Lucid has a number of the most superior electrical automobile know-how available on the market, surpassing established automakers and even EV chief Tesla.
Rawlinson has been outspoken in declaring precisely what Lucid’s EV rivals are doing flawed, and he’s all the time expressed absolute confidence that Lucid will make it huge. He just lately talked to CarBuzz on the sidelines of the 2024 Goodwood Competition of Pace and reiterated his perception that Lucid will find yourself dominating the automotive market.
Lucid leads for EV tech however not gross sales
Regardless that Lucid automobiles are a number of the most superior, quickest and best EVs round, the Arizona-based and Saudi-backed producer must promote much more automobiles to matter on the worldwide stage. Final 12 months it made a bit of over 8,400 automobiles, so it wants to start out ramping up manufacturing.
He stated, “Don’t consider Lucid as a distinct segment luxurious automotive firm. We’re gonna be enormous. I need us to promote 1,000,000 items a 12 months and have a a lot greater influence than that.” Lucid at present solely sells one automotive, the Air sedan, which is a luxurious sedan whose most cost-effective model, the Air Pure, is $69,900. It’s not inexpensive sufficient to make Lucid a real quantity participant, however the firm is engaged on a $48,000 midsize mannequin that can assist it attain the aim of promoting that many automobiles.
The Lucid boss went on to spotlight the truth that for an EV, “over 40% of the price of constructing that automotive is the price of the battery. The gasoline engine may cost a little $2,000 to make; the electrical battery pack can price $20,000. So, when others are taking a look at gigacastings, which could make $130 distinction” he famous, referring to the gigacasting course of that Tesla already makes use of and different producers might also undertake he concluded by saying “I am going for the jugular: the battery pack price.”
The 900-volt structure, the very best of any EV in manufacturing, distinguishes Lucid’s EV know-how from that of different producers. This not solely permits Lucid automobiles to have among the many finest charging energy figures available on the market, however it additionally helps the Air sip electrons extra frugally than different EVs.
Rawlinson’s confidence extends to the upcoming Lucid Gravity SUV, which he regards as the very best SUV on the earth. He expects it to eat into Rivian R1S gross sales and asks “‘How is Rivian gonna reply?’ As a result of Gravity is gonna be the very best SUV on the market, and nobody will be capable of compete with it. To me, product is king. Carry it on […], however I’ve pushed R1S, and I’ve pushed the Gravity. I am not nervous.” Rivian just lately closely revised the R1 line of fashions with new batteries, motors and software program.
Lucid just lately introduced that the Air sedan revised for the 2025 mannequin 12 months achieved a class-leading effectivity determine of simply 5 miles for every kilowatt-hour consumed. This enables the Air Pure to journey over 400 real-world miles on one cost of its 84 kWh battery. To place how spectacular that’s into perspective, the BMW i5 M60 can’t go greater than about 265 miles with its 81.2 kWh battery earlier than it must be plugged in.
We just lately reviewed the BMW i5 M60, which had a mean electrical energy consumption of two.6 miles per kWh, and it by no means confirmed greater than 210 miles of predicted vary even with a full battery. After we put the 2022 Lucid Air Dream Version by means of our 70 mph vary check, Tom Moloughney drove it for 7 hours straight and lined simply over 500 miles on one cost, with a mean consumption determine of 4.3 miles per kWh. This was two years in the past, and Lucids have turn into much more environment friendly since.