- Lucid and Electrify America are partnering to give owners of the upcoming Air EV three years of complimentary charging.
- Lucid says that 300 miles of range can be added to the Air in just 20 minutes via a DC fast charger.
- The automaker's at-home bidirectional charging station allows the vehicle to be used to power a home.
Offering free charging for owners of new EVs is becoming more of a regular selling point. For those looking to purchase the Lucid Air, that deal comes with three years of complimentary DC fast charging at Electrify America charging stations. In other words, powering the new electric vehicle is free for three years. There's no cap as long as it's for personal, not commercial purposes, and drivers only have to pay for idle fees if they leave their vehicle at the station after the charge is done.
In addition to the free electrons, Lucid states that because of its "ultra-high 900V+ electrical architecture, custom lithium-ion battery cells, a highly sophisticated battery, and thermal management system," its luxury electric sedan can charge relatively quickly. The automotive startup states that in real-world conditions, the vehicle is capable of adding 300 miles of range to the battery in just 20 minutes. Electrify America already has charging stations that are capable of a 350-kW rate.
Of course, most users will likely still charge at home, too. Lucid has anticipated that by announcing its own Lucid Connected Home charging station, which will push more power to the vehicle than the included charging cable that comes with the car but also supports bidirectional functionality. In other words, not only can it push current to the vehicle, the station can pull current back and that electricity can be used to power the owner's home. That's helpful if you live in California, where there are rolling blackouts to help reduce electrical-grid load.
For those looking for a more long-term solution that doesn't involve sucking power out of their vehicle to power their home, Lucid also announced it's working on Energy Storage Systems (ESS), which will be essentially similar to Tesla's Powerwall. The company says the storage units are a way for Lucid to create a sustainable life cycle for repurposed Lucid Air batteries, so batteries that used to be in cars will eventually be used to power homes. No word on the capacity of these units or when they'll be available.
What we do know is that the Lucid Air has already made waves in the EV world with its EPA-estimated range of 517 miles. That bests the current range champion, the Tesla Model S, at 402 miles. The Lucid Air is expected to go into production in early 2021.