Lucid Motors was never going to be a super high-volume automaker, but it’s struggling to meet modest production goals. During a recent earnings call, the company said its ramp-up of the new Gravity SUV has been slower than it planned.
Lucid’s interim CEO Marc Winterhoff said, “I feel that it is important to acknowledge that we are not where we want to be with Lucid Gravity production relative to our target at this point in the year. However, our team has been working very hard all year to address bottlenecks in our supply chain and improve manufacturing efficiency. I’m happy to say that we have overcome most of these issues and are beginning to ramp up Lucid Gravity production.”
The automaker blames supply chain issues, which came in part from President Trump’s ongoing trade negotiations with China. The country provides significant exports of rare earth magnets, which are needed for EV motors and other components. Winterhoff said Lucid had modified its battery construction to scrounge up enough material to produce between 18,000 and 20,000 units, down slightly from its originally planned 20,000 output target.
The ongoing trade wars have had an outsized impact on Lucid, which saw a $632 million loss in the last quarter. Tariffs have hit all automakers, but they’ve been particularly challenging for upstart companies like Lucid and Rivian. The Gravity will be its second EV after the Air sedan, and it’s expected to gain a more affordable variant soon, which could give Lucid a much-needed boost in sales.
[Images: Lucid]
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