Lucid Motors: Air, Gravity and the cheaper third model. But will they ever come to the UK

 

Lucid Motors has already launched in Europe, but according to CAR magazine, it is not expected to launch in the UK until the product range has been expanded to include the Gravity SUV and a third, smaller electric vehicle.

That's a shame, because it means the cutting-edge, groundbreaking electric vehicle that CAR awarded its coveted five-star rating isn't officially sold here. We loved the driving dynamics, the quality and - most importantly - the long range of up to 512 miles on a single charge.

This week, Lucid Motors set a world record for the Air: The company announced an astonishing 5.0 miles per kilowatt-hour of energy consumption for the 2025 model year models, thanks to a number of detailed engineering changes, including an improved heat pump.

There is no official confirmation yet as to when Lucid will arrive in the UK. "We are focusing on the initial European markets for the launch and are monitoring the situation in the UK," said a spokesperson. "We are aware of the interest in electric vehicles in the UK and saw an increase in enquiries when Tesla switched to left-hand drive on the Model S and Model X."

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 increases its sales on the continent. There are only six Lucid Studios in Europe, with three more planned in Hamburg, Stuttgart and Frankfurt.

But Lucid Motors is deadly serious about bringing right-hand drive to market at some point—and we expect right-hand drive to arrive with either the new Lucid Gravity electric SUV or the upcoming third model. Read on for our full guide to Lucid Motors and the European launch.

Lucid Air: remains exclusively left-hand drive

CAR learns from technical sources that the Air is unlikely to be converted to right-hand drive. The model was first announced in 2016 and launched in the US in 2021. Sales in Europe did not start until 2024. At this stage of the car's life cycle, as far as CAR knows, it is practically not economical to make the steering wheel on the other side.

However, Lucid Motors is aware that it must offer right-hand drive if it wants to remain competitive in the UK market and other left-hand drive regions (Australia, Ireland, Japan and South Africa).

It's all part of a cautious rollout strategy. "We really don't want to overextend ourselves or achieve too much in too short a time," one manager told us. "We're in this for the long term."

Lucid Motors: the background story

Lucid Motors was founded in California in 2007 with a pure-bred plan to combine engineering and design to create a new kind of electric car. Founder and CEO Peter Rawlinson previously worked at Tesla and put together a team to reinvent the electric car. Mission? "Through technology, we create extraordinary experiences that move the world forward."

Production currently takes place in Arizona, with a second plant opening in Saudi Arabia following a $1 billion investment from Saudi sovereign wealth fund PIF. The company continues to make waves: It was chosen as a partner by Aston Martin to develop a new era of electric sports cars, and it's extending the Air's range with new derivatives such as simpler, cheaper rear-wheel-drive models.

The Gravity is the second model in Lucid Motors' new lineup: a seven-seat SUV based on the Air sedan's hardware, making it eligible for right-hand drive conversion if the numbers hold up. But that's by no means guaranteed.

Lucid Gravity: an electric SUV

The Lucid Gravity will launch in 2025 after being unveiled at the 2023 Los Angeles Auto Show. It's a huge crossover, cleverly shaped to achieve a remarkably streamlined drag coefficient of 0.24. Like the Air, there's a huge front cargo area, or "frunk," with a capacity of 227 liters.

The interior has been redesigned compared to the Air and is now dominated by a huge 34-inch digital display that dominates the dashboard.

Clever-clogs' EV hardware is backed by 900-volt electrical architecture and lightning-fast 350kW charging. The Lucid Gravity promises a range of 440 miles and 0-60 mph acceleration in 3.5 seconds. Sounds like the holy grail of long range and performance in a globally appealing, fashionable SUV body style .

Lucid's mid-sized third model

The unnamed third Lucid model is scheduled to launch in 2027. It will be an entirely new 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 very few other details are available. The image above was released in an internal presentation document and suggests that Lucid Motors' third model will be an electric vehicle that will compete with the Tesla Model Y.

We will be sure to update this page as we learn more about Lucid Motors’ product lineup.

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