Lucid Group has announced the launch of RangeXchange, a novel vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) charging adapter. This technology allows Lucid Air owners to charge other electric vehicles directly, leveraging the bi-directional charging capability and proprietary software embedded in every Lucid Air.
A photo was shared showing a Lucid Air charging a Tesla Model S, with the charging cable from the Lucid’s port plugged into the Tesla. Lucid will also soon adopt Tesla’s North American Charging Standard (NACS).
“RangeXchange represents a significant enhancement to the everyday usability of electric vehicles,” said Peter Rawlinson, CEO and CTO of Lucid.
The RangeXchange utilizes Lucid’s Wunderbox bi-directional charging technology, permitting energy transfer from the Lucid Air’s battery to another EV at rates up to 9.6 kW. This rate can provide an additional 24 to 40 miles of range per hour to most EVs currently available in the U.S., depending on the vehicle’s efficiency and environmental conditions.
Eric Bach, Senior Vice President of Product and Chief Engineer at Lucid, emphasized the multifaceted capabilities of the Wunderbox. “Beyond just charging the battery, the Wunderbox’s bi-directional charging technology paves the way for future applications such as vehicle-to-home backup power and vehicle-to-grid services, enhancing customer experience,” Bach explained.
Mike Bell, Senior Vice President of Digital at Lucid, highlighted the added value of over-the-air software updates. “Our integrated hardware and software approach enables us to offer continuous improvements to our customers, distinguishing Lucid in the automotive market,” said Bell.
The RangeXchange feature will initially be available to U.S. customers, requiring the purchase of a specialized charging cable adapter from Lucid. The capability will be activated via an OTA software update later this month.
Lucid recently announced its Q3 earnings and the outlook is not good, as production continues to struggle and the company is still bleeding money.
