Lucid Motors has signed German dealer group Wackenhut as its first European retail partner, two people familiar with the matter told EV on Tuesday.
The signing comes as the Saudi-backed EV maker switches from a direct to consumer sales model to a hybrid approach that includes the existing flagship showrooms it built so far on the Old Continent with dealership networks.
The deal was signed earlier this year at Wackenhut’s Baden-Baden location, one of the people said.
Interim chief executive Marc Winterhoff announced the signing of a first European dealer agent during the company’s fourth-quarter earnings call on Tuesday without identifying the partner.
“We expanded our sales studio footprint in the United States, Europe and Middle East, and I’m pleased to say that we have signed our first European dealer group agent in Germany, and are in advanced discussions with more than 10 others, as well as importer candidates for other European markets,” Winterhoff said.
The German executive, who was appointed as interim CEO exactly a year ago, did not identify the dealer group or specify the terms of the arrangement.
“We also expanded service lift capacity by 40% in the US and Canada to better serve our expanding customer base,” the interim CEO added.
The mobility group Wackenhut is headquartered in Nagold, Baden-Württemberg, and represents Mercedes-Benz, Mercedes-AMG, Aston Martin, Smart, and Škoda across six locations in the state.
In an interview with Automobilwoche in September, Lucid‘s European head Lawrence Hamilton said the company was targeting 12 to 15 German cities as a first step, with plans to grow to 50 to 60 locations through a shop-in-shop system designed to minimise investment for dealer partners.
“A dealership group could start at one location and expand if successful,” Hamilton said at the time.
The agreement comes as Lucid prepares to expand from four European markets — Germany, the Netherlands, Switzerland, and Norway — to as many as twelve by the end of this year.
The company confirmed earlier this month that Belgium will be its next European market, with a launch planned for this summer.
Denmark, France, the UK, Italy, and Spain are among the additional countries on the expansion list.
The Shift
The move to dealer partnerships represents a significant departure from the strategy Lucid pursued when it entered Europe in late 2022.
The company initially followed a Tesla-style direct sales approach, opening company-owned studios in Oslo, Amsterdam, Munich, Düsseldorf, Frankfurt, Geneva, and Zurich.
Lucid registered just 18 vehicles across its four European markets in January, according to data compiled by EV from official registration sources.
Germany accounted for 11 units, Switzerland five, and the Netherlands and Norway one each.
By contrast, Chinese manufacturers including BYD, MG (a SAIC brand), and Chery have expanded rapidly across Europe through established importer and dealer networks, collectively doubling their European market share within a year according to Dataforce.
Germany is Lucid‘s highest-volume European market, with 11 of the company’s 18 January registrations, and is home to four of its company-owned permanent studios in Munich, Düsseldorf, Frankfurt.
More Than 10 Others
Winterhoff mentioned “advanced discussions with more than 10” additional dealer groups across Europe.
The importer model, in which a local partner handles distribution, logistics, and in some cases aftersales, would allow Lucid to enter new markets with significantly lower capital requirements than its existing company-owned approach.
Lucid‘s EU chief Lawrence Hamilton confirmed the broader ambition earlier this month, writing on LinkedIn that Belgium was “just the beginning” and that the company remained “committed to growing our presence across both existing and new markets in Europe.”
The company currently operates studios and service centres across its four European markets and its European headquarters in the Netherlands, established in 2021.
Gravity SUV Deliveries Still Pending
The dealer expansion comes amid the delayed European rollout of Lucid’s Gravity SUV.
At the IAA Auto Show in Munich last September, Winterhoff told reporters including EV that the first Gravity deliveries in Europe would begin in January, with some units potentially reaching customers before the end of 2025.
No customer deliveries of the Gravity have been confirmed in Europe.
Switzerland registered three Gravity units in January, though these were likely press, test drive, or showroom vehicles.
