Lucid Motors touts winter electric vehicle performance

Lucid Motors is out with a new video showing off the performance of prototypes of the upcoming Lucid Air luxury EV in cold, snowy, and icy conditions in northern Minnesota.

What they're saying: "The extreme environment is ideal for validating vehicle dynamics as we test features like antilock braking, traction control, and stability control," a blog post alongside the video states.

Why it matters: Electric vehicle manufacturers are taking pains to show that their products perform as well or better than gasoline-powered cars in tough conditions.

• Last month Ford released footage of the upcoming Mustang Mach-E moving around the Smithers Winter Test Center in Michigan.
• Lucid's video also comes as EV makers are looking for ways to get noticed during the pandemic, because events like splashy auto show reveals are canceled and car buying is way down.

The big picture: The company, which is backed by $1 billion from Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund, plans to begin initial production of the vehicle at a factory in Arizona late this year.

• It has not yet revealed pricing specifics but it won't be cheap. The Arizona Republic reports that initial models will be over $100,000.

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