Early reservation holders of the new Lucid Air will get free charging at Electrify Canada stations for two years through a Plug and Charge deal

Lucid Motors, a California-based luxury electric vehicle car manufacturer, is offering early Canadian reservation holders of the Lucid Air two years of complimentary ultra-fast charging after signing a Plug and Charge deal with Electrify Canada. To take advantage of this offer, Canadian customers must reserve their Lucid Air online before June 30.

Electrify Canada currently has 30 charging stations with 120 charging ports across Quebec, Ontario, Alberta and British Columbia. It is planning to expand into Saskatchewan, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island in the next three years.

“As Electrify Canada continues to expand its network across Canada, we are proud to collaborate with Lucid Motors to provide a seamless charging experience to Lucid Air drivers,” said Rob Barrosa, senior director of sales, business development & marketing at Electrify Canada in a press statement.

“We are excited to deliver ultra-fast charging speeds and innovative technologies like Plug and Charge to enhance the charging experience for capable vehicles like Lucid Air.”

By 2026, Electrify Canada plans to add 100 charging stations with over 500 DC fast chargers to its network. The stations will be located in metropolitan areas, along major highways and near amenities.

The deal with Lucid is not the first time Electrify Canada has made free Plug and Charge agreements with automakers.

In 2019, the network operator agreed to provide Porsche Taycan owners with three years of inclusive charging at Electrify Canada public charging stations across the country; in 2020, Volkswagon e-Golf drivers were given two years of complimentary 30-minute charging sessions and, in 2021, Electrify Canada said it would provide three years of unlimited, complimentary ultra-fast charging to owners of the 2021 Volkswagen ID.4.

Plug and Charge technology

In 2021, Electrify Canada was the first Canadian fast-charging network to introduce Plug and Charge technology to its network.

The same year, Electric Autonomy Canada hosted a webinar on Plug and Charge. The panel examined whether the technology simplifies the charging process for EV drivers as well as discussed the challenges of adopting the technology.

“[Plug and Charge] simplifies the entire process by allowing the car to self identify with the charger and it makes it really seamless and easy for the customer,” said Darren Scott, product manager eMobility at Siemens Canada during the webinar. “So it eliminates all the need for radio frequency identification cards and apps.”

Offering the technology as a perk is picking up momentum in the market, with automakers such as Porsche, Ford, Hyundai, Rivian and now Lucid Motors adding Plug and Charge technology to its latest EV models. However, the number of stakeholders needed to make the technology universally available will make it much more complex.

“The key to making it a seamless experience, of course, is those relationships between the charging station operators and the OEMs and so on and how that happens,” said Kush Obhrai, product manager of Taycan, Macan and charging infrastructure at Porsche Canada during the webinar.

To date, only the 2021 Porsche Taycan, 2021 Ford Mustang Mach-E, Hyundai IONIQ 5, the Rivian R1T and Lucid Air are Plug and Charge capable and available to Canadians.

“We are excited to work with Electrify Canada given the quality and reliability of its charging network and plans to expand across Canada,” said Zak Edson, vice president, sales and service at Lucid. “By combining our groundbreaking battery technology with Electrify Canada’s ultra-fast charging speeds, we will provide our customers with a premium electric driving experience.”

Expanding into Canada

Along with partnering with Electrify Canada, Lucid Motors is expanding its retail presence in Canada. The automaker opened a second studio location at Yorkdale Shopping Centre in Toronto last week (its 23rd location in North America) and the company plans to open a service centre near the area later this year.

“Opening a Studio at the largest shopping destination in Canada will help us elevate the brand as we continue to expand in North America,” said Edson, in a press statement. “We are looking forward to seeing the longest-range EV driving, and charging, on Canadian roads soon.”

The all-electric Lucid Air sedan is available in three different trim levels: Lucid Air Pure with a range of 653 kilometres, 480 horsepower at a cost of $107,300; Lucid Air Touring: 653 km, 620 horsepower at $131,300; and Lucid Air Grand Touring: 830 km, 800 horsepower at $191,300. None of the models are eligible for provincial or federal rebates in Canada.

Electrify Canada says its DC fast chargers are capable of charging speeds of up to 350kWh, which would allow the Lucid Air to add 350 km of range in just 15 minutes.

Canadian deliveries of the Lucid Air are expected to begin in Spring 2022.