► An introduction to Lucid Motors
► When is Lucid launching in the UK?
► An EV guide: Air, Gravity and third model
Lucid Motors has launched in Europe, but is unlikely to launch in the UK until its product line-up has expanded to include the Gravity SUV and a third, smaller EV, CAR magazine understands.
It’s a shame, as it means there are no official sales here of the high-tech, pioneering EV to which CAR awarded a coveted five-star rating. We raved about the driving dynamics, quality and – especially – the long range, up to 512 miles on one charge.
This week Lucid Motors claimed a world record for the Air, as it announced an astonishing 5.0 miles per kilowatt hour of energy consumption on its 2025 model year models, thanks to a raft of detailed engineering changes including an upgraded heat pump.
Officially, there is no commitment on when Lucid will arrive on UK shores. ‘We are focusing on the first European markets at launch and are monitoring the situation with the UK,’ said a spokesman. ‘We are aware of the interest in EVs in Britain and saw a spike in inquiries when Tesla switched to left-hand drive for the Model S and Model X.’
Today the Lucid Air is the only Lucid product sold in the EU, and even then only in Germany, Switzerland, the Netherlands and Norway as the brand slowly ramps up sales on the continent. There are just six Lucid Studios in Europe, with a further three planned for Hamburg, Stuttgart and Frankfurt.
But Lucid Motors is deadly serious about launching in right-hand drive, eventually – and we expect right-hookers to arrive with either the new Lucid Gravity electric SUV or upcoming third model. Read on for our full guide to Lucid Motors and the European roll-out.
Lucid Air: destined to remain left-hand drive only
Engineering sources tell CAR that the Air will likely not be converted to right-hand drive. The model was first announced in 2016 and finally went on sale in the US in 2021. European sales only kicked off in 2024. At this stage in the car’s lifecycle, the business case to manufacture the steering wheel on the other side is practically non-existent, CAR understands.
However, Lucid Motors knows it has to offer RHD if it wants to compete in the UK market, and other territories where motorists drive on the left (Australia, Ireland, Japan and South Africa).
It’s all part of a cautious roll-out strategy. ‘We really don’t want to over-extend or try to do too much, too quickly,’ one executive told us. ‘We’re in this for the long term.’
Lucid Motors: the back story
Lucid Motors launched in California in 2007, with a purebred plan to mix engineering and design to produce a new kind of electric car. Founder and CEO Peter Rawlinson is ex-Tesla and he assembled a team to reinvent the EV. Mission? ‘Through technology, we create exceptional experiences to drive. the world forward.’
Production is currently in Arizona, with a second factory opening in Saudi Arabia, following a $1 billion investment by PIF, the Saudi sovereign wealth fund. The company continues to make waves: it’s been selected to partner with Aston Martin to engineer a new era of electric sports cars and it’s increasing the range of the Air with new derivatives such as simpler, cheaper rear-wheel drive models.
The Gravity is the second model in Lucid Motors’ nascent range: a seven-seat SUV based on the hardware of the Air saloon, making it a candidate for RHD conversion – if the numbers stack up. It’s by no means guaranteed.
Lucid Gravity: an electric SUV
The Lucid Gravity will come to market in 2025, after it was unveiled at the 2023 Los Angeles auto show. It’s a hulking large crossover, cleverly chiselled for a remarkably streamlined 0.24 drag coefficient. Like the Air, there’s a huge front loadbay, or ‘frunk’, with a capacity of 227 litres.
The interior is remodelled compared with the Air’s with a giant 34-inch digital display dominating the dashboard.
Clever-clogs EV hardware is ensured by the 900-volt electrical architecture and lightning-fast 350kW charging; the Lucid Gravity claims a 440-mile range and 0-60mph sprint of 3.5 seconds. Sounds like the holy grail of long range and performance in a globally appealing, modish SUV bodystyle.
Lucid’s mid-sized third model
The unnamed third Lucid model is pegged to launch in 2027. It’s a clean-sheet platform, rather than an iteration of the Air hardware, making it the most likely candidate to benefit from right-hand drive production.
Lucid executives have confirmed the model and timeline, but precious few other details are available. The image above was shared in an internal presentation document, suggesting that the third Lucid Motors model will be a Tesla Model Y-rivalling EV.
We’ll be sure to update this page as we learn more about the Lucid Motors range.