Lucid Group has formally opened its first abroad manufacturing unit in Saudi Arabia, the Superior Manufacturing Plant (AMP-2) situated in King Abdullah Financial Metropolis (KAEC), 80 miles north of Jeddah.
AMP-2 is Saudi Arabia’s first-ever automobile manufacturing plant and the EV maker’s second automobile meeting plant after the primary AMP-1 manufacturing unit in Casa Grande, Arizona.
The brand new facility has begun semi knocked-down (SKD) meeting of Lucid Air electrical sedans utilizing automobile kits which can be pre-manufactured on the Arizona facility. The location is anticipated to have an annual capability of 5,000 autos within the first part, which consists solely of re-assembling Lucid Air automobile kits.
Lucid goals to transition AMP-2 to finish construct unit (CBU) manufacturing after the center of the last decade, with a further annual capability of 150,000 automobiles. Sooner or later, the whole manufacturing facility, together with the meeting facility, is anticipated to have an annual capability of 155,000 EVs. AMP-2 will produce Lucid EVs for Saudi Arabia and export to different markets.
“We’re delighted to make historical past right now in Saudi Arabia by opening the nation’s first automobile manufacturing facility, which can produce our award-winning electrical autos and help the nation’s imaginative and prescient for a extra sustainable and diversified economic system,” stated Peter Rawlinson, CEO and CTO, Lucid Group. “We sit up for delivering Saudi-assembled automobiles to clients in Saudi Arabia and past.”
Lucid says AMP-2 will probably be a driving power for innovation and job creation, selling home-grown Saudi expertise and offering professional talent improvement coaching. The corporate expects to make use of tons of of Saudi nationals within the first few years and finally develop the workforce into the 1000’s.
The manufacturing unit’s strategic location close to Jeddah and on the Purple Coastline can also be anticipated to facilitate the expansion and enlargement of Saudi Arabia’s provide chain, creating demand for native suppliers and producing long-term progress. The power already provides sturdy provide chain entry by land and sea, which can allow Lucid to export its luxurious electrical autos to different areas sooner or later.
Lucid’s new plant may even assist the corporate fulfill the settlement with the federal government of Saudi Arabia to buy as much as 100,000 autos over a ten-year interval – 50,000 initially and the choice to buy as much as a further 50,000.
In the course of the manufacturing unit inauguration occasion, the corporate additionally delivered Lucid Airs to a choose group of shoppers. Lucid Air deliveries in Saudi Arabia began in June.
The Saudi Arabian authorities by its Public Funding Fund (PIF) is Lucid Group’s majority stakeholder with 60.5 % of shares. The nation’s sovereign wealth fund elevated its stake in Lucid lately by an fairness providing that introduced the EV startup a complete of $3 billion – $1.8 billion of which got here from PIF affiliate Ayar Third Funding Firm.