Lucid’s high-performance electric sedan, the Lucid Air Sapphire, has been named the 2026 German Performance Car of the Year at the annual German Car of the Year (GCOTY) Awards. The recognition marks a significant milestone for the California-based EV maker as it seeks to strengthen its presence in Europe’s competitive luxury performance market.
The Lucid Air Sapphire is positioned as one of the fastest production sedans in the world. It can accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in less than two seconds, reach a top speed of 330 km/h, thanks to 1,234 horsepower from a tri-motor powertrain developed in-house by Lucid. Despite its focus on performance, the vehicle maintains a WLTP-rated range of 694 kilometers and an energy consumption of 19.1 kWh per 100 km.
Lucid’s European president Lawrence Hamilton said the award “reinforces our belief that [the Air Sapphire] is the most well-rounded and versatile high-performance EV.” Eric Bach, the company’s senior vice president of product and chief engineer, added that the model “reaches an entirely new level of performance” while retaining the comfort and efficiency of other Air variants.
The German Car of the Year Awards are decided by a panel of 30 automotive journalists who evaluate new vehicles across several categories, including innovation, design, driving pleasure, and overall quality. The “Performance” category includes all new sports cars, roadsters, and high-performance models launched during the year.
“By winning the ‘Performance’ segment at the German Car Awards, the Lucid Air Sapphire proves it meets the highest expectations of experts in Germany’s demanding autobahn market,” said Jens Meiners, co-founder of the GCOTY.
The win comes as Lucid continues to face challenges in building momentum in the European market. Despite record sales in the U.S, sales of the Air sedan have been low in Europe, reaching just single digits in many months, even as the company is expanding its retail and service network in the region. The luxury Air Sapphire carries a €250,000 price tag, or about $477,000 in Canadian dollars or US$290,000.
The automaker is also preparing to introduce its second model, the three-row Gravity SUV, which is expected to begin deliveries in Europe in early 2026.
The Gravity first launched in the U.S. earlier this year, with deliveries expanding to Canada just this past weekend.
