US-based electric car brand Lucid Motors will open a showroom at Toronto’s Yorkdale Shopping Centre this fall in a retail space formerly occupied by UK-based brand Hunter’s first North American showroom. The news follows our article in May of this year where we announced that Lucid Motors was opening at CF Pacific Centre in Vancouver in a space formerly occupied by Michael Kors.
The Yorkdale Lucid Motors showroom will span about 2,850 square feet in the former Hunter space in the 2016 expansion wing of Yorkdale. Nearby tenants include Roots, Samsung, Canada Goose and a Starbucks which is located across the way.
Lucid Motors is a new luxury electric vehicle company based in Newark California. The design of the Lucid Air, the company’s first vehicle, is said to have been influenced by the state of California. The interior of the Lucid Air including its colours, materials and finishes, is said to be inspired by the diversity of landscapes and geography of the state creating a “post luxury” aesthetic, according to the company.
The Yorkdale Lucid showroom will offer visitors the opportunity to see the new Lucid Air in person, including its technology, exterior finishes and interior materials. Because Lucid showrooms often only have one vehicle on display, a virtual reality experience will be offered where visitors can see different models, colours and interiors. Visitors will be able to put two cars side-by-side to compare different colour and trim options, for example. Technology from online gaming will be used as part of the virtual reality experience which will boast high-quality graphics.
Competitor Tesla currently operates a showroom at Yorkdale which before the pandemic was said to have seen sales exceeding $70 million annually. Tesla has said that it’s looking to shut its inline mall stores to replace them with standalone locations. A Nissan showroom is also currently located across from Tesla at Yorkdale in a space most recently occupied by Microsoft. Over the past five years, automobile brands have been expanding into enclosed shopping centres to get closer to consumers and judging by Tesla’s sales at Yorkdale, the strategy may be a good one.
