American electric car manufacturer Lucid heartily wants to conquer Europe. Sorry noble automaker! For its start on the old continent, Lucid isn’t entering electronics markets like Norway or the Netherlands, but luxury markets like Switzerland in central Europe.
On 18 November, the first Lucid Store in Switzerland opened in Geneva at Cours de Rive 10. It is also the second store in Europe after the store in Munich (D), a city with a high concentration of money. However, the location in Geneva is not as special as Odeonsplatz in Munich: expensive brands such as Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Chanel, Prada and Rolex have settled on Rue du Rhône.
Swiss customers in focus
Lucid is located in the luxury district of Geneva for good reason. Zak Edson, Vice President of Sales, agrees that Switzerland is an important market for Americans: “The Swiss have a unique preference for the environment, innovation and luxury.” Plus, Lucid Air represents the prestige and performance that the Swiss love.
The great interest from Switzerland proves that those responsible for Lucid were right. Americans were invited to an event in Schiffbau in September, as a store would not open in Zurich until next year. About a hundred guests used the private preview. Jarno Middelbosch, head of marketing for Europe, explains: “Five years ago, when we just introduced the first concept, the Swiss already wanted to book a Lucid.”
More than 200 reservations
European customers can now officially book Lucid Air for 300 francs. According to Lucid, about 250 Swiss have already done so. If you want to be one of the first Lucid owners in Europe, you can purchase the fully equipped “Dream Edition” for CHF 199,000 or more. The first copies will arrive in Europe later this year. Cheaper versions starting at 100,000 francs will only be available in Switzerland next year.
Clear Air
The Air is initially available in five power levels, from 480 to 1126 hp (358-828 kW). The most powerful variants with 946 and 1126 hp are reserved for the “Dream Edition”, which is limited to 520 units. These will be replaced next year with a version with over 1200 hp and three electric motors.
All Airs are 4×4 and built on 924 volt architecture. This means that the Ami Stromer with 300 kilowatts (kW) of charging power charges electricity for approximately 400 kilometers in 12 minutes. That’s almost half the battery, as Lucid currently estimates the range to be up to 900 kilometers – but only for the 946 hp version. The top model should produce 780 kilometers, while entry-level versions should produce 653 or 845 kilometers. However, final homologation with the official standard range is still missing.
Electric everyday hyper car
Next year Lucid wants to open more stores in Europe, possibly in Zurich. They are for sale only. 70 percent of the service will be provided with updates and the remaining 30 percent will be visited by a Lucid employee. «We developed the Air for mobile service. We rarely have to put the car on the elevator,” explains Middelbosch. After all, the Air has to have the performance and handling of an electric hypercar, but offer the maintenance, space and usefulness of an everyday car. We wonder if USA Stromer will be able to keep that promise.