The Gravity will be Lucid’s second model, a large and luxurious electric SUV that will rival EVs like the Rivian R1S and Kia EV9.
May 24, 2024 at 2:00pm ET
Lucid CEO Peter Rawlinson calls the upcoming Gravity SUV “the best SUV in the world” and a model that will redefine and expand the Lucid brand. That’s a bold claim to make. Can they pull it off?
The manufacturer details the journey there in a new series of videos called “Road to Gravity,” which cover several key parts of the Gravity’s design and manufacturing process as it prepares to begin production of its second model toward the end of 2024.
The Gravity is a full-size SUV competing with the Rivian R1S, Tesla Model X or the new Kia EV9. It is expected to start at around $80,000 and offer similar power to the Air sedan, so there will probably be a 1,000+ horsepower variant that utilizes the tri-motor setup from the Air Sapphire.
It has a projected EPA range of up to 440 miles, and thanks to its 900-volt architecture, it will be among the quickest-charging electric SUVs on the market. Practicality should also be high, with three rows of seats or a maximum load volume of 112 cubic feet and a 6,000-pound towing capacity.
In “Road to Gravity,” the company tries to highlight the Gravity SUV’s qualities and its manufacturing prowess. For the introduction of the Gravity, Lucid’s production facility in Casa Grande, Arizona, was expanded from 850,000 square feet to 3.85 million square feet and gained a new advanced production line that can be quickly retooled to shift production to other models when needed.
This new line will serve the production of not only the Gravity but also the Air and Lucid’s future midsize model. It increases the plan’s annual production capacity from 34,000 to 90,000 vehicles—the manufacturer produced 8,428 vehicles in 2023 and delivered a little over 6,000.
Lucid says the recent expansion of its home factory has turned it into a fully-featured facility with all the tools it needs to make most of the important components in-house. One of the big additions brought by the factory expansion is an advanced stamping facility that allows Lucid to make the individual components that come together to create a car’s shell and body.
In the videos, we can see Gravity SUVs in various stages of the design and assembly process, from clay model to partly-assembled shell awaiting components to be installed on the factory floor. They also show Gravity prototypes being tested in freezing conditions and going sideways around twisty snow-covered roads.
Are you excited for the Gravity? Let us know in the comments.
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