The presumption is that the Lucid owner will be someone who appreciates nice things and is interested in alternative fuels but can’t stomach the fabrication inconsistencies (poorly matched body panels, shoddy build quality) and interface quirks (touchscreen failures) at Tesla.īut Rawlinson would rather align his car with another, more analog model. The convenient comparisonĪs much as they hope to strike out on their own, Tesla looms large whenever you talk to the leadership at Lucid.
Once full production levels are reached, the number will be closer to 34,000 under the current factory-floor configuration, with three work shifts daily. Rawlinson says total production for the first calendar year will be from 7,000 to 8,000 units. Customers will be able to purchase an Air at a showroom, says Designer Derek Jenkins, or order one online. The man who leads the service team says three vans will be enough to service all area customers-a claim that will leave sun- and asphalt-baked Angelino commuters skeptical as they envision the inevitably long waits and inconvenient logistics of California car culture when service needs arise.Īll told, Lucid will open nine such showrooms nationwide, mostly in New York, California, and Florida. Two service vans are parked in the back, boasting mobile tire changes (de rigueur at finer dealerships anywhere) and a mobile coffee machine. (It might be simpler to look at the available colors and choose one you like.)
In another corner of the showroom, a virtual realty simulator is equipped with four car seats and a front screen that changes backgrounds from San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge to the Sonoran Desert to the Pacific Ocean, so potential customers can better visualize preferred colors for the interior seats and trim. It is largely funded by a $1 billion investment from Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia.) (Founded as Atieva in 2007, the company changed its name to Lucid in 2016. (A spokesman said the current Phase One build will create more than 800,000 square feet of space, with “significant” expansion planned for subsequent phases as Lucid adds a line of SUVs and other future models.)Ĭar racing is a favorite topic for Rawlinson: Under its former brand-name Atieva, Lucid designed, developed, manufactures, and supplies high-density battery packs for all the Formula E racing teams. But when you ask how many square feet Lucid’s Arizona factory spans, he’ll happily chirp “two million? or was it three million? I’m having a senior moment sorry!” and say he’s forgotten. He demurs if, as a matter of course in reporting, you ask his age. A former principal engineer at Jaguar Cars and chief engineer at Lotus Cars, Rawlinson wears California-casual slacks and slightly disheveled shirts, sans tie even at car launches. Now comes Lucid’s Rawlinson, the son of a potter who considered art school before studying engineering at Imperial College in London and now satisfies his artistic side with a collection of Gibson guitars.