The Next Lucids Are Coming for the Tesla Model 3 and Model Y
Lucid admittedly needs to get the Gravity to market first but then it’s coming for Tesla.
It was only a matter of time before Lucid started coming directly for Tesla. Lucid's founder, Peter Rawlinson, was the chief engineering officer at Tesla and was the man behind the original Model S. Now, Rawlinson wants to take his old company head-on, as he recently told Auto Express that Model 3 and Model Y-fighters will be coming from Lucid next.
Admittedly, Lucid does have to finish making the all-electric Gravity SUV first. That's currently in development and, according to Rawlinson, on track to launch in the second half of 2024. While the Lucid Air sedan was the brand's first vehicle, the Gravity was planned as its second vehicle from the beginning. However, once the Gravity is done and on the market, Rawlinson is turning his attention to Tesla's two most popular vehicles.
“After Gravity we’re going to do Model 3 and Model Y competitors," he told Auto Express. "We think around $50,000, maybe $48,000—something like that. It’s too early to say, but that’s the vision.”
A much cheaper Lucid is something I think many EV fans would love, as the brand's impressive motor and battery technology is arguably the best in the industry. So entry-level cars would open the door to that tech for more people.
Lucid is also doing something Tesla should have done ages ago and is licensing its motor, battery, and charging technology to other companies, namely Aston Martin. Rawlinson makes a comparison to Intel, who licenses its processors to almost every computer manufacturer in the world.
“There's an 'Intel Inside' logo on many computers and it'd be lovely to see ‘Lucid Inside’ on cars, too.”
Those sort of partnerships will help Lucid develop the revenue stream it needs to start pumping out different cars. At the moment, Lucid just doesn't have the sales to make it profitable enough to make many new cars. With new revenue streams, cars like a $50,000 Model 3 fighter could be a reality sooner than later. However, don't expect anything cheaper than that from Lucid.
Rawlinson admits that a budget EV, something around $25,000, is important for the mass market adoption of electric cars. While he says that isn't something in the cards for Lucid, he would like to be the "Intel Inside" for such budget EVs.
Got tips? Send 'em to tips@thedrive.com
