Everything we know on the Lucid Gravity SUV as of Feb 2023 [Update]

Update: ‘Design’ and ‘Interior’ sections updated.

Lucid Motors, founded as ‘Atieva’ in 2016, wants to build a new kind of car that makes no compromises. Here’s everything you need to know about the Lucid Gravity, which is aimed at raising the bar for electric SUVs:

Design

The Gravity is arguably the finest nexus between an upright, boxy SUV that appeals to purists and an elegant crossover. It’s essentially a different top hat on a sedan (Lucid Air), one that is fully reimagined, which can’t be said of the Tesla Model X. Lucid Motors claims it is the world’s most aerodynamic SUV.

Here’s Derek Jenkins, who oversees the company’s design, providing details of the first Lucid SUV on April 19, 2021, in a chat with Rosemary Square – West Palm’s Instagram channel:

I can promise you a few things, that it will have the Lucid design DNA, so it should be instantly recognizable as a Lucid product and sit comfortably next to the Lucid Air. And we’ll put a big priority on the same values that Air has, and that’s in the areas of space, interior space, overall vehicle efficiency and range, and of course, incredible performance.

Derek Jenkins, Senior Vice President of Design, Lucid Motors, on the Project Gravity

Lucid Motors didn’t provide a complete look at the Gravity during the announcement in September 2020. Thanks to patent images, which have surfaced from EUIPO, we can view the Gravity from all angles.

The patent images show the Gravity featuring sleek headlamps similar to the Lucid Air, a visibly short hood (with air vents), and a huge windscreen. On the sides, the electric luxury SUV has a horizontal beltline, sleek yet wide windows, and quarter glass panels, a really flat roof, and squarish wheel arches. The fast A-pillar angle pushes the windscreen quite forward for a very sporty look. The slim and sharp tail lamps are connected via a light strip on the top at the rear. Up top, almost the entire portion is covered by the sunroof.

On November 15, 2022, Lucid Motors released a teaser that appeared to show a unique placement for the model inscription on the sides. While most automakers choose the lower area of the front door panels for branding, Lucid Motors has carved a space at the top of the D-pillar. The upper edge of this area seems to be on the same horizontal axis as the lower edge of the roof spoiler at the rear.

Interior

While concepts tend to be more appealing than their road-ready versions, it will be the opposite case for the Lucid Project Gravity. That’s what Peter Rawlinson, CEO & CTO, Lucid Motors, indicated while speaking at the BofA Securities 2021 Automotive Summit held in March 2021.

These (teasers of the brown example in this story) are our sneak-peak preview shots. We’ve actually changed the design a bit since then and it’s much cooler, even cooler again. And we’re really going to reimagine what an SUV can be, using this Space Concept, bigger on the inside, more compact on the outside, to make a three-row super, super sporting, all-electric SUV with great range and great characteristics.

Peter Rawlinson, CEO and CTO, Lucid Motors (at BofA Securities 2021 Automotive Summit)

The Gravity may have a distinguishing top hat for its SUV look, but a significant amount of the interior layout and design should be common with the Lucid Air. Expect the same “Lucid Space Concept” that leverages the company’s miniaturized EV drivetrain and compact battery pack to give plenty of space.

We expect a similarly designed dashboard that discretely stows a retractable central portrait touchscreen called ‘Pilot Panel,’ with a 34-inch 5K curved instrument cluster, the ‘Lucid Glass Cockpit,’ floating above. The occupants in the second row may get individual screens for entertainment on the go. The bank of high-resolution displays may feature the Lucid UX and have interconnection through the ‘Lucid Ethernet ring,’ an ethernet connection that allows the car’s internal systems to communicate at gigabit speeds.

Seating

The top-end Gravity will feature executive rear seats in the second row that can be reclined way back like in a jet. Second-row passengers will be able to lie down almost flat and gaze at the sky through the SUV’s huge panoramic glass roof. The headrests of the seats feature an embossed logo of a polar bear to signify the model’s eco-friendly nature.

In the teaser Lucid Motors showed on November 15, 2022, it seemed the Gravity has a split glass roof above the front seats as well. The company has since confirmed it will offer the large electric SUV in 5-, 6-, and 7-seat versions. Lucid Motors will offer a bench-type second-row seat as well, in basic configurations in which customers want a higher seating capacity of seven passengers and don’t mind compromising on comfort.

Video Source: YouTube/Lucid Motors

Platform

The Gravity will be based on the Lucid Electric Advanced Platform (LEAP), announced in September 2020. Combined with the Lucid Space Concept, which minimizes the in-house developed EV drivetrain to optimize cabin space, the second Lucid car is expected with class-leading interior space and comfort.

We’re going to have a transformative SUV, which is going to embody the core Lucid DNA, product DNA, the Space Concept. And what’s compact on the outside, more space, more practicality, more luxury on the inside. And we’re going to have an ultra-high efficiency SUV which nobody has ever done before.

Peter Rawlinson, CEO and CTO, Lucid Motors (during the Q4 2021 Results call on Feb 28, 2022)

The Lucid Gravity would incorporate the posh design language set by the Lucid Air, but with typical SUV traits like upright front and rear fascias, straight body lines, squarish fenders, large greenhouse, etc. Jenkins told hotcars.com that the Lucid Air’s design DNA is suitable for a utility product like the Lucid Gravity. He also said that the company is working on “a range of products” with the same design philosophy.

During the Q4 2021 results call on Feb 28, 2022, Rawlinson said that he personally oversees the engineering development of Gravity, and believes in the product’s disruptive potential.

Race-proven, compact battery pack & largest ‘frunk’

Lucid Motors says the Gravity’s range will be second to none, with the sole exception being the company’s own Air electric sedan. No surprise there, given that the company claims it to be the world’s most aerodynamic SUV.

Lucid Motors says it has developed a 113 kWh battery pack through electric racing with 20 million miles of real-world testing promising ‘world class’ energy density. The company is using this battery pack in the Lucid Air. The manufacturer said that the large-capacity battery pack takes up limited space to liberate more interior room.

The 113 kWh battery pack’s size has also led to the Air featuring the largest frunk (trunk space at the front due to the absence of an engine) of any electric car to date. With the larger dimensions of the Lucid Gravity SUV, we expect the frunk to be much larger than that of the Air (280+ liters or 9.9 cu.ft.) and beat the F-150 Lightning‘s 400 liters.

In an interview with Automotive News in April 2021, Jenkins was asked about customer expectations from a luxury electric SUV. SUVs are used for many daily tasks and even adventure trips and getaways, so a long range is what customers want out of their SUVs, even here in the luxury segment.

That range topic, I always put that at the very, very top of the list. To me that means 400 miles+. You know, it has to have that at a minimum because people are going to use this thing. It’s going to be a family workhorse in a lot of cases. 

Derek Jenkins, SVP of Design, Lucid Motors

The three-row SUV would be considered a family hauler and inter-city traveler by American car buyers. So, the travel range matters, and that’s on top of the team’s mind designing and developing it.

World’s fastest charging electric SUV?

The Lucid Gravity will be among the fastest-charging EVs, likely offering a peak charging rate of over 300 kW. The GMC Hummer EV SUV and the Porsche Taycan Cross Turismo already offer 350 kW ultra-fast or rapid charging. That’s the number Lucid Motors could target.

The Lucid Air can add up to 300 miles of range in just 20 minutes. The same charging speed would trickle down to the Gravity to make it one of the fastest charging electric SUVs.

I’m excited, very excited about the project. I think that even though the sedan segment is still a very popular segment, the SUV/CUV segments, especially in luxury, are continuing to grow at a much higher pace. So, we’re super-excited to bring that vehicle on the road.

Derek Jenkins, SVP of Design, Lucid Motors, in April 2021, in an Instagram chat with Rosemary Square – West Palm in April 2021

The world’s most powerful electric SUV?

With the Lucid Air getting bragging rights as the world’s most powerful electric sedan, it is reasonable to expect the Lucid Gravity to be the world’s most powerful electric SUV. Expect nearly 1,080 hp from two motors powering the front and rear wheels.

The Air can achieve consistent quarter-mile times of 9.9 seconds, and we expect the Gravity SUV to keep it tidy under the 12-second mark, despite its SUV body shape and relatively higher drag.

Supercar levels of performance, seating for up to seven, and more range than any other EV (except for those from Lucid).

Lucid Group announcing the Gravity SUV on November 15, 2022

Not a rock-crawler

It’s visible from the design of the concept version that the Lucid Gravity won’t be an SUV made for extreme off-road thrills. It will look tougher and noticeably more rugged than its European competitors, like the Mercedes EQS SUV, for instance, but that won’t equate to GMC Hummer EV SUV levels of go-anywhere capabilities. “We’re not making a rock-crawler here (in Casa Grande, Arizona),” Jenkins said, Automotive News reported on October 4, 2021. Towing capability will be available, but optionally.

Special Pirelli tires

Like the Air, the Lucid Gravity should feature the new Pirelli P Zero HL tires. Pirelli says that the new series of its tires, debuting on the first Lucid model, are dedicated to EVs and hybrids. The company has developed tires to support the higher weight of vehicles with large batteries. They feature an HL marking on the sidewall to indicate their capability to handle high loads.

The Lucid Air’s Pirelli P Zero HL can support 20% more weight than a standard tire and 6-9% more weight compared to an extra load XL tire of the same size. The bespoke P Zero tires benefit from Pirelli Elect and PNCS technologies. Pirelli has jointly developed them with Lucid Motors, and it marks them ‘LM1’ on the sidewalls.

Pirelli Elect offers low rolling resistance for increased range and reduced rolling noise for more comfort. Moreover, it offers a compound grip to go with the torquey nature of electric powertrains and a structure that can handle the battery pack’s weight. PNCS consists of a sound-absorbing material within the tire, and it helps deaden air vibrations.

Level 3 autonomous capability

The Lucid Gravity is sure to inherit the Air’s advanced driver-assistance system (ADAS), dubbed Lucid DreamDrive, which the carmaker says features a Driver Monitoring System (DMS) with 32 sensors, covering vision, radar, and ultrasonics, plus the world’s first standard high-resolution LIDAR in an EV. With geo-fenced HD mapping, the Lucid electric car will provide Level 2 and Level 3 driver assistance technologies.

The Lucid Gravity will likely feature Highway Assist that clubs Adaptive Cruise Control and Lane Centering Control and keeps the vehicle at a safe distance from the vehicle ahead and in the center of the lane. Traffic Jam Assist could further assist the driver in keeping the vehicle centered between 0 and 40 mph.

Highway Assist would need the driver to remain aware of the surroundings at all times. An infrared camera would keep track of the driver’s head position, eye gaze, and blinking. The steering wheel would have a sensor to see to it that the driver doesn’t take hands off it. Another ADAS feature called Auto Park would provide automated parallel and perpendicular parking, managing all aspects – selecting gears, steering, driving forward, and reversing.

DreamDrive Pro ADAS

What’s more, Lucid Motors announced on March 22, 2022, that its DreamDrive Pro ADAS system would be integrated with Nvidia’s newest Drive Hyperion platform. The new platform would permit Lucid to customize ADAS features and enhance existing autonomous driving capabilities with improved computing power.

Nvidia says that Hyperion delivers high computing performance, accelerated algorithm development, and efficient data processing. In layman’s terms, the chips are designed to provide a more accurate self-driving experience for future electric cars. The technology could play a crucial role in building public trust and confidence in the capabilities of autonomous cars.

Micro Lens lighting system

Lucid has developed a new Micro Lens lighting system, which is the brightest lighting system ever made. The user can also digitally steer the light in different directions to light up dark spots on the road. The system is already available on the Air sedan.

On the Lucid Gravity price

Prices for the Lucid Air start at USD 87,400 and extend up to USD 249,000. The Lucid Gravity may command a premium of USD 8,000-12,000 over its sedan sibling, putting the lower variants in the Tesla Model X’s ballpark.

On the Lucid Gravity release date

Reservations for the Lucid Gravity will begin in early 2023, ahead of the SUV’s production kick-off in the first half of 2024.

We plan to open reservations for Project Gravity SUV in early 2023, which we believe will unlock a very large and incremental addressable market for us.

Sherry House, Lucid’s Chief Financial Officer on November 8, 2022

The Gravity was slated to enter production and go on sale during the second half of 2023. However, the launch was subsequently pushed back to the first half of 2024. Lucid said it was facing unprecedented supply chain and logistical challenges that severely impact its previously decided delivery schedules and launch timelines.

We now expect Gravity production to begin in the first half of 2024, which will help ensure meet our commitment to high-quality standards. This will also provide us additional time to implement learnings and best practices from our Air launch.

Peter Rawlinson, CEO and CTO, Lucid Motors (during the Q4 2021 Results call on Feb 28, 2022)

On May 5, 2022, during the Q1 2022 earnings conference call, Sherry House, CFO at Lucid Motors, stated that the Project Gravity SUV was on target for production in H1 2024. On August 3, 2022, during the Q2 2022 earnings conference call, Rawlinson reaffirmed the SOP timeline, saying that the company is on track to start making the Project Gravity SUV in the first half of 2024.

Made in America

The Gravity will roll out of the same American factory in Casa Grande, Arizona, as the Lucid Air, the deliveries of which began in October 2021. In June 2021, the company announced plans to build a dedicated Lucid Gravity general assembly line at this site.

Called AMP-1, Lucid Motors’ Casa Grande facility is North America’s first greenfield, dedicated EV factory. Currently, this production site can roll out only 34,000 cars a year. The company plans to expand its annual production capacity to 90,000 cars in phase two, Peter Hochholdinger, its VP of Global Manufacturing, said in his keynote address on the day of the Air’s SOP. This will allow it to increase the production of the Air and start the production of Gravity.

During the Q2 2022 earnings conference call, Rawlinson said that Lucid Motors is in the process of leasing engineering data for the prototype builds of the Project Gravity SUV. The company is expanding the north end of the body shop, which is ready for the upcoming model, he added.

Lucid Air owners to get priority in bookings

Lucid has stated on its official website that Lucid Air owners would be given priority when the Project Gravity reservations start. This would strengthen loyalty among the current set of Lucid Air customers, and they would be the first ones flaunting the Gravity EV SUV on North American streets. Those interested can join the waitlist on the brand’s website to stay updated regarding vehicle details and reservation availability.

In addition to the GMC Hummer EV SUV, Tesla