Two issues are true about Lucid Motors proper now. It makes probably the most environment friendly and longest-range electrical automobiles in the marketplace. But it surely’s additionally nonetheless a nascent startup making an attempt to cross the “valley of loss of life”: the hole between excessive preliminary startup prices and long-term stability and profitability.
At Lucid’s Know-how and Manufacturing Day occasion right now, CEO and CTO Peter Rawlinson confirmed off a number of new applied sciences and updates to present merchandise that the automaker hopes will get it throughout that valley. The upcoming Gravity SUV is one in all them; finished proper, it ought to take the Lucid Air’s outstanding vary and effectivity to a sort of car that is way more common with households and mainstream automotive patrons. We additionally know that present Lucid fashions are getting enhanced automated driving software program and dumping Amazon’s Alexa because the in-car digital assistant (which is sweet information as a result of it is supremely unimpressive within the present Air.)
However I might argue none of those are as essential as Venture Midsize, the nickname for this system that goals to deliver Lucid into the $50,000-ish crossover enviornment—one thing that might be as key to Lucid’s success because the Mannequin Y was for Tesla. And right now, we acquired our first good take a look at this car not underneath some sort of a sheet.
“The brand new crossover will use the effectivity and value benefits enabled by Lucid expertise to ship the identical vary as rivals whereas utilizing a smaller battery,” the automaker stated on its web site. “The midsize platform is scheduled to start out manufacturing in late 2026 with a beginning value underneath $50,000.”
Here is a lightened model I made, which additionally would not reveal an excessive amount of:
However even from these pics, the automotive appears fairly good-looking. I feel it carries its proportions a bit higher than the electrical Porsche Macan does, and even jogs my memory a little bit of the Aston Martin DBX crossover. (That is an attention-grabbing coincidence, contemplating Lucid is powering Aston’s future EVs.)
Rawlinson stated that the midsize automotive could possibly be a market that is 30 instances greater than the Air sedan, which works to indicate simply how essential reasonably priced crossovers are globally. He alluded to a potential occasion the place the midsize automotive could possibly be revealed subsequent yr.
What do we expect thus far? Tell us within the feedback.
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Correction: An earlier model of this story incorrectly acknowledged when Rawlinson stated the midsize EV could also be revealed; it has been corrected. We remorse the error.