Most individuals have in all probability by no means heard of Lucid Motors, or its first manufacturing electrical automobile (EV), the Air, one thing the corporate’s CEO, Peter Rawlinson acknowledged to me in a dialog we had final week forward of the opening for the corporate’s latest design studio within the Meatpacking District of Manhattan. Final 12 months, I had an opportunity to see the Lucid Air in particular person and the thought I saved coming again to is that even when that is true, it has to have caught the eye of Tesla’s founder and CEO, Elon Musk.
It’s, to say the least, a formidable automobile, which it ought to be contemplating the primary mannequin to be delivered will carry a $161,500 price ticket, and that is after the federal tax credit score. After all, on the time, the factor that caught Musk’s consideration was the very fact Lucid had promised to supply a sub-$70K model. Virtually instantly, Tesla lowered the worth of its entry-level Mannequin S to match the worth. I feel it is secure to say Lucid has Musk’s consideration.
On Tuesday, earlier than my dialog with Rawlinson, I had an opportunity to experience in a pre-production model. I am not a automobile reviewer so this is not going to be a automobile review-I am much more within the technique behind the Lucid Air.
I am going to simply say that, so far as electrical automobiles go, this one is superb. I imply, for one, it has a steering wheel, which is seemingly now not a given for electrical automobiles after Tesla unveiled its latest Mannequin S with a controversial yoke. Because of this, the Lucid Air is a way more approachable tackle one thing you spend some huge cash on to truly drive.
Extra importantly, the technique is not dangerous both.
Actually, I feel there is a good likelihood that, of all the electrical automobiles which have appeared prior to now few years, the Air is the one which Elon Musk and Tesla ought to fear about essentially the most. I say that not simply due to the automobile, however due to what Lucid means for electrical automobiles.
Look, Tesla deserves credit score for doing extra to legitimize electrical automobiles than every other firm, ever. Within the U.S., Tesla is synonymous with EVs, virtually to the extent that Google is synonymous with looking on-line. It earned that place by promoting the most well-liked electrical automobile in America, the Mannequin 3.
For context, Tesla sells extra Mannequin 3 items than all different electrical automobiles mixed, aside from, nicely, one other Tesla-the Mannequin Y. There isn’t a producer that’s going to beat that place promoting one luxurious automobile.
Alternatively, one of many issues that caught out to me once I spoke to Rawlinson, is that the corporate is not simply targeted on promoting a automobile most of us won’t ever be capable to afford. It is already engaged on an electrical SUV, and expects to introduce a extra inexpensive sedan within the subsequent few years.
Extra importantly, and the actual purpose Lucid ought to be on Musk’s radar, the corporate hopes to make its know-how accessible to different producers to hurry the manufacturing of a higher number of electrical automobiles. That implies that not solely will Lucid be constructing its personal EVs, however it additionally desires to assist everybody else construct them. If that appears like wishful considering, contemplate that whereas you could have by no means heard of Lucid Motors earlier than, it has been round longer than you would possibly count on.
The corporate, which was beforehand generally known as Atieva, already has expertise making elements for different firm’s automobiles. It has been making batteries and electrical powertrains for greater than 10 years.
Moreover, it is no coincidence that lots of Lucid’s executives have loads of expertise constructing electrical automobiles, together with Rawlinson, who beforehand was the Chief Engineer for Tesla’s Mannequin S. In his present position, Rawlinson is taking the chance to “repair all of the errors” he says he made with the Mannequin S.
Rawlinson is not the one former Tesla engineer. Final October I spoke with Eric Bach, Lucid’s head of product, and one other Tesla alumni concerning the know-how the corporate is constructing into its automobiles. It is onerous to think about Musk hasn’t observed that the folks he employed to construct out the Mannequin S, Mannequin X, and Mannequin 3 are all engaged on the identical effort to disrupt the market he has cornered-for now.
To that finish, the corporate is anticipated to lift $4.4 billion in a SPAC deal, cash that Rawlinson says will assist the corporate ramp up manufacturing in an effort to fill greater than 10,000 preorders. He additionally says it’s going to assist the corporate launch its subsequent automobile, Gravity, the SUV that I discussed earlier.
I do not assume folks will all of the sudden cease shopping for Mannequin 3s and exit and purchase a Lucid Air. I do, nevertheless, assume that Lucid has an opportunity to persuade lots of people to think about electrical automobiles within the subsequent few years, which is all the time an excellent technique.
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