It’s tough to dispute Lucid’s status as a leader in EV tech. The startup’s Air sedan goes well over 500 miles on a full charge, farther than any other electric car on sale here in the U.S. The car is wildly efficient and strikingly designed to boot. But one thing the company has had trouble with thus far is making money.
Lucid hopes that some new products will change that. The Gravity full-size SUV entered production late last year and should open the startup up to a vast new customer base as sales ramp up. The Gravity Grand Touring costs a pretty penny at $94,900, but a Touring version goes on sale this year at $79,900.
Next up, the plan is to release a lower-priced, smaller vehicle that will help the company, as former CEO and CTO Peter Rawlinson put it, achieve “escape velocity.” Lucid’s future rides on this model, which could be its Tesla Model Y moment and which it so far refers to simply as “Project Midsize.”
Here’s what we know about the EV so far.
Lucid has released only a couple of shadowy teaser images of the upcoming model.
Photo by: InsideEVs
What Do We Know About Lucid’s Midsize EV?
Lucid hasn’t revealed a whole lot about its next act. But we know a few things already. Lucid’s midsize vehicle will take the form of a crossover SUV. That much is clear from shrouded photos of the model. And that’s a smart move, given America’s appetite for crossovers has gone bananas.
The midsize platform won’t just be for one lonely crossover. Rather, it will underpin a minimum of three distinct models, Derek Jenkins, the startup’s design chief, told InsideEVs during a visit to Lucid’s headquarters. There, we saw two shrouded clay models of future midsize vehicles, one of which had rugged, knobby tires peeking out.
An official teaser of Lucid’s midsize EV
Photo by: Lucid Motors
The latest teaser published by the company shows a Model Y-like side profile and slim horizontal LED taillights. Furthermore, it looks like Lucid might go with a set of manual door release mechanisms instead of the fancy flush handles that look great on the Air and Gravity. Those kinds of handles, not specifically Lucid’s, have received increased regulatory scrutiny lately.
What Kind Of Self-Driving Tech Will It Offer?
What’s more, the company’s more affordable EV will be the first in the lineup to get a Level 4-capable advanced driver assistance system. According to SAE (formerly the Society of Automotive Engineers) a Level 4-enabled vehicle can drive itself from point A to point B without any human supervision under certain conditions, while a Level 5 car can do it all the time, irrespective of the weather or other factors. (Waymo’s taxis, for example, would be classified as Level 4.)
In Lucid’s case, the new system has been outsourced to Nvidia, so the midsize electric crossover will get two of the chipmaker’s Drive AGX Thor computers, as well as its “multi-sensor suite architecture,” which includes lidar, radar and cameras.
At first, the entry-level EV will be capable of Level 2 eyes-on assisted driving, similar to Tesla’s Full Self-Driving (Supervised) suite. However, the cars will be upgraded to Level 4 over “a couple of years” after launch, according to a company representative.
What Will The Next Lucid Be Called?
We don’t know for sure. Here’s a potential hint: Lucid has trademarked the name “Lucid Earth.” That would fit well with the company’s existing “Gravity” and “Air” nameplates.
How Much Will It Cost?
Rawlinson has said the midsize Lucid will cost around $48,000. For comparison, Lucid’s current cheapest model, the Air Pure starts at $69,900. So the midsize vehicle should open up Lucid to a more price-sensitive segment of buyers.
However, there’s a good chance that the entry-level variant won’t be available immediately upon the vehicle’s launch. That tends to be how it goes with new EV launches, including the Air and Gravity.
What About Efficiency And Range?
Energy efficiency isn’t the sexiest thing to think about, but it is a core part of the way Lucid designs its vehicles. The midsize vehicle will be no exception.
“I’m confident that we can achieve unrivaled levels of efficiency for this crucial midsize-class vehicle,” Rawlinson said on a recent earnings call. He’s said time and time again that cutting down battery sizes is the key to lower input costs and higher profits.
To be competitive, the vehicle would need to deliver at least 300 miles of range. A focus on efficiency should help.
Lucid has developed a new drive unit, which it calls Atlas, that will power the midsize vehicles. The company says the new motor “enables enhanced value for Lucid and its customers.”
Lucid Midsize Rendering. Credit Theophilus Chin
InsideEVs
When Will Lucid’s Midsize SUV Go On Sale?
Lucid says it will start production of the new model in late 2026, so we’d expect wider availability sometime in early 2027 if all goes according to plan. By then, it will compete with fellow startup Rivian’s R2 SUV.
Update 10-8-2024: Following Lucid’s release of the first teaser image, the website TopElectricSUV.com created its own render, which it kindly shared with us and allowed us to use here. We believe it rather accurately depicts Lucid’s upcoming midsize crossover.
Update 9-11-2024: At Lucid’s Technology and Manufacturing Day on September 10, 2024, Lucid released a teaser image (see below) of its upcoming midsize crossover and stated, “The midsize platform is scheduled to start production in late 2026 with a starting price under $50,000.”
Update 10-30-2025: Added information about Lucid’s Nvidia-based Level 4 driving assistance system plans, as well as another teaser photo published by the automaker.
