Lucid Motors Air + Gravity

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Another round of journalists seemed to have gotten a go with the Air. The general consensus is still the same: the car is beautiful, the interior is luxurious, but there are still some problems with the UI / UX that need to be fixed







A week ago, Lucid has announced production figures and revenue numbers which were lower than analyst expectations. They claim it is due to supply chain issues and the economy


Lucid Group Inc (LCID.O) on Wednesday forecast 2023 production well short of analysts' expectations and reported a major drop in orders during the fourth quarter amid weakening demand, sending the electric carmaker's shares down 11% after hours.

Lucid said it expects to produce 10,000 to 14,000 luxury electric vehicles this year. Analysts on average expected the company to make 21,815 cars, according to Visible Alpha.

The company, backed by Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund, Public Investment Fund, delivered 4,369 cars last year, far below the 7,180 units it produced.

"We've gotten past the major bottlenecks limiting manufacturing, but this had some impact on the demand we generated early on, and this has been exacerbated by the challenging macroeconomic environment," Lucid CEO Peter Rawlinson said on a call with analysts, after the company reported fourth-quarter revenue that missed expectations.

Lucid said it had more than 28,000 orders as of Feb. 21, down 6,000 reservations from the third quarter, after it delivered about 1,900 vehicles and saw cancellations. That was despite Lucid's offering a discount of $7,500 on Feb. 9 for purchases of certain variants of the Air sedan before March 31.

Revenue rose to $257.7 million in the quarter ended Dec. 31 from $26.4 million a year earlier. Analysts on average had expected sales of $302.6 million, according to IBES data from Refinitiv.

The company's net loss narrowed to $472.6 million, or 28 cents per share, from a loss of $1.05 billion, or 64 cents per share, a year earlier.
 
I've seen the same Lucid driving around my neighborhood a lot recently, multiple times a day in fact. They must just be cruising around for the fun of it. Besides creating worse traffic, there is no longer a reason to make multi-stop trips as efficient as possible. The car is absolutely stunning in person and so unique, literally like a space ship going down the road.
 
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Lucid adds Apple CarPlay and Android Auto to the Air as standard




This is unlike Tesla and Rivian who have been adamant about not integrating third-party infotainment systems

I wonder how Lucid will integrate this with their second, lower screen as a lot of feedback so far is frustration about how the two screens are currently tied to the same menu, i.e. when on the map screen, both screens can only display the map.
 
Lucid adds Apple CarPlay and Android Auto to the Air as standard




This is unlike Tesla and Rivian who have been adamant about not integrating third-party infotainment systems

I wonder how Lucid will integrate this with their second, lower screen as a lot of feedback so far is frustration about how the two screens are currently tied to the same menu, i.e. when on the map screen, both screens can only display the map.

A buddy and I were talking about this the other day. In only a span of a couple years, automakers' infotainment went from completely outdated and supplanted by Apple CarPlay and Android Auto to now the automakers (Tesla, Lucid, Rivian) being so far advanced that CarPlay are now outdated and aren't actually formatted correctly to work with carmakers newest designs. Hell, CarPlay wasn't even standard across the board until like 2020 and now in 2023 it's fallen behind the pack. Neither Apple nor Google have integrated charger-to-charger navigation which is a vital lifeline in EVs so frankly it doesn't make any sense to use anything other than the automakers' own systems.
 
A buddy and I were talking about this the other day. In only a span of a couple years, automakers' infotainment went from completely outdated and supplanted by Apple CarPlay and Android Auto to now the automakers (Tesla, Lucid, Rivian) being so far advanced that CarPlay are now outdated and aren't actually formatted correctly to work with carmakers newest designs. Hell, CarPlay wasn't even standard across the board until like 2020 and now in 2023 it's fallen behind the pack. Neither Apple nor Google have integrated charger-to-charger navigation which is a vital lifeline in EVs so frankly it doesn't make any sense to use anything other than the automakers' own systems.
Last year, Apple presented their next generation CarPlay concept which they said will come out at the end of this year.


Apple-WWDC22-iOS16-CarPlay-220606-1440x810.jpg


Also, there's still have been a lot of rumors of an Apple car coming in the future so chances are Apple may start to reduce their CarPlay support for third party cars

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/arti...self-driving-car-and-delays-launch-until-2026

Android Auto, and Google in general, on the other hand, is a whole other can of worms and yeah I don't expect them to update or create any new features any time soon



Motoman sits down with Derek Jenkins, Lucid SVP of Design and Brand to talk about the Gravity. There's something things in the video including the fact that the Gravity will use the same battery pack as the Air, because they want to focus more on efficiency rather than having the car carry more power, which is definitely the way to go IMO. They're also focusing on maximizing the cabin size and overall packaging

 
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New teaser of the Gravity. They announced they've begun testing on public roads



“I am excited to see the Gravity SUV moving forward so quickly in its development, as it builds upon everything this company has achieved thus far and drives further advancements of our in-house technology to create a luxury electric SUV like none other,” said Peter Rawlinson, CEO and CTO, Lucid Group. “The Lucid Air redefined the sedan category, and as our technology continues to evolve and lead the market, we are in a place where the Gravity is positioned to change the world of SUVs.”

