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- Lucid Motors’ Gravity SUV will come from the factory with Tesla’s charging port.
- Gravity production is set to begin in late 2024.
- It will be one of the first EVs to have Tesla’s connector built right in, as the auto industry shifts standards.
Tesla’s takeover of the electric vehicle charging world continues. Lucid Motors’ upcoming Gravity SUV will come with Tesla’s charging port built-in, the company confirmed on Tuesday.
The Gravity starts production in late 2024, so we’d expect customers to start taking delivery of their vehicles in early 2025. When those hit the road, they’re set to be some of the very first non-Tesla EVs to feature the Tesla-designed North American Charging Standard (NACS) connector.
Last last year, Lucid joined practically the entire auto industry in announcing that its “future vehicles” would come with native NACS charging starting in 2025. Now Lucid has specifically indicated that the Gravity will be NACS-equipped. The company hasn’t said whether future versions of its Air sedan will make the switch.
Fellow California EV startup Rivian announced earlier this year that its next vehicle, the R2 SUV, will come standard with the NACS port as well. That’s scheduled to arrive in 2026. As it stands, the 2025 Hyundai Ioniq 5 will be the first non-Tesla to be NACS-equipped when it hits dealerships later this year.
The EV market is in the early stages of a profound shift. For years, Teslas used one type of charging connector (NACS), while the rest of the industry used another (the Combined Charging System, or CCS). Only Teslas could use the company’s lauded and extensive Supercharger fast-charging network, which was a big selling point for Tesla’s customers.
Starting in May 2023, however, Tesla struck deals for Supercharger access with one automaker after another. Ford kicked things off, and now manufacturers from Toyota to Lucid are on board. In the first phase of the transition, Tesla would update its Superchargers to allow non-Teslas to charge using an adapter. Later on, manufacturers would build their EVs with the NACS port built right in. That’s what we’re seeing play out now.
The NACS rollout has been slow and bumpy, however. Only Rivian and Ford customers have started receiving adapters and the go-ahead to start Supercharging. General Motors missed its timeline for granting its owners Supercharger access, and they’re still waiting. The holdup may have something to do with Tesla CEO Elon Musk’s sudden decision to make deep cuts to his company’s charging team in April.
Lucid says that its customers will get Supercharger access in 2025. Questions remain about how well any of these cars will perform on Tesla’s Supercharger network, especially those with 800-volt or 900-volt (in the Gravity’s case) electrical systems that can handle much more juice than those plugs are used to doling out. We’ll dig into that question more in the coming months.
Contact the author: tim.levin@insideevs.com
