Tuesday, August 27, 2024

Lucid Motors Is Reportedly Planning Three Affordable Electric Cars

 The less expensive EVs would be aimed at bringing Lucid to the masses and could include a mid-size sedan and sports coupe to go along with the upcoming Earth crossover.


  • Lucid has plans to expand its portfolio of electric cars with three affordable models in the works.
  • CarBuzz.com reported that a senior executive at Lucid confirmed the news in an interview with the outlet.
  • The executive described the new models as part of its "mid-size program" and explained that they are aiming at a price for the masses.

It's no secret that electric vehicles trend toward the expensive end of the market. The sole car available today from Lucid Motors certainly isn't priced for the rank and file with the Air sedan starting at $71,400. And while official pricing hasn't been revealed yet, Lucid's next offering with the Gravity SUV likely won't be any different, with expectations placing it around $80,000. However, according to a new report by CarBuzz.com, Lucid is planning to build three new EV models that will be in a lower price range.


LUCID GRAVITY

Derek Jenkins, Lucid senior vice president of design and brand, detailed the new cars to CarBuzz in an interview. According to Jenkins, there will be three in what Lucid calls its "mid-size program." We've already got a pretty good idea of the first model in the program. Lucid's CEO Peter Rawlinson announced a sub-$50,000 mid-size SUV in an earnings call earlier this year. Thanks to trademark filings for the names "Lucid Earth" and "Earth Dream Edition," we've also got a pretty good idea of what it will be called. Production is currently scheduled to begin in late 2026.

With Jenkins describing the new models as "compact, lighter vehicles with every bit of focus on aero, efficiency, and space," it seems logical to assume at least one will be a mid-size sedan that could be a Tesla Model 3 competitor. The third body style is completely up for debate, though Jenkins told CarBuzz it isn't a station wagon. "It's a dying segment, even in Europe," he said. "The enthusiasts think performance wagons are awesome, but there's still no concrete evidence that there's growth there. I don't see us going out on that limb."


LUCID AIR SAPPHIRE

Instead, we could get a dedicated sports car for the first time from Lucid. It's not as if the brand doesn't have the chops to do it; the Air Sapphire is not only the quickest EV we've ever tested as well as one of the most dynamic sedans we've ever driven. Plus, Lucid entered into a partnership with Aston Martin last year, which could signal a desire for more focus on performance.

While a dedicated sports car doesn't quite fit the affordability narrative, it does line up with something else Jenkins said. "The whole idea is to take our technology and hit a wider swath of consumers and accelerate that transition. We're creating a range of personalities around that program. But you have to do that by blowing people away and alleviating any fear or doubt that they have in their mind about going to EV."




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