Lucid Motors was founded in 2007 in Menlo Park, California as Atieva, a battery technology company focused on developing advanced battery systems for electric vehicles. The company's founders included Bernard Tse, a former Tesla vice president, and Sam Weng.
Atieva pivoted to developing complete electric vehicles in the mid-2010s, rebranding as Lucid Motors in 2016. The company hired Peter Rawlinson, the former chief engineer of the Tesla Model S, as Chief Technology Officer and later CEO, providing significant credibility in the electric vehicle industry.
Lucid unveiled the Lucid Air concept in 2016 and began taking reservations for the production vehicle. The company secured a landmark investment from Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund in 2018, receiving approximately $1 billion in initial funding. PIF's investment was motivated by Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030 strategy to diversify the economy and develop new industries.
Lucid went public in July 2021 through a merger with Churchill Capital Corp IV, a special purpose acquisition company (SPAC), at a valuation of approximately $24 billion. The SPAC merger provided Lucid with approximately $4.4 billion in capital to fund vehicle production and expansion.
Lucid began deliveries of the Lucid Air Dream Edition in October 2021, becoming the first production electric vehicle to exceed 500 miles of EPA-estimated range. The company subsequently launched additional Air variants at lower price points to expand its addressable market.
Lucid announced plans to build a manufacturing facility in Saudi Arabia in 2022, supported by a commitment from the Saudi government to purchase up to 100,000 vehicles over 10 years. The Saudi facility, located in King Abdullah Economic City, began construction and is intended to serve Middle Eastern and European markets.
For full-year 2024, Lucid reported revenue of approximately $807 million and produced approximately 9,000 vehicles. The company has been working to scale production and reduce manufacturing costs to improve its path to profitability.
Peter Rawlinson stepped down as CEO in February 2024, transitioning to a Chief Technology Officer role. Marc Winterhoff was appointed interim CEO.