Lucid Teases Smaller, Cheaper Electric SUV for 2026

by Chris Teague

Published: September 11th, 2024

lucid teases smaller cheaper electric suv for 2026

Despite offering compelling EVs with tons of range and super-high-end designs, Lucid has struggled to reach the mainstream. Its vehicles are extremely expensive, making them a pipe dream for many buyers, but the automaker has a plan to turn things around. It recently teased a midsize SUV on X/Twitter that it said would land with a price tag below $50,000.

The new vehicle is expected to launch in late 2026 and will feature “leading technology and efficiency,” and Lucid claimed that it would deliver comparable range numbers to rivals with smaller batteries. We don’t know what Lucid will call the new EV, but the automaker filed a patent app earlier this year for the “Earth” vehicle name.

From the tease, we can see that the new SUV shares some design elements with the upcoming Gravity SUV, including fender-mounted mirrors and other touches. Lucid CEO Peter Rawlinson said the new model will be the company’s volume-seller, though that could mean cost-cutting and a less premium experience than Lucid’s current EV offerings.

The new models can’t come soon enough for Lucid, though it recently received $1.5 billion from its Saudi Arabian investors. It has burned through cash at a rapid pace, as designing and building new EVs from the ground up is ridiculously expensive. The Saudi cash will help it stay afloat for the foreseeable future, but things won’t turn around for good until Lucid can find its groove with volume and pricing.

[Images: Lucid]

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Chris Teague

Chris grew up in, under, and around cars, but took the long way around to becoming an automotive writer. After a career in technology consulting and a trip through business school, Chris began writing about the automotive industry as a way to reconnect with his passion and get behind the wheel of a new car every week. He focuses on taking complex industry stories and making them digestible by any reader. Just don’t expect him to stay away from high-mileage Porsches.

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28-Cars-Later on Sep 11, 2024
"It recently teased a midsize SUV on X/Twitter that it said would land with a price tag below $50,000." So, $49,995. Omgzzz ssooooo cheap!

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Cprescott on Sep 12, 2024
Smaller and cheaper? What $55k?

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