The Lucid Gravity SUV is designed and engineered to serve nearly any lifestyle or need, with a previously unheard-of combination of spaciousness, performance, and driving range. This luxury electric SUV will offer comfortable seating for up to seven adults and their gear, the driving dynamics of a sports car, and greater electric range than any SUV on the market today. The Lucid Gravity will also introduce new Glass Cockpit high-resolution displays, powered by the next generation of Lucid UX, Lucid’s intuitive and elegant software interface.

lucid-gravity-front.png


lucid-gravity-rear.png





I think they were testing at Thunderhill?
 
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Gravity is a rather appropriate name for what looks to be a pretty hefty SUV, don't you think?
 
Lucid will supply future Aston EVs with powertrains


On Monday morning, Aston Martin announced that it has a new technology partner. The low-volume British sports car maker has just signed a deal with Lucid, the US-based electric vehicle startup, that will see future Aston Martin EVs use Lucid's efficient and powerful powertrains.

Aston Martin is paying Lucid $232 million in a combination of cash and shares to gain access to its technology. Additionally, it will spend at least $225 million on powertrain components.

That's part of a $2.5 billion sustainability strategy planned for the next five years that includes a new flexible architecture for EVs. Aston Martin plans to build EVs for all the market segments it currently competes in—hypercars, sports cars, GTs, and SUVs. The first of these is due in 2025.

The deal gives Aston Martin access to Lucid's compact and powerful twin-motor drive unit, which uses a pair of radial flux electric motors, as well as battery technology, and Lucid's Wunderbox (the onboard charging unit).
 
Lucid reveals plans for smaller models to rival the Model 3 and Y. The CEO also says they want to be more like a supplier than a consumer product company, sort of akin to the "Intel Inside" branding


[Peter Rawlinson, Lucid CEO,] and his team have developed Lucid into a group with three pillars, as he explains. “There's our cars, like the Lucid Air, and there's going to be energy storage and then technology licensing transfer supply.

“We are limited by the number of cars we can make and sell for our technology. I want to have a big impact upon the planet – we're worried about global warming. I want to get more people into electric cars sooner and it's important that we use a multiplier effect that other people can be making cars with our technology.”

There’s a clear inspiration when it comes to using Lucid tech in other cars. “There's a great example in Intel,” said Rawlinson. “There's an Intel inside logo on many computers and it'd be lovely to see ‘Lucid Inside’ on cars, too.”

[...]

Following the Lucid Air next year will be the Gravity SUV. “Gravity is next year, second half of next year – a similar price to Air – and that's on track. I think it's going to be a seminal product – a seven-seat, three-row SUV, super practical.

“After Gravity we’re going to do [Tesla] Model 3 and Model Y competitors. We think around $50,000, maybe $48,000 – something like that. It’s too early to say, but that’s the vision.”

But what about right-hand drive cars for the UK? “Oh, man, I'd love to,” he says. “But it's a matter of engineering priorities. We are slammed – we've got to get Sapphire out this year. Sapphire is our tri-motor version of the Air, our performance version – we're testing that on the road now and it's getting from zero to 60 in 1.89 seconds. And We've got to get Gravity out next year.

“It breaks my heart, maybe we can outsource right-hand drive project to an engineering company to do it for us. The potential market in the UK is probably bigger than even Germany in terms of a latent desire to go EV.”

[...]

“The biggest impact on the mass market car will be with smaller battery packs. My vision is could we get to six miles per kilowatt-hour? We're at 4.6 now. Could we get to six miles per kilowatt-hour with a fast-charging infrastructure, with overnight charging? The electric car of the future only needs 250 miles. We don't need 500-mile cars in the future, 10 years from now.

“If we could get six miles per kilowatt-hour and you only need 150 miles range, that's a 25 kilowatt-hour pack. That's a $4,000 pack particularly with a bit of industrialising scale and battery manufacture. That's what we need to make a $25,000 car and that's what the environment and the world needs urgently to get masses into electric cars. You need the $25,000 car.

“Now is Lucid going to make that? No. It's a horrible thing to be making. But could we be the ‘intel inside’ for that car? The enabler? Absolutely. And that's where we could get the multiplier effect.

“There are only so many cars Lucid could make, but suddenly it's like 20 times more. It's like a software licensing, it's like you just flash out software and your hardware doesn't work without a software flash from us and you have to pay us X amount per car for that flash.

“It's just a ‘Lucid Inside’. That's where I am right now, but we haven’t got all the answers.

