Lucid Motors was happy to announce, they have begun construction on their facility in Casa Grande, Arizona. This process has taken the company longer than they would have liked to get started.
The $300 million first phase is scheduled to be completed in late 2020, and they have aspirations for production to begin by the end of 2020 as well. The first production car will be the electric Lucid Air luxury sedan.
Lucid Motors CEO and CTO is Peter Rawlinson, who has more than 30 years of experience in the automobile industry. He was the Chief Engineer of Tesla‘s Model S. He will lead Lucid in the creation and delivery of all Lucid products along with being responsible for all strategic and business aspects of the company.
The company’s production of the Lucid Air EV luxury sedan has a base price of $60,000. It will offer premium spacious full-size interior comfort, to go with a mid-sized exterior design. The battery range is said to be around 240 miles.
Rawlinson commented on breaking ground at the new plant:
The Lucid Air is a cutting-edge electric vehicle designed, engineered, and destined for manufacture entirely in America. We are proud to be moving forward on our commitment to manufacturing the Lucid Air in Casa Grande. With supportive investors, an outstanding team of designers and engineers, and a product strategy that extends well beyond the Air, we expect today to be just the start of a longstanding presence in this dynamic city.
Lucid also released some numbers in regards to the economic impact that is expected including:
• Over $700 million in capital investment by Lucid by the mid-2020s
• Approximately 4,800 direct and indirect jobs by 2029
• An estimated $32 billion revenue impact for the city and county over 20 years
Doug Ducey the Arizona Governor also commented:
Attracting a high-tech automotive manufacturer like Lucid Motors to Arizona is a testament to the talent, business environment, and geographic location our state has to offer innovative companies to help them succeed. I congratulate Lucid Motors, Casa Grande, and Pinal County on achieving this milestone and look forward to seeing the first vehicles roll off the production line.
Lucid also plans on giving back to the local economy with training programs at some local community colleges. Last year, the company was able to secure over $1 billion in investments from Saudi Arabia, which has helped propel them forward to start construction on this new facility. The previous setbacks the company faced are now in the rearview mirror.
