Lucid (LCID) CEO claims EV maker is ‘most immune’ if Trump cuts the tax credit
If you ask Lucid (Lucid) CEO Peter Rawlinson, the company is the “most immune” EV maker if President-elect Donald Trump cuts the federal tax credit for electric cars. Despite the claim, Lucid’s stock is hitting a new all-time low at under $2 a share.
Is Lucid immune to losing the EV tax credit?
Lucid is coming off its third straight record quarter of deliveries. With another 2,781 vehicles sold in Q3, Lucid’s delivery total reached 7,142 through the first nine months of 2024, already topping the 6,001 deliveries in 2023.
However, share prices are sinking following a Reuters report on Thursday that Trump’s transition team is “planning to kill” the federal EV tax credit, which provides up to $7,500 for clean car buyers.
The report also cited two sources claiming that representatives from Tesla (TSLA) told Trump’s team that they supported the plans to end the subsidy.
CEO Elon Musk, who fully endorsed Trump, said losing the credit could slightly impact Tesla’s sales but would be “devastating” to others in the US.
Although its luxury Air sedan, starting at $69,900, doesn’t qualify for the $7,500 credit, Lucid is passing it on to some through leasing. However, Rawlinson said many of its clients make more than the $150,000 for single filers and $300,000 threshold for couples filing jointly.
Because of that, even if Trump cuts the EV tax credit, Lucid’s CEO believes it’s in a stronger position than most of the competition.
When asked about Trump’s plans, Rawlinson said on Bloomberg Television on Friday that “Lucid, amongst all the EV makers, is really the most immune from that.”
Lucid’s CEO also said he isn’t worried about Musk getting favorable treatment when Trump takes office. Rawlinson explained:
We’ve really taken the mantle of technology leadership from Tesla right now, and this is not really sufficiently recognized. So, I think we’re in a very strong position to weather any such storm.
Lucid opened orders for its first electric SUV earlier this month. Starting at $79,800, the Lucid Gravity is expected to get an impressive range of 440 miles per charge.
Rawlinson calls the Gravity a “landmark product” with its most advanced technology yet, which he claims is “years ahead of the competition.” Last month, we got our first look at its lower-priced midsize electric SUV. Prices for the new model will start at under $50,000.
It will be the first of at least three midsize Lucid EVs, with production expected to begin in late 2026. Rawlinson said the midsize models are aimed “right in the heart of Tesla Model 3, Model Y territory.”
Despite the confidence, Lucid’s stock hit its lowest price on Friday since going public in July 2021. Lucid shares are down nearly 17% this week, sitting at under $2 per share.
Electrek’s Take
Ending the federal tax credit will put the entire US auto industry behind. China continues to gain more global market share as leaders like BYD expand into key overseas markets like Europe, Southeast Asia, and Central and South America.
In fact, according to Bloomberg, BYD is quickly closing in on Ford in global deliveries and could even top the American automaker by the end of 2024.
BYD’s surging global presence is primarily due to its early beginnings as a battery maker. However, China’s government is also fueling EV sales growth with subsidies for those that trade in gas-powered vehicles.
According to Rho Motion, China continues dominating the global market with a record 1.2 million EVs sold in October alone. China has now sold 8.4 million EVs in 2024, up 38% year-over-year (YOY), compared to 1.4 million in the US (+9% YOY).
Rawlinson may be right. Lucid could be one of the most immune if the tax credits were cut. However, other US automakers, like Ford, GM, and Jeep-maker Stellantis, may not be as lucky.
So, what happens if the subsidies are killed off? American automakers will likely delay or cancel more EV initiatives (new models, battery plants, manufacturing facilities), which will send them further behind in the global market.
Ford’s CEO Jim Farley warned rivals earlier this year, saying if they cannot keep up with the Chinese, “then 20% to 30% of your revenue is at risk.” He added, “As the CEO of a company that had trouble competing with the Japanese and the South Koreans, we have to fix this problem.” Ending subsidies would only put them further behind.
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Slate Auto, a new EV startup backed by Jeff Bezos, has poached a key Tesla manufacturing leader to build its electric pickup truck factory in Indiana.
Napoleon Reyes is a US Marine from Indiana who got a degree in mechanical engineering from Purdue after leaving the force.
He then worked a few years at Subaru and Wabash before joining Tesla’s manufacturing team at the Fremont Factory in 2020.
There, he became part of the Model Y production ramp and was quickly promoted to lead the Model Y General Assembly in Fremont in 2022.
