Yahoo Autos New Lucid accessories designed to be as slick as the Air
Lucid Motors is finally ready with branded accessories. The California EV maker tapped the same members who designed the Air to work up the first four aftermarket options, maintaining a coherent aesthetic with the six-figure electric sedan. Probably the most welcome item for owners will the Connected Home Charging Station costing $1,200. The small, sleek, Wi-Fi-enabled black box maxes out Level 2 AC charging capability, supporting the 19.2-kW charging the Air is capable of and injecting 80 miles of range into the battery pack every hour. It is also bi-directional, able to return juice to a home energy storage system through the "lightweight" 24-foot cable. The station doubles the charging power of the mobile charging cable all Air trims come with, which tops out at 9.6-kW and is good for 40 miles of range for every hour plugged in.
It's not inexpensive, but this is priced like a luxury item for a luxury vehicle, and it's still less than Ford's Charge Station Pro that runs $1,310 retail. Tesla's reworked its charging options lately, putting out a third-gen Wall Connector for $400. That one is compatible with almost all EVs, but it tops out at 11.5 kW, down from the second-gen charger's 19.2-kW capability.
The rest of the accessories suit the "active lifestyle" folks carmakers constantly pitch as the ideal demographic. The $500 black aluminum Crossbars hook cleanly into slots on the roof. They can support 165 pounds, are said to have "minimal impact on aerodynamics," and work with a number of standard Yakima mounts to hold outdoorsy gear. The Cargo Capsule was made to sit on these bars, adding 11.47 cubic feet of storage space to the Air's already voluminous 32.5 feet of interior load room with the second row seats up. It's a shame what the wind and elements will do to the Capsule, though; the gloss and matte black finish on the ABS shell is real purdy. The case can be opened from either side of the vehicle, and is fitted with interior lighting to allay rummaging in the dark. We're still not sure why the Capsule costs $2,000, but we'd like to find out.
