Photo: Lucid Motors | collage
Lucid Motors is now busy ramping up Air production and jump-starting the Gravity SUV production next year, but it's already working on its next vehicle models. CEO Peter Rawlinson confirmed these would be direct competitors with Tesla Model 3 and Model Y, selling for under $50,000.
Lucid Motors' sales don't look very impressive at the moment, but that doesn't mean the startup is in dire straits. It has the backing of one of the wealthiest investment funds in the world, Saudi Arabia's PIF. The Saudis dream of having a local car industry, and the investment in Lucid should bring this within reach. Lucid plans a local production facility in Saudi Arabia. However, initially, it will only assemble cars using kits imported from the US.
Lucid also signed a deal with Aston Martin to supply EV components for its upcoming luxury EVs, another bonus of its Saudi connection. The agreement seriously boosts Lucid's image and finances, as the startups will get a 3.7-percent stake in Aston Martin. Lucid also provides the drive units for Formula E cars, so it's in a better position than its finances might suggest. This allows CEO Peter Rawlinson to confidently think of future products, even though the Air sales don't seem very promising.
In an interview with Autoexpress, Rawlinson revealed that Lucid would develop two new models after the Gravity SUV starts production next year. Those would be direct competitors to Tesla Model Y and Model 3, with prices below the $50,000 mark. As before, Lucid will focus on extreme efficiency as the key to improving range, although anything beyond 250 miles (400 km) would be overkill in the future.
"The electric car of the future only needs 250 miles. We don't need 500-mile cars in the future, 10 years from now," said Rawlinson. Coming from a company that produced the longest-range EV on the market, this is indeed surprising. After Lucid bragged about the 520-mile EPA range for the Air Grand Touring sedan, Elon Musk replied that Tesla could've done it first, but the bigger battery would've made the Model S worse, not better.
Rawlinson thinks that future EVs will need far smaller battery packs, thanks to improved efficiency and fast-charging infrastructure. Lucid is now at 4.6 miles (7.4 km) per kWh but aims to reach 6 miles (10 km) per kWh. At that level, a 25-kWh battery pack will be enough for a 150-mile range. Thanks to that, electric vehicles would become lighter and cheaper, and owners would still be comfortable with the limited range thanks to the ubiquitous charging infrastructure.
Still, Rawlinson doesn't see Lucid competing in a race to the bottom to get cheap electric vehicles on the market, as it will remain a luxury carmaker. Instead, he wants Lucid to be an enabler, supplying the technology that allows other companies to offer cheap EVs. Sort of like the "Intel inside" certification but for EV technology.
Lucid also signed a deal with Aston Martin to supply EV components for its upcoming luxury EVs, another bonus of its Saudi connection. The agreement seriously boosts Lucid's image and finances, as the startups will get a 3.7-percent stake in Aston Martin. Lucid also provides the drive units for Formula E cars, so it's in a better position than its finances might suggest. This allows CEO Peter Rawlinson to confidently think of future products, even though the Air sales don't seem very promising.
In an interview with Autoexpress, Rawlinson revealed that Lucid would develop two new models after the Gravity SUV starts production next year. Those would be direct competitors to Tesla Model Y and Model 3, with prices below the $50,000 mark. As before, Lucid will focus on extreme efficiency as the key to improving range, although anything beyond 250 miles (400 km) would be overkill in the future.
"The electric car of the future only needs 250 miles. We don't need 500-mile cars in the future, 10 years from now," said Rawlinson. Coming from a company that produced the longest-range EV on the market, this is indeed surprising. After Lucid bragged about the 520-mile EPA range for the Air Grand Touring sedan, Elon Musk replied that Tesla could've done it first, but the bigger battery would've made the Model S worse, not better.
Rawlinson thinks that future EVs will need far smaller battery packs, thanks to improved efficiency and fast-charging infrastructure. Lucid is now at 4.6 miles (7.4 km) per kWh but aims to reach 6 miles (10 km) per kWh. At that level, a 25-kWh battery pack will be enough for a 150-mile range. Thanks to that, electric vehicles would become lighter and cheaper, and owners would still be comfortable with the limited range thanks to the ubiquitous charging infrastructure.
Still, Rawlinson doesn't see Lucid competing in a race to the bottom to get cheap electric vehicles on the market, as it will remain a luxury carmaker. Instead, he wants Lucid to be an enabler, supplying the technology that allows other companies to offer cheap EVs. Sort of like the "Intel inside" certification but for EV technology.
Google News