Reyes led Model Y GA, one of the most critical parts of vehicle manufacturing, for more than a year before being promoted again to lead new pilot processes at the factory.
Most recently, he led the launch of the general assembly line for the Model Y refresh.
The new engineering manager announced this week that he is leaving Tesla to join Slate:
A bit late on the post but after nearly 5 years working at Tesla in Fremont, I made the difficult decision to leave the Company and move closer to home with my family. It was an incredible experience being part of multiple line expansions and multiple Model Y program launches. Leading and managing the Model Y Refresh launch for GA in Fremont this year tested me professionally however we ultimately succeeded due to our amazing cross functional team collaboration. It’s been an absolute pleasure working with such great people, and I will forever be proud and thankful for everything we accomplished together.
I will be taking on a new role as Senior Manager, Plant Vehicle Engineering at Slate Auto in Warsaw, In.
Slate emerged from stealth mode earlier this year to unveil a new type of electric pickup truck featuring modular customization and an affordable price.
The company raised over $700 million through two rounds of investments from several different investors, including Jeff Bezos. It is currently raising more, which basically guarantees that it will be able to reach production.
The startup acquired a former printing plant in Warsaw, Indiana. It is currently converting to manufacture its electric pickup with a team from legacy automakers and also several former engineers and leaders from Tesla.
Rich Schmidt, an early Tesla manufacturing director, is the head of manufacturing.
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Genesis is preparing to shake things up with its most luxurious SUV yet, the GV90. Thanks to a new patent filing, we are getting a detailed look at how its Rolls-Royce-style coach doors will work.
New patent reveals Genesis GV90 coach door system
When Genesis first unveiled the full-size SUV at the NY Auto Show last March, it wasn’t the stunning design or advanced tech that caught everyone’s attention. It was the coach doors.
Although we were worried it wouldn’t make it to the production model, like many concepts, the Genesis GV90 will be offered with coach doors.
The ultra-luxe electric SUV was first caught with coach doors earlier this year on a car carrier in South Korea. Just last month, the GV90 was spotted in California with a hinge at the rear to open the coach doors.
After several new patents were filed with the United States Patent and Trademark Office for new door latching devices, we are getting a sneak peek at how they are expected to work.
The patents, titled “Cinching Device For Door Latches in Vehicle,” and “Door Latch Device for Vehicles,” give a pretty detailed explanation of how the Genesis GV90’s coach doors will operate. The “Door Latch Device” uses a door striker on the lower side of the door, which is opened or closed by a hinge unit.
Unlike traditional doors, which use the B-pillar for support, the device is attached directly to the door itself, allowing for hinge-like movement.
The cinching device works in a similar way. It’s also attached to the door and part of the vehicle. However, unlike most of its kind, Genesis found a way to use a single cinching device to control multiple units. Again, the device is used for B-pillarless doors that swing open.
Genesis already said that B-pillarless coach doors are now feasible in production vehicles. The patent reveals a glimpse into how the luxury automaker could make it a reality.
Although the Genesis GV90 is expected to be offered with coach doors, they will likely not be standard. Other variants, with traditional door handles, have also been spotted testing in the US and South Korea.
Genesis is expected to launch the GV90 in mid-2026. It will be built at Hyundai’s Ulsan plant in South Korea. The flagship Genesis SUV is scheduled to debut on Hyundai’s new eM platform, which the company said will “provide 50% improvement in driving range.” It will also be loaded with the latest technology, software, connectivity, and Level 3 or higher autonomous driving capabilities.
Source: USPTO
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Environment
Podcast: Tesla Model YL, more Tesla probes and lawsuits, new Nissan Leaf pricing, and more
In the Electrek Podcast, we discuss the most popular news in the world of sustainable transport and energy. In this week’s episode, we discuss the launch of the Tesla Model YL, more Tesla probes and lawsuits, new Nissan Leaf pricing, and more.
The show is live every Friday at 4 p.m. ET on Electrek’s YouTube channel.
As a reminder, we’ll have an accompanying post, like this one, on the site with an embedded link to the live stream. Head to the YouTube channel to get your questions and comments in.
After the show ends at around 5 p.m. ET, the video will be archived on YouTube and the audio on all your favorite podcast apps:
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Here are a few of the articles that we will discuss during the podcast:
Here’s the live stream for today’s episode starting at 4:00 p.m. ET (or the video after 5 p.m. ET:
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