Lucid Makes a Lot of Noise, but Still Keeps Tesla Laughing

Very active in terms of communication, the young American company is nevertheless struggling to convince. Here are the reasons.

With only 3,789 cars sold in the United States from January 1 to July 31, 2023, Lucid currently ranks 18th among electric vehicle manufacturers across the Atlantic… while Tesla is very clearly the number 1.

And because numbers are stubborn, we can even specify that Lucid is currently 110 times smaller than Tesla, which sold 390,377 cars during the same period… in the United States. On a global scale, the disparity is even greater.

Meanwhile, another highly publicized new player has entered the market, Rivian. Things are going better for them with 18,359 cars sold and an 8th place in the rankings, certainly behind well-known names like Chevrolet, Ford, or Hyundai, but already ahead of Kia, Audi, Nissan, or Toyota.

So, it is necessary to explain the reasons for this commercial failure.

The development of a car requires nearly a decade of work when everything must be created from scratch. At the time of its inception, the Tesla Model 3 and Y did not exist; the media reference was then Model S. A very large, stately sedan whose sales have since collapsed in the United States: 8,439 units sold in the first seven months of 2023.

Lucid therefore targeted the wrong segment, while Rivian chose the segment of electric pickups and XXL SUVs, more in line with the American way of life. Lucid must therefore react immediately by speeding up the market launch of its second model, a large SUV called Gravity. Unfortunately, the initial renderings seem to depict a big, featureless pachyderm with little personality or identification, at a time when automobiles are leaning heavily into technological and identity demonstrations.

Could this be a second blow that proves fatal for Lucid?

READ ALSO: Tesla Model S Standard Range, a response to the Lucid Air threat?