Lucid is getting into the robotaxi game with its upcoming midsize model.
The automaker held an investor day event in New York on Tuesday where it revealed plans for its new low-cost lineup.
Lucid is planning three retail versions of the SUV that will range from “Urban On-Road Performance” to “Suburban Any-Road Adventure-Focused” in style. The first two will be called the Cosmos and Earth while the name of the Any-Road model will be revealed at a later date. Lucid said the Cosmos will be on sale by the end of 2026 and the Earth will follow it in about a year. Cosmos production will begin at Lucid’s factory in Saudi Arabia before it is added at its factory in Arizona.
Lucid is targeting a base price of $50,000 an efficiency rating of 4.5 miles per kilowatt-hour, which would beat the Tesla Model Y that it will compete directly against.
Lucid said it has also been designed with repairability in mind. Unlike Tesla and Ford, with its upcoming Universal Electric Vehicle, Lucid is not using very large “gigagasted” parts at the front and rear of the vehicle.
Instead, it has retained smaller low speed and high speed impact sections for the bumpers that will cost less to repair, which it estimates will result in a $1,000 reduction to insurance rates. Nevertheless, it said the overall design of the vehicle has minimized the number of parts required to keep manufacturing costs low.
While the midsize models have not yet been revealed, Lucid rolled out a concept for a two-door fully autonomous robotaxi called the Lunar that will compete with the Tesla Cybercab. Like the Tesla, it has a large cargo area and no steering wheel.
With a sleeker, lighter design than the other midsize models, Lucid expects it to operate at a 5.5- to 6-miles per kilowatt-hour efficiency. Uber is working to deploy Lucids as driverless cabs through its ride-hailing service and will add the Lunar when it is available.
This story has been updated with additional information
