I Swapped My Lucid Air GT's 21-Inch Wheels for 19s, My Range Jumped from 302 Miles to 487 Miles on the Same Drive

185 miles of extra range just by changing wheels? This Lucid Air GT owner's experiment with 19-inch wheels instead of 21-inch wheels delivered a mind-blowing efficiency boost.

There’s a new kind of enthusiast stalking the pavement, not chasing horsepower, but hunting electrons. These aren’t your traditional gearheads; they’re hypermilers with apps instead of wrenches, watching efficiency meters the way Le Mans engineers used to watch oil pressure. 

Lucid Air Owners Validate 19″ vs 21″ Wheel Efficiency Gains

They know their kWh like old-school tuners knew cam timing. For this new breed, the drag coefficient matters more than 0-60, and range has replaced redline. It’s not about brute force anymore. It’s about elegant restraint. And one user decided to document, every detail counts, including his wheels, in a recent Facebook post:

“I thought people might find this interesting. I bought a 2022 Lucid Air GT last fall that came with the 21-inch wheels, without really understanding the implications of the wheel size. They looked great, but over time, I became disappointed in both the rated range (450 miles or so, rather than the 510 I had read about), and particularly the actual range. 

Over about 5,000 miles since I got it, I averaged 2.56 miles/kWh (Trip B on the display) on a 118 kWh battery, which computes to an actual range of 302 miles on a full charge and 242 miles on the more common 80% charge. That was really disappointing (note that many of those 5,000 miles were in a NY winter). 

This week, I swapped out the 21s for 19s with the all-weather tires at the new Rutherford, NJ, service center. By the way, they were great, and I’m thrilled to have a service center that’s easier to reach than Long Island.  Easy scheduling, very friendly, and quick work.  My thanks to them. 

So, how different is the range?  On the 30-mile ride out, which is mostly highway driving, I averaged 2.73 mi/kWh (which computes to 322 actual miles on a full charge). Then, on the same ride home on the new wheels, I averaged a much better 4.13 mi/kWh, which computes to a full charge getting me 487 miles. I’m pretty happy about that. Note that Rutherford's altitude is 66 feet and my home altitude is 94 feet, so if anything, I was going a little bit uphill on the way home.   

I don’t know if this is consistent with the experiences other people have had. But I really prefer getting the full range of this amazing car. And although I can see a slight difference in the look of the car (see the before and after pics), I just don’t think that’s a big deal.

That said, if you disagree, and you really want to have 21-inch wheels and don’t have them, I’m selling my old ones soon!  So DM me! 🙂

UPDATE: I’m sorry if this came across as critical of either the 21s or the people who prefer them. Totally not my intention. People have different preferences and needs, which is just fine. In fact, I’m hoping to find someone with 19s who wants to move up to the 21s, so I can sell mine!”

That’s Joseph Rand, a Lucid Air GT owner, posting to the Lucid Owners Facebook Group. And while his tone is measured, the data tells the story. Just by swapping his factory 21-inch wheels for 19-inch all-weather tires, he turned his electric land yacht from a 300-mile car into a 487-mile tourer, on the same stretch of road, in the same day, in opposite directions. 

Lucid Air Grand Touring Range, Fast Charging, Level 2 Charge Time & Charging Standards

• The Lucid Air Grand Touring offers an EPA-estimated range of up to 516 miles on a single charge, making it one of the longest-range electric vehicles available in the U.S. market. 
• Equipped with a 900V+ electrical architecture, the Air Grand Touring can add up to 200 miles of range in approximately 12 minutes when connected to a 350 kW DC fast charger. 
• Using a Level 2 AC charger, the vehicle can be fully charged from 0 to 100% in about 6 hours, thanks to its 22 kW onboard charger. 
• The Lucid Air Grand Touring supports both CCS and NACS charging standards, providing flexibility to access a wide range of public charging networks.

