Lucid Air owners will be able to use Tesla Superchargers from July 31

Owners of the Lucid Air sedan volition beryllium capable to complaint their luxury EVs astatine thousands of Tesla Supercharger stations successful North America starting July 31, astir 2 years since the automakers reached an agreement. But determination 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, careless of exemplary year, volition beryllium capable to entree Tesla’s web of accelerated chargers with an approved adapter that costs $220. Tesla V3 (and above) Supercharger stations are compatible with the Lucid Air adapter.

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

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

Unlike the Lucid Gravity SUV, which launched earlier this year, the Air is inactive built with the Combined Charging System (CCS). The CCS was considered the go-to EV charging modular successful North America and utilized by each automakers, with 1 notable exception. Tesla developed its ain charging standard, which includes the built-in charging larboard connected the 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 follow the technology, and assistance marque it the caller modular successful North America.

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

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