Lucid, a Tesla Rival, Will Equip Its Models with NACS Ports

• Lucid Motors reveals plans to adopt Tesla's North American Charging Standard (NACS) ports, with plans to begin installing them in new models starting in 2025.

• Like a number of other automakers, Lucid will offer NACS compatibility via adapters starting in 2025.

• The EV maker is approaching the production reveal of its second model, the Lucid Gravity SUV, as it battles a drop in Air production linked by some industry analysts to waning sales.

Lucid certainly started out as a Tesla rival, with a high-priced performance sedan of its own, but the company is cognizant of trends when it comes to charging standards.

Lucid Motors revealed that starting in 2025 its vehicles will be able to use Tesla Supercharger stations thanks to adapters. That same year Lucid will begin installing Tesla's North American Charging Standard (NACS) ports into its new models.

"Adopting NACS is an important next step to providing our customers with expanded access to reliable and convenient charging solutions for their Lucid vehicles," said Peter Rawlinson, CEO and CTO at Lucid.

However, Lucid's second model line—the Gravity SUV—will arrive on sale before this changeover takes place. This means the first year or so of Gravity production, the SUVs will use CCS ports.

Lucid joins a slew of other automakers that are planning to adopt the NACS standard as well as allow their EVs to charge at Tesla Superchargers. This list currently includes Ford, General Motors, Honda, Fisker, BMW, Hyundai, Jaguar, Kia, Toyota, Lexus, Rivian, Rolls-Royce, Mercedes-Benz, Nissan, Mini, Volvo, and Polestar.

In addition, a number of charging networks have begun installing NACS cables at their stations, or plan to do so soon.

The major NACS holdouts at this point are the Volkswagen Group brands, which include VW, Audi, Porsche, SEAT, and Skoda, as well as Stellantis brands like Ram, Jeep, Chrysler, Fiat, and Alfa Romeo.

Out of these two, the VW Group invested in its own charging network, Electrify America, which primarily features CCS ports, while Stellantis does not offer an EV stateside at the moment, but will soon when the Fiat 500e arrives in early 2024.

"We believe that a unified charging standard, backed by the nationwide rollout of future-ready higher-voltage charging stations, will be a critical step in empowering American consumers to adopt electric vehicles," Rawlinson added.

Lucid has also instituted a few price cuts during 2023, amid industry concerns that demand is in fact slowing. Lucid's production has certainly stalled during 2023 as well—a familiar issue in the EV industry this year—though the automaker is expected to remain financially healthy for at least another year.

The next major event for Lucid is the reveal of the Gravity in production form, with the SUV set to enter production in 2024. Detailed pricing for the SUV has not been announced yet, but the trim lineup is likely to mirror that of the Air sedan.

Will VW and Stellantis eventually adopt NACS, or is there a chance they will continue to be the last holdouts in North America? Let us know what you think.