“It's really important not to get ahead of ourselves here. For now we've got the to die for partner in Aston Martin. Holy crap – it's wonderful, this isn’t it?”
 
Savage Geese has released their 1h 27min long video on the Sapphire



I think this is probably the most well engineered car on the market right now. There's probably no other car that is as vertically integrated as this, except maybe Rimac or Hyundai? Also given how much R&D they have by being the only supplier for Formula E, they're probably miles ahead of anyone else.

I hope they can eventually make an affordable model in the far future
 
Lucid opened a gallery near me and I was checking them out a few months ago. Not the most amazing materials or fit & finish I've ever seen (a typical Lexus feels better built) but the design of the car inside and out is exceptional.
 
Lucid opened a gallery near me and I was checking them out a few months ago. Not the most amazing materials or fit & finish I've ever seen (a typical Lexus feels better built) but the design of the car inside and out is exceptional.
Funny enough, we’ve had a customer bring his in twice bc he wants to trade it in on a LS. But, we just can’t justify the 6-figure price he wants bc the car has actual miles on it & we’d take a nasty hit trying to resell it.
 
Savage Geese has released their 1h 27min long video on the Sapphire



I think this is probably the most well engineered car on the market right now. There's probably no other car that is as vertically integrated as this, except maybe Rimac or Hyundai? Also given how much R&D they have by being the only supplier for Formula E, they're probably miles ahead of anyone else.

I hope they can eventually make an affordable model in the far future

It used to be really easy to tell that Tesla was the leading battery/EV car developer in the world, especially after having seen their actual process and being friends with one of their dynamics engineers. But these other companies have stolen a lot of employees and expertise from Tesla over the years, and attracted fresh minds who'd rather work for what is both a startup and a more traditional car company than Tesla. I've also gotten to see some Lucid dynamics testing at TRC and it was also as impressive given this was 4+ years before the car hit the market. In fact, at the time nobody believed Lucid would survive.

They're not just surviving, they're making better actual cars than Tesla. I've also visited a dealership in White Plains NY @Eunos_Cosmo @McLaren and spent an hour playing around, touching everything. Material choices definitely aren't traditional or as "good" as Merc or Audi but I honestly think they're better for it. It feels newer and more special to me than those cars. Maybe not as expensive, but more special. I mean, everything about the car is striking in person.
 
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Sapphire naming reminded me of Sierra 4 door sedans. Very upscale but will association with Sierra lower or increase its desirability? Probably neither lol
 
Revealt.



Some interesting interior shots:

Lucid-Gravity-Tahoe-Interior.jpg

Lucid-Gravity-second-row.jpg


Hope you've got a big frunk:

Lucid-Gravity-hangin-out-in-the-frunk.jpg
 
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Lucid will work on a relatively more affordable $50,000 version next to compete against the Model 3


the next model line to be introduced will take the brand boldly into more mainstream territory, with CEO Peter Rawlinson suggesting to Autocar a starting price of “about $50,000” (£40,000) and laying bare his ambition to drastically increase Lucid’s sales volumes.

“We have to go with volume, because that’s what we’re about,” he said, explaining that Lucid had to launch the high-end Air and Gravity first because of the costs involved in setting up a new car company.

He said: “I’ve formally stated mid-late decade, and that has been completely misquoted as the end of the decade – 2030. What I mean is ‘not 2025’. It’s a few years away, but it’s close. It takes three and a half years to do a car, and we’ve started… and that wasn’t yesterday.”

He said: “The mid-sized [line] is going to be overtly a Tesla competitor – Model 3, Model Y. This is the first time I’ve ever said it: we’re going to compete in that market – high-volume family car.

“And how can we compete? Because we’ve got the most advanced technology, which means we can go farther with less battery, and the battery is the most high-cost item of an electric car. So if you can go a certain distance with less battery, you can make that car more cheaply than anyone else.”

Lucid will also be working on RHD models

Before expanding its lineup, the brand will finally begin production of right-hand-drive cars. Rawlinson suggested 2025 as the likely date for Lucid to be ready to enter the UK market.

Asked to confirm if Lucid is coming to the UK, Rawlinson – who was born and raised near Cardiff and has led the engineering departments at both Lotus and Jaguar – said: “We are. It’s a matter of when. I’ve got to be there – I’m British.

“We’ve got to do right-hand-drive Air. To do that is probably going to take us 18 months and we’re absolutely slammed, because I’ve got all my main engineering team doing all the design and development for Gravity.

“So realistically, it’s two years away. I’d love it to be less. If we started tomorrow, it would be 18 months.”

He added that the UK launch wouldn’t be limited to the Air; Lucid would “totally” look to offer its other models over here as well.
 
That would sell like crazy over here. The amount of Teslas I see, Australia is a ripe market for this brand.
 
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