Lucid is building its European dealer network the clever way, and the Netherlands is next
Great electric cars are only half the battle, someone has to sell them
Lucid makes some of the most technically impressive electric cars in the world, but a brilliant car is worthless if buyers cannot see it, sit in it or get it serviced nearby. That is the quiet challenge facing every newcomer, and Lucid has just taken another sensible step to solve it in Europe. Munsterhuis Autobedrijven is now its first retail partner in the Netherlands.
What the deal is
Munsterhuis will run a dedicated Lucid sales point in Hengelo, in the eastern Twente region, backed by authorised aftersales and service at the same location. Dutch buyers get local access to Lucid's two models, the Air sedan and the Gravity SUV, along with the personal service and full servicing cover the two companies are promising. It complements Lucid's existing Studio and Service Center in Hilversum, giving the brand a second physical foothold in the country.
Why Munsterhuis
Munsterhuis is a shrewd choice. It is one of the Netherlands' most established car groups, a family business with more than 60 years behind it, serving private and business customers with sales, maintenance, leasing, insurance and mobility services across multiple sites. That is exactly the kind of local reputation and infrastructure a young brand cannot build overnight. Director Jochen Munsterhuis called Lucid a perfect fit for the group's portfolio, praising its technology, efficiency and uncompromising take on luxury.
Part of a bigger European plan
This is not a one-off. Lucid describes the tie-up as another milestone in its European expansion, and it follows the same template as its deal earlier this year with the German retailer Wackenhut. Lawrence Hamilton, Lucid's President for Europe, called the Netherlands an important market with strong demand for innovative, sustainable mobility. The pattern is clear: Lucid is stitching together a European network by partnering with trusted local dealers rather than trying to build everything itself.
AutoNext Take
This is the unglamorous work that actually decides whether a great EV brand survives in Europe, and Lucid is going about it the smart way. Building a company-owned store and service network across a continent is ruinously expensive, and for a brand whose finances have been under real scrutiny, plugging into established dealer groups like Munsterhuis is far cheaper and far faster. It borrows decades of local trust, existing workshops and trained staff in one signature, which is exactly what a cash-conscious newcomer needs.
The bigger takeaway is that Lucid is finally getting serious about the boring but essential side of selling cars. The Air and the Gravity have never been the problem; the challenge has always been putting them within reach of buyers who will not fly to a big-city studio to see one. A dealer in Hengelo backed by real servicing is a small announcement with an outsized meaning: it is the difference between Lucid being an intriguing curiosity in Europe and a brand people can actually live with. More partnerships like this, in more countries, is exactly what it needs.
