Written by Cláudio Afonso | LinkedIn | X
Lucid’s Senior Vice President of Product and Chief Engineer Eric Bach commented on the competition from the largest EV market highlighting the strengths and the weaknesses of the Chinese manufacturers.
Bach noted that the EV makers succeeding in China have “outstanding tech” and Lucid needs “to be on watch.”
“China is really good at software for infotainment and advanced driver assist systems, as well as excellent fit and finish,” Bach added.
On the other side, the executive said “Their powertrains are good from a cost perspective, but are not competitive with the Western world, nor is their drive and handling.”
However, Back noted, “But they will learn and improve, so the western edge will not last forever.”
“China had about 550 startups compared with 40 or less in North America. The ones that survived in China have outstanding tech and “we need to be on watch” but should not revert to protectionism which stifles or reverses innovation,” MotorTrend wrote quoting the executive.
“And the way to compete is with clean slate EVs that are not compromised. Making an EV version of an ICE vehicle does not give the customer enough of an advantage,” he stated.
The International Energy Agency expects global electric vehicle sales to reach 16.6 million units this year, up from 13.7 million in 2023 with China strengthening its leading position.
In September 2023, Bach said that the entry into the Chinese market was “something we are exploring, and we are investing in.” However, ten months later, in July of this year, Lucid’s managing director in China Zhu Jiang left the company after nearly two years.
Lucid delivered 2,110 vehicles in the second quarter of the year and expects to produce 5,162 vehicles between July and December.
The figures surged in the second quarter, driven by a sharp rise in deliveries to Saudi Arabia, home to its backer, the Public Investment Fund.
Jiang joined the EV manufacturer in September 2022 when the company had several positions open on its website for the Chinese market.
As of Saturday, the company’s website has 598 positions open across several countries but none of them are located in China.
Earlier this week, Lucid opened a new engineering and research center in Southfield, Michigan.
In an event held at the new facilities in Detroit, the executive reiterated that the company is open to licensing its technology to other manufacturers, stating that it is in discussions with “many” of them.
Lucid will begin production of its second model, a three-row sports utility vehicle named Gravity, ‘later this year,’ and is planning a mid-size SUV for 2026.
Lucid has recently reaffirmed the annual production guidance of 9,000 vehicles. If it reaches its annual production target, the company’s annual production figures will increase by about 6.79 per cent from 2023.
Written by Cláudio Afonso | LinkedIn | X
