Lucid’s paint shop could fit an electric truck, but the CEO said it’s not happening
Lucid’s CEO said there’s no business case for an electric truck with today’s technology
The issue with electric trucks is efficiency and usability, according to Lucid’s CEO
Buyers holding out hope Lucid will create an efficiency-focused pickup truck are about to be left out in the cold.
On Tuesday during the Lucid’s manufacturing and technology day, founder and CEO Peter Rawlinson said, “I don’t want Lucid to start thinking about a pickup truck.”
The issues surrounding an electric truck for Rawlinson all stem around efficiency, battery size, and a business case.
Rawlinson’s tune on an electric truck has changed. In 2020 the CEO told Green Car Reports “if we want to make a longer vehicle like a pickup or something like that, which we may want to make in the future, the paint shop is future-proof for pickups.” At the time Rawlinson said Lucid wasn’t planning a pickup, at least not quite yet, but it was an idea the team was considering.
That idea’s time has passed, as indicated by Rawlinson’s comments on Tuesday.
Rawlinson said, “I really think it’s very tough to make an electric pickup work today.”
The main issues with making an electric truck work is having it be “usable and cost effective,” Rawlinson said.
Rawlinson noted that towing isn’t an efficient activity, acknowledged truck owners tow and that deals a blow to driving range. That translates to huge batteries, which drive up costs and prices.
To achieve a 300-mile pickup Rawlinson said it would take a 120-kwh battery, but that’s not enough to tow with. “I think the minimum threshold for a usable pickup is probably 150 kilowatt-hours,” the CEO said. The Lucid Air Sedan in base Pure trim has a 420-mile EPA-rated range using a 84-kwh battery pack.
Rawlinson said, “Now, how on Earth are you ever going to do that around 50, 55, $60,000 and make a business case?”
Rawlinson is focused on getting the most mileage out of the smallest battery pack. The CEO said in August it will take the competition years to catch up. Lucid sells the most efficient vehicle on sale today in the U.S. with the Air, which achieved 5.0 miles per kwh and 146 MPGe in EPA testing.
During the manufacturing and technology event Lucid also teased its upcoming midsize electric SUV. The automaker said its Tesla Model Y competitor will arrive late in 2026 and cost less than $50,000. Lucid said the unnamed vehicle will have the same range as competitors though it will have a smaller battery.
Lucid’s currently focused on ramping production of the electric Gravity SUV. Pre-production units are rolling off the assembly line and customer deliveries are supposed to begin later this year. The Gravity will gain a NACS charge port in 2025, according to Lucid.
