Uploaded August 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Lucid Delays Affordable EV as Saudi Factory Waits for Its Car
Lucid has postponed its midsize platform from late 2026 until the second half of 2027, delaying the vehicle intended to turn the Saudi-backed company into a volume manufacturer.
Chief executive Silvio Napoli says the Air and Gravity were launched “a bit in haste” and insists the cheaper model will arrive only when quality and suppliers are ready. Lucid aims to conserve $1.4 billion by cutting production, inventory, capital spending and operating costs.
Its expanded Saudi factory should still be completed by year-end, although the supply chain and vehicle will lag behind. Lucid previously said the Iran war had not significantly affected the Red Sea-side plant. The conflict has tightened Saudi spending elsewhere, but no evidence currently links it directly to this delay.
Recent financing should fund Lucid well into 2027. Yet a vast factory without its promised volume model rather exposes the gap between Saudi industrial ambition and automotive reality. Source: Reuters
Lucid Delays Affordable EV as Saudi Factory Waits for Its Car
Lucid has postponed its midsize platform from late 2026 until the second half of 2027, delaying the vehicle intended to turn the Saudi-backed company into a volume manufacturer.
Chief executive Silvio Napoli says the Air and Gravity were launched “a bit in haste” and insists the cheaper model will arrive only when quality and suppliers are ready. Lucid aims to conserve $1.4 billion by cutting production, inventory, capital spending and operating costs.
Its expanded Saudi factory should still be completed by year-end, although the supply chain and vehicle will lag behind. Lucid previously said the Iran war had not significantly affected the Red Sea-side plant. The conflict has tightened Saudi spending elsewhere, but no evidence currently links it directly to this delay.
Recent financing should fund Lucid well into 2027. Yet a vast factory without its promised volume model rather exposes the gap between Saudi industrial ambition and automotive reality. Source: Reuters