Let’s do the math. At 2.56 mi/kWh on the 21-inch wheels, Rand was eking out 302 miles from the Lucid’s 118 kWh battery. But post-swap, on his return drive, he clocked an efficiency of 4.13 mi/kWh, a staggering 61% improvement. That bumps his theoretical range to nearly 490 miles, brushing against the Lucid’s EPA-stated 516-mile peak.

The Lucid's a marvel of engineering, but even it can't outmaneuver physics… less rotational mass, reduced rolling resistance, and narrower contact patches add up to more range than any software update could hope to achieve.

How The Lucid Community Responded 

And Rand wasn’t alone. The post set off a chorus of like-minded owners validating his findings. “I always prefer the smaller wheels!” wrote Roger Greenway. “Not that concerned with the cooler appearance... the extra range and better road hazard resilience win the race.” It’s a quiet revolution happening one wheel size at a time. Minsoo Pak echoed the sentiment: “If I lived somewhere with bad condition roads, I’d probably have stepped down to the 20” wheels for sure.” In the pre-EV era, downsizing wheels would be akin to admitting defeat. Now it’s the equivalent of a tactical victory.

Rich Bowie, another Lucid owner, had already done his homework. “I intentionally ordered the 19" wheels on my 2022 Lucid AT because I wanted the additional range,” he wrote, sharing a lifetime average of 3.64 mi/kWh, and 4.11 on a recent 250-mile trip. His tone read more like a data scientist than a gearhead, and that’s the point. EVs have turned owners into efficiency analysts, with pride now rooted in mileage gained, not rubber laid.

Wheel Size Impact vs Driving Behavior on Lucid Air Range

Still, not everyone is convinced it’s just the wheels. “Either your battery is damaged or you are driving more aggressively,” commented Ivor Benjamin, who’s clocked over 50,000 miles on his own Air GT. 

He averages 3.89 mi/kWh over 10,000 miles, showing that driver behavior still plays a central role in the efficiency equation. Smoother roads, gentler speeds, less climate control, all these things matter. But Joseph’s instant range bump on the exact same route underscores just how massive the wheel size penalty can be.

To understand the magnitude of this shift, think about what 185 extra miles of range means in the real world. That’s the difference between charging in Harrisburg or making it to Pittsburgh. It’s the security blanket that calms the range anxiety from electric motors, letting them press on without watching the battery percentage tick down like a doomsday clock. 

Lucid Air Grand Touring Dimensions, Powertrain Performance & Pricing

• The Lucid Air Grand Touring measures 195.9 inches in length, 86.4 inches in width (including mirrors), and 55.4 inches in height. It features a wheelbase of 116.5 inches, offering a spacious interior with 131.0 cubic feet of passenger volume and 32.1 cubic feet of cargo space. 
• This model is equipped with dual electric motors delivering a combined 819 horsepower and 885 lb-ft of torque. It utilizes an all-wheel-drive system and a 1-speed direct-drive transmission. 
• The Air Grand Touring accelerates from 0 to 60 mph in just 3.0 seconds and reaches a top speed of 168 mph. It boasts an EPA-estimated range of up to 512 miles on a single charge, and with a 350 kW DC fast charger, it can add 200 miles of range in approximately 12 minutes. 
• The starting price for the 2025 Lucid Air Grand Touring is $110,900, excluding taxes, title, license, options, destination, and other fees.

So what does Rand’s experiment really prove? That EV ownership isn’t passive. It’s a participatory sport. The tools may have changed, but the game remains the same. 

Whether it’s a wrench or a touchscreen, the real enthusiast is always chasing something, lap times, speed records, or now, maximum efficiency. And when you gain 185 miles of range just by changing your shoes? That’s a win for all of us. 

Image Sources: Lucid Newsroom

Noah Washington is an automotive journalist based in Atlanta, Georgia. He enjoys covering the latest news in the automotive industry and conducting reviews on the latest cars. He has been in the automotive industry since 15 years old and has been featured in prominent automotive news sites. You can reach him on X and LinkedIn for tips and to follow his automotive coverage.