Forget Tesla - This electric car is the world's first with the sound of Dolby Atmos

Forget Tesla - This electric car is the world's first with the sound of Dolby Atmos

Have you ever been driving along and your favorite song comes on the stereo and you turn up the volume only to be disappointed by the flat or lackluster audio? If so, then the news that Dolby Atmos audio is coming to cars may be exactly what you want to hear.

Lucid may not be a household name yet, but their Air electric sedan is not only about to bring a luxury electric car to market, it will be the first car to feature Dolby Atmos audio inside. Both the Air Grand Touring and Air Dream Edition models will offer Atmos-enabled sound through Lucid's 21-speaker Surreal Sound system.

Tuned with the famed Capitol Records Studio C design in mind, this comprehensive speaker setup allows directional audio from the front, rear, sides, and above, providing the immersive surround sound known as Dolby Atmos. Basically, when the perfect driving song comes along, you are most likely in the perfect place to enjoy it.

"The overhead speakers are very carefully placed along the inner pillars of the vehicle to optimize the entire upper surround area. This positioning of the upper and lower speakers is critical to creating a three-dimensional experience," explained Derek Jenkins, Senior Vice President of Lucid Motors.

Also, because all Lucid vehicles are eclectically powered, the sound output of the speakers is not interrupted by the rumble of the internal combustion engine. The Lucid Electric Advanced Platform (LEAP) uses up to three electric motors to produce a total of 1,080 horsepower. This is hypercar-like power, surpassing the Tesla Model S's 1,020 hp.

To prevent the driver from going wild with that power, the audio system also handles driver warnings using directional speakers. So, for example, if someone in the back seat is not wearing a seatbelt and is out of the driver's line of sight, a chime will sound from that area. In other words, the Atmos speaker system is not just for enjoying music while driving.

Audio technology in cars has come a long way, with the Audi A1 featuring Bang & Olufsen's 3D sound system. However, support for Dolby Atmos could be a major step up.

With a claimed range of 517 miles on a single charge, a luxurious luxury sedan interior, and a large digital dashboard, the Lucid Air has a lot of EV and general technology. It also features DreamDrive, an advanced driver assistance system fueled by data from 32 sensors ranging from radar to ultrasonic scanning to LiDAR.

All this car and audio technology does not come cheap, with the Lucid Air starting at $69,900. If you want a Dolby Atmos speaker system, you'll need to set aside $131,500.

However, the Lucid Air is likely to be a strong competitor to the Tesla Model S. Lucid Motors is currently taking reservations for the Air model, but has yet to announce a delivery date.

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