Lucid Motors has officially began taking orders for its electrical Gravity SUV, a critically necessary automobile that’s supposed to enter manufacturing by the top of this 12 months. patrons can now place $1,000 refundable deposits on the “Grand Touring” trim, which begins at $94,900, on the corporate’s web site.
Just like the corporate’s present mannequin, the Air sedan, the Gravity is a more-than-capable electrical automobile. The corporate guarantees it could actually journey greater than 440 miles on a full battery. That battery delivers energy to 2 electrical motors that put down the equal of 828 horsepower. It ought to be extra useful than the Air, too, because it comes commonplace with two rows of seating and could be optioned as much as three.
The launch of the Gravity is essential to Lucid’s survival. Whereas it has been capable of improve gross sales of its Air sedan in the previous few quarters by slashing prices and launching a less expensive trim, Lucid remains to be way off of the sales figures it initially projected when it went public in a $4 billion reverse merger in 2021. In consequence, Lucid has repeatedly gone back to majority proprietor Saudi Arabia so as to add extra funding to its conflict chest this 12 months.
The Gravity is available in an SUV kind issue that’s way more enticing to North American patrons, which may increase general gross sales. However the extra reasonably priced “Touring” model, which begins at $79,900, received’t be out there till “late 2025.” And the Floor Touring model can rapidly zoom previous the $94,900 sticker value, as automobile reviewer Kyle Conner realized shortly after Lucid launched the Gravity SUV configurator on Thursday.
Affordability has been one of many larger challenges for Lucid, particularly as a result of its automobiles usually are not eligible for the point-of-sale federal EV tax credit score as a result of they’re too costly. The corporate’s automobiles are eligible for a $7,500 tax credit score that may be utilized to leases. In fact, that’s contingent on the federal tax credit surviving when President-elect Donald Trump takes workplace subsequent 12 months.
