Lucid has among 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 improper, and he’s all the time expressed absolute confidence that Lucid will make it large. He lately talked to CarBuzz on the sidelines of the 2024 Goodwood Competition of Velocity 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 vehicles are among the most superior, quickest and best EVs round, the Arizona-based and Saudi-backed producer must promote much more vehicles to matter on the worldwide stage. Final 12 months it made a bit of over 8,400 vehicles, so it wants to begin 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 one million models a 12 months and have a a lot greater impression than that.” Lucid at the moment 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 purpose of promoting that many vehicles.
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 $2,000 to make; the electrical battery pack can value $20,000. So, when others are gigacastings, which could make $130 distinction” he famous, referring to the gigacasting course of that Tesla already makes use of and different producers may additionally undertake he concluded by saying “I am going for the jugular: the battery pack value.”
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 vehicles to have among the many greatest charging energy figures available on the market, nevertheless 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 most effective SUV on this planet. 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 most effective SUV on the market, and nobody will be capable to compete with it. To me, product is king. Convey it on […], however I’ve pushed R1S, and I’ve pushed the Gravity. I am not anxious.” Rivian lately closely revised the R1 line of fashions with new batteries, motors and software program.
Lucid 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 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 coated 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 change into much more environment friendly since.
