- Lucid’s Air Model is missing the original NACS charging port for the newer gravity
- As a result, Lucid now offers an adapter to customers
- But it comes to a cost and throttle speed
California EV producer Lucid has announced that it will offer owners of older air models the opportunity to buy a DC NACS-to-CCS1 adapter that allows vehicles to charge from Tesla’s extensive SuperCharger network.
The adapter, which costs $ 220 excluding taxes, will work with any V3 supercharger and above, with owners paying for the fee via the Lucid app, with a credit card saved to their clear wallet.
Due to the high-tech 924V electrical architecture, which has been touted by the clear air, which allows it to charge at 300 kW or higher for ultra fast top-ups, the optional adapter will see charging speeds given to only 50 kW from Teslas 400V charging outlet.
Lucid says this will allow drivers to win up to 200 miles of range per day. Hour of charging, giving owners “extra peace of mind while on the road”.
While not offering the fastest charging speeds, Tesla owns and operates more than 70,000 Superchargers across the globe, with almost 40,000 ports found dotted around the United States connecting east to west and north to the south.
The clear air already offers an impressive amount of ally-electric range, but its 2026 Air Touring model will receive an increase of 6% and take the total EPA-stimulated range to 431 miles. The rest of the line-up can tackle a mammoth 512 miles on a single charge.
Analysis: EVs are out of the charging network
Lucid’s optional adapter may get a handful of owners out of a bonding on the longest journeys, but it feels like an extra outlay for not a huge amount of advantage – 50 kW charging speeds feels like an antiquity now.
But the question that many new EV producers face is boiling down to an existing and undoubtedly aging charging network designed for 400V electric architecture.
Porsche came around this with the ability to effectively divide the package with its 800V Macan EV. Although this is an expensive solution that is ultimately transferred to the consumer with high stickers.
Similarly, there was a rebellion when Mercedes-Benz suggested that its newest 800V CLA would not be able to charge to 400V business, which potentially robs the owners of the ability to connect the large selection of older businesses that are still in operation.
Mercedes explained at the recent launch that only the early models would be affected, stating that it will fit an adapter for 2026 models that allow CLA to effectively charge at lower speeds.
Unfortunately, the global electric vehicle charging infrastructure is struggling to play the catching pace of innovation with major discrepancies between charging speeds offered in different countries and regions.
Even Tesla, which undoubtedly introduced electric vehicles to the masses, is struggling to roll out its long promised next generation 500KW V4 Supercharger network.
