Musk's carmaker. 

What is Lucid?

Lucid Motors was founded way back in 2007, when Tesla was just a few years old. The company started producing and selling its first and only model — the Air sedan — in late 2021. 

The high-end brand now sells several versions of the Air and plans to release an SUV called the Lucid Gravity in 2024. 

Its cars are made at a factory in Arizona. Lucid's CEO, Peter Rawlinson, was previously a top engineer at Tesla. 

What is the price of a Lucid car compared to Tesla?

Over the years, Tesla has developed a lineup of cars with a price range spanning from reasonably attainable (think the $40,000 Model 3 sedan) to downright expensive (like the six-figure Model S Plaid). 

Lucid is solidly a luxury player, with the entry-level Air Pure starting at $87,400. The model's pricing goes all the way up to $249,000 for the Air Sapphire, a super-powerful speed monster. 

How do Lucid and Tesla's vehicles compare?

As its pricing might indicate, Lucid is all about delivering hefty portions of luxury, performance, and technology — and it doesn't disappoint. The $180,000 Air Grand Touring Performance that I tested recently was one of the most impressive vehicles I've ever driven. 

From the outside, the long, low, and wide Air looks futuristic and unlike anything else on the road. The Lucid Air's interior is equally stylish and unique, completing the package. The car I drove was decked out in supple leather and had a giant windshield that stretched back behind the driver's head. 

Some Airs come with more than 1,000 horsepower and absurd performance. Lucid also offers up the best EV range on the market by way of the Air Grand Touring, which is rated to drive 516 miles on a full battery.

Tesla led the market for years, but its best offering, the Model S is no longer the longest-range electric car with only 405 miles of range. 

Tesla's closest competitor to Lucid is its flagship Model S sedan, which also delivers tons of range, awe-inspiring quickness, and lots of advanced technology for a high sticker price — though not quite as high as the top of Lucid's lineup. Both cars offer some of the fastest charging on the market. Tesla's charging speed varies based on the type of charging station you use.

Both brands reject most conventional buttons and switches in favor of touchscreen interfaces that control everything from the air conditioning to the door locks. Tesla's interiors are spartan and minimalist, while Lucid offers a more interesting interior and more amenities, like massaging seats. 

A negative of Lucid Motors' cars is that they can't access the large network of Supercharger stations that Tesla owners benefit from. 

How do you buy a Lucid or a Tesla?

Neither brand has franchised dealers like traditional automakers do. Instead they own and operate their own showrooms and service centers. Customers can order a vehicle online, directly from the company.