Lucid Motors said its European engineering team has completed an 8,000-kilometer (4,971 miles) road validation program for its upcoming Gravity SUV.
The EV maker’s Head of Engineering Validation Europe, Aurélien André, drove with the team from the German city of Munich to the Arctic Circle and back as the company prepares to start selling the vehicle in Europe later this year.
The journey was conducted using the first European pre-production units of the three-row electric SUV and forms part of a 40,000-kilometer validation program aimed at ensuring Lucid vehicles meet the specific demands of European customers.
Aurélien André, Head of Engineering Validation Europe at Lucid Motors, led the program, which included tests in extreme cold in Scandinavia as well as on varied road surfaces across Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, and Denmark.
“We focus on EU-specific requirements – such as driver assistance systems, infotainment, charging behavior, high-speed driving, and comfort across all climates,” André said.
Lucid’s European validation scope includes powertrain, vehicle dynamics, chassis, AC/DC charging infrastructure, infotainment, and ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance Systems), according to André’s LinkedIn profile.
In 2024, the team expanded its testing to include public road trials for Highway Assist, Lane Departure Assist, and Lane Keeping Assist, as well as tire validation at proving grounds.
Unlike North America, Europe uses three-phase AC charging at homes and public stations, and features an advanced DC fast-charging network.
Lucid said it is tailoring the Gravity’s charging performance to match these regional characteristics.
The Gravity SUV will be the brand’s second vehicle line in Europe following the Lucid Air sedan, which starts at €83,000 in Germany.
As reported earlier this Thursday, interim CEO Marc Winterhoff said the company is seeing “phenomenal” feedback from customers despite admitting the “slower-than-desired” production ramp-up.
Still, the sluggish rollout has prompted questions about production readiness. A source familiar with the matter told EV in April that higher-volume output was unlikely to begin before June or July.
In the U.S., the Air starts at $71,400 and the Gravity from $96,550 with shipping costs included.
Lucid registered 975 vehicles in the United States in May, up from 820 in April, according to data from Motor Intelligence.
Registrations rose 74.4% year over year, when the EV maker registered 559 vehicles and had yet to launch the Gravity.
