Here’s What Lucid Has in the Works Next

• Lucid Motors expands its Casa Grande, Arizona, facility dubbed Advanced Manufacturing Plant (or AMP-1), including a new general assembly line.

• The EV maker has a new model in the works, intended to compete with the Tesla Model 3 and the Model Y, but it won't be here until 2026 at the earliest.

• Lucid will be busy rolling out several versions of the Gravity SUV, as it works to set itself apart in segments that are filling up rapidly.

Lucid Motors may have run into headwinds in 2023 when it came to demand for the Air sedan, which prompted some price cuts (as with elsewhere in the industry). But the luxury EV maker is now aiming to boost its footprint in the US as it works on expanding its lineup further following the debut of the Gravity SUV.

Days ago the EV maker unveiled a new manufacturing facility and warehouse at its Casa Grande, Arizona, home, measuring 3 million square feet. This includes a new general assembly line, an expanded body and paint shops, a logistics center and powertrain facilities relocated from elsewhere on site, as well as quality and semi-knock down (SKD) centers.

"In just a few short years, the Lucid team has evolved our manufacturing footprint into one of the few highly integrated electric vehicle manufacturing plants in the U.S.," said Steven David, SVP of Operations at Lucid.

Among other things, Lucid says that the new Advanced Manufacturing Plant (AMP-1) center now features one of the most advanced stamping facilities globally, and is scheduled to go online later this year.

"The expansion of our manufacturing footprint in Arizona is a significant milestone for the company, as we prepare for the next phase of Lucid’s growth," said Peter Rawlinson, CEO and CTO at Lucid.

Lucid's inauguration of expanded facilities at Casa Grande was notable for one other brief event. The EV maker reiterated plans for a Tesla Model Y and Model 3 competitor, revealing an image of a midsize crossover draped in an opaque cover.

The image of the future midsize EV itself was not especially revealing, only showing a profile of a wagon-shaped crossover. But it served to fuel speculation about Lucid's more mass-market offerings following on the heels of two decidedly luxury models, given concerns about demand running out of steam at the top end of the EV market.

The unnamed model, expected to start at around $50,000, is slated to arrive only after 2025. So it's not quite imminent.

In 2024 Lucid is expected to focus on expanding its Gravity SUV lineup, adding new versions to the model as it did over the course of Air sedan production.

Lucid finished rolling out new versions of the Air only months ago with the debut of the most affordable version of the sedan, and the tempo of Gravity SUV debuts is expected to be similarly paced.

Lucid scored an early hit with the Lucid Air sedan, which offers 520 miles in the longest-range flavor. Now the automaker is focused at growing its lineup at a time when its German competition is in the process of fielding several challengers to the Gravity SUV.

The EV maker's once-unique position, therefore, is bound to be challenged by several larger automakers in a very short span of time.

Will Tesla's Model 3 and Model Y be successfully challenged by some other automaker in the coming years, or is Tesla likely to hang on to the position occupied by its best sellers? Let us know what you think in the comments below.