Lucid Air EV set to take RHD orders in United Kingdom end of 2022, European market launch in June this year – paultan.org

Electric vehicle maker Lucid has confirmed that it will be entering the European market in the middle of this year, and right-hand-drive versions of the car have always been in the works, Autocar has reported.

The American EV brand had yet to confirm which countries it will first export to, though an employee of Lucid had reportedly confirmed in a previous interview that Germany will be the first in the continent to receive Lucid EV orders. In addition to exports into the continent, the brand will expand its reach into the Middle East in June or July, a company spokesperson has confirmed to the publication.

Its entry into Europe will see the roll-out of sales into Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Italy, Monaco, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland as well as EV stronghold Norway, where electric cars accounted for 64.5% of all vehicle sales in the country last year.

An insider within Lucid “strongly hinted” to Autocar that right-hand-drive has always been planned for the Air, even if the United Kingdom market has yet to be officially confirmed, the magazine reported. To that end, production for the Lucid Air is expected to commence late this year, and the full range of Air EVs will be available to British customers to order online for deliveries beginning in 2023, the report said.

In its communication with Autocar, Lucid also confirmed that an even more powerful version of the Air is being developed, which will feature two power units within its rear subframe for a total of three motors throughout the car. The rear axle unit, dubbed the Megawatt axle, is understood to produce up to 1,341 bhp (1,360 PS), and the full tri-motor setup is rumoured to produce at least 1,600 bhp (1,622 PS).

This rear axle will also be used in the firm’s upcoming Gravity SUV, which was teased as Project Gravity at the unveiling of the production Lucid Air in September 2020. Lucid engineers are finalising their work on the Gravity SUV, says Autocar, which is slated for debut in 2024.

An even more powerful version of the Lucid Air is in the works, featuring a dual-motor rear axle as used in the Lucid Project Gravity (pictured)

As for the Lucid Air, ongoing developments for the electric sedan include airline-style reclining rear seats for improved comfort, while ride comfort can be further augmented with a new option to specify air suspension, Autocar noted.

The California-based EV startup said last month that it was lowering its production target from the original 20,000 units to between 12,000 and 14,000 units. In March, announced to investors that it has so far produced 400 units of the Air with more than 300 units delivered to customers, while its order book continues to have more than 25,000 orders.

GALLERY: Lucid Project Gravity

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