Owners of the Lucid Air sedan will soon have the ability to recharge their luxury electric vehicles at thousands of Tesla Supercharger stations across North America, beginning July 31. This follows nearly two years since the companies established their agreement. However, there is an important limitation: charging speed for Lucid Air vehicles will not match that of Tesla models.
Lucid announced that all versions of the Lucid Air sedan, regardless of production year, will gain access to Tesla’s fast-charging network with a compatible adapter priced at $220. The adapter can be utilized at Tesla V3 Supercharger stations and newer versions.
Nonetheless, the charging rate for the Air will be capped at 50 kW, which is significantly lower than the 250 kW peak capability of the Superchargers. This discrepancy arises from a difference between Lucid’s 924-volt charging system and Tesla’s 400V Superchargers. According to Consumer Reports, electric vehicles (EVs) operating on 800-volt systems, like Lucid, cannot achieve the maximum charging speeds unless connected to chargers specifically designed for them.
Lucid’s representative, Andrew Hussey, clarified that the engineering team modified the hardware within the Air’s integrated charging system, known as Wunderbox, to enable 50 kW boost charging with a Supercharger. He noted that this charging option is beneficial for Air owners during road trips or for those residing or working near Supercharger locations.
In contrast to the recently launched Lucid Gravity SUV, the Air continues to be built with the Combined Charging System (CCS), which has been the primary EV charging standard in North America, utilized by a majority of automakers. Tesla, however, has developed its unique charging standard, featuring an integrated charging port and a distinct EV connector. In 2022, Tesla made its EV charging connector design public to promote adoption among network operators and manufacturers, aiming to establish it as the new standard in North America.
Tesla refers to its charging standard as the North America Charging Standard (NACS). In May 2023, Ford became the first automaker to formalize an agreement with Tesla, allowing its EV owners access to the Supercharger network through the use of an adapter. Furthermore, Ford and other manufacturers, including GM, Rivian, Honda, Mercedes, Hyundai, Kia, and Toyota, have agreed to incorporate the NACS charging port into their future EV models.
Lucid was one of the last companies to finalize arrangements with Tesla. Like its competitors, Lucid announced that its upcoming electric vehicle, the Gravity SUV, will feature a built-in NACS charging port.
