Lucid Air Owners Will Be Able To Use Tesla Superchargers From July 31

Owners of nan Lucid Air sedan will beryllium capable to complaint their luxury EVs astatine thousands of Tesla Supercharger stations successful North America starting July 31, astir 2 years since nan automakers reached an agreement. But location is simply a notable caveat: Lucid Air vehicles won’t beryllium capable to complaint arsenic accelerated arsenic Tesla vehicles.

Lucid said connected Tuesday that each Lucid Air sedans, sloppy of exemplary year, will beryllium capable to entree Tesla’s web of accelerated chargers pinch an approved adapter that costs $220. Tesla V3 (and above) Supercharger stations are compatible pinch nan Lucid Air adapter.

However, nan Air will only beryllium capable to complaint astatine 50 kW, a acold little complaint than nan 250 kW highest complaint that these Superchargers provide. The rumor stems from a mismatch betwixt Lucid’s 924-volt charging strategy and nan 400V Tesla Superchargers. Lucid, and immoderate different EV pinch 800-volt charging systems, simply can’t complaint arsenic accelerated arsenic they mightiness pinch chargers designed for them, as Consumer Reports notes.

Lucid spokesperson Andrew Hussey explained that engineers repurposed hardware successful nan Air’s integrated charging system, called Wunderbox, to make nan strategy activity and activate 50kW boost charging erstwhile utilizing a Supercharger. He added that Lucid views nan 50kW charging for Air arsenic different action for owners who are connected roadtrips, aliases unrecorded aliases activity person to Superchargers.

Unlike nan Lucid Gravity SUV, which launched earlier this year, nan Air is still built pinch nan Combined Charging System (CCS). The CCS was considered nan go-to EV charging modular successful North America and utilized by each automakers, pinch 1 notable exception. Tesla developed its ain charging standard, which includes nan built-in charging larboard connected nan conveyance arsenic good arsenic an EV charging connector. In 2022, Tesla shared its EV charging connector design in an effort to promote web operators and automakers to adopt nan technology, and thief make it nan caller modular successful North America.

Tesla calls nan modular nan North America Charging Standard, aliases NACS. In May 2023, Ford became nan first automaker to scope an statement pinch Tesla that would springiness its EV owners entree to nan Supercharger network. Existing Ford EV owners would usage an adapter to usage nan Tesla network. But Ford — and soon astir each different automaker, including GM, Rivian, Honda, Mercedes, Hyundai, Kia, Toyota — besides agreed that its early EVs would person nan NACS charging larboard built into its vehicles.

Lucid was among nan past companies to strike a woody pinch Tesla. And for illustration nan others, Lucid announced that its adjacent EV, nan Gravity SUV, would person a built-in NACS charging port.