Lucid’s long-awaited second vehicle, the Gravity SUV, comes with a few surprises now. The company revealed the ute is capable of traveling 450 miles on a charge with 400 kW fast charging. Perhaps most importantly, starting Jan. 31, it will use the NACS as its standard charging port, gaining access to Tesla’s Supercharger network.
Lucid’s new SUV, the Gravity, will ship with the NACS charging port as standard equipment starting Jan. 31.
The move to the NACS, or North American Charging Standard, follows the lead of many other EV makers, such as Ford, General Motors and more. The major advantages being the reliability and consistent charging speed Tesla Superchargers provide. Additionally, there are more than 20,000 stations across the U.S. and Canada.
Lucid began delivering the Gravity last month with the old CCS-style port, but one of the advantages of being small is being nimble. The company came to the party late on shifting to the new charging standard but claimed to be first to actually ship a vehicle with the new NACS port installed.
On the Lucid Gravity, this charge port is located on the rear driver’s side of the vehicle for easy access to V3 and V4 Tesla Superchargers where it will charge natively on the fast-growing range of new generation 1000V NACS chargers, the company noted.
Lucid is also making sure CCS1 to NACS and SAE J1772 to NACS adapters are also included with the Lucid Gravity, and the CCS1 adapter is the first rated to charge at 500A with 1000V. The adapter enables charging at up to 400 kW through the standard NACS connector in Gravity with a CCS1 connector at a fast charger.
Making good use
The Lucid Gravity will go up against the Tesla Model X, Rivian R1S and other 3-row EVs coming from the likes of Cadillac, BMW and others.
Being able to enjoy use of the Supercharger network is really only impressive if you have a vehicle capable of exploiting it to its best advantage. The new Gravity appears to be able to do just that, according to the EV maker.
“Lucid Gravity offers next-level fast charging speeds and seamless access to the top charging networks including Tesla Superchargers and Electrify America,” said Emad Dlala, vice president of Powertrain at Lucid, in a release.
“To enable this experience for our customers, we developed new, unique technology to allow the 926V Lucid Gravity to charge seamlessly at up to 400 kW on 1000V charging equipment and at sustained speeds of up to 225 kW on 500V architecture fast chargers, including Tesla V3 Superchargers.”
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How does it work
To enable this superlative charging performance, Lucid developed and patented an innovative technology employing our proprietary rear motor drive unit to boost the charging voltage of 500V to match the 926V of the Lucid battery pack.
Lucid CEO Peter Rawlinson said the new Gravity is “the ultimate vehicle for the whole family.”
Unlike the pack-splitting solutions used by some competitors, this high-tech solution permits charging with the highest voltage that a charging station is capable of outputting and, therefore, enables the efficient utilization of electrical current and consequent reduction of cable heat.
This novel technology allows full compatibility with 500V and 1000V charging networks, offering Lucid Gravity customers maximum charging speed on whatever charger is most accessible. At peak charging rates, the Lucid Gravity sustains a robust charging curve, adding 200 miles in less than 12 minutes.
Moving ahead
The new powertrain platform will anchor the Gravity going forward, allowing for charging speeds up to 400 kW, which exceeds the capabilities of the current generation of DC fast chargers. The big bonus is that the Gravity moves closer to being able to be used like a gas-powered vehicle, in terms of being driven long distances and recharging.
“Lucid Gravity is the first SUV that truly compromises nothing,” said Peter Rawlinson, CEO of Lucid, in a released statement.
“It reimagines what an SUV can be, offering an unprecedented combination of comfort and space, ride and handling, practicality, and range, and with today’s announcements, exceptional charging performance and convenience. With seating for up to seven full-size adults and space for their luggage, the Lucid Gravity truly is the ultimate vehicle for the whole family.”
It can also be used as a power source in emergency situations. Now capable of bi-directional charging, supporting up to 80 A at 19.2 kW with the NACS charge port. RangeXchange, first available on Lucid Air, also enables charging another electric vehicle directly via the NACS connector with an optional RangeXchange cable.
Pricing on the new Gravity begins at $79,900 for the Touring model and $94,900 for the Grand Touring version. Deliveries will begin in earnest in the second half of this year.
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