A showroom at Lucid One, Lucid Motors’ headquarters in Newark, includes a display of stators, the electric motor component that helps create a magnetic field. It’s a mini-museum and showcase for electric vehicle engineering enthusiasts.
But it’s much more interesting and entertaining when Peter Rawlinson is there, brimming with unbridled enthusiasm. He holds up the part used by Tesla, his former employer, and the counterpart used by Toyota. He explains why Lucid’s version is superior, detailing the craftsmanship of its tightly interwoven copper tapestry and how other EV makers are failing.
Rawlinson, who lives in Foster City due to his south Wales upbringing, is the company’s CEO, chief technology officer and former chief vehicle engineer for Tesla. Rawlinson and Tesla CEO Elon Musk are not the best of friends.
Lucid, which began selling cars in October 2021, delivered 6,001 vehicles in 2023. Tesla, the leading electric vehicle automaker, has delivered 1.8 million vehicles worldwide and 491,000 in the United States l ‘last year.
Rawlinson’s recent appearance before a dozen journalists happened impromptu during the second session of a media tour. He spoke only by video earlier in the week.
Lucid saw its best sales volume in the first quarter of 2024, but that also remains a challenging period. Automakers continue to emphasize electric vehicles in order to meet ongoing federal mandates. But there is a caveat.
JD Power, the Michigan-based data analytics company, predicts that the growth rate of electric vehicles will continue to decline this year. Consumers “very likely” to consider purchasing an electric vehicle have declined for four straight months, according to the company’s U.S. Ownership of Electric Vehicle Experience (EVX) study.
Rawlinson is realistic. The company has two mid-size SUVs, still shrouded, planned for 2026. Price levels are expected to start below $50,000, about $20,000 less than the cheapest current Lucid.
“There’s a temporary blimp (in the industry) and it’s triggered by several things,” Rawlinson said as he stood next to Lucid’s waiting covered SUVs. “A lot of it is a question of macroeconomics and interest rates. It’s the fact that electric cars are a bit more expensive than their gasoline counterparts.
“And I think the main reason for that is that there hasn’t been enough emphasis on efficient high-tech driving so that you can drive further on less battery power. Why are we able to price Lucid Air at $69,900 and it only has an 88 kilowatt battery when we have a 419 mile range and no one else has this autonomy? This is the catalyst.
Lucid sympathizes with its superior performance vehicles, the Air, Gravity and Sapphire, by discussing “the human experience.” One feature is called Sanctuary. This is a non-driving mode when the vehicle’s screens display iconic California natural scenes, combined with ambient music, a massage function and enhanced LED lighting. It’s a zen car.
The upstart manufacturer also has a feature called “Digital Detox.” This is the ability to disengage Lucid’s technological marvels, or as a Lucid spokesperson put it, “remove too much technology when less is more.”
Like other now-defunct EV makers, Lucid’s legacy might have been brief. But since April 2019, it has been majority-owned by the Public Investment Fund (PIF). This is the sovereign wealth fund of Saudi Arabia which also owns and operates numerous companies, including LIV Golf, the new challenger of the PGA Tour.
Much like the rest of his frank and lively presentation, Rawlinson offered without response:
“I just want to be clear; we are here to stay. We have two key differentiators. We have the best EV technology in the world, and it is widely recognized. And we benefit from great financial support from the PIF. This makes two big differences.
“It’s just about reducing that cost with everything we’ve learned about autonomy and efficiency.” What we’ve normally seen is a company that’s in a niche for an expensive class of electric vehicles. We are currently very appreciative of our current clientele. But that’s not the company’s vision. That’s not the mission.
James Raia, a syndicated automotive columnist in Sacramento, is the founder and editor-in-chief of www.theweeklydriver.com. It includes subscriptions to a free newsletter and podcast. Email: james@jamesraia.com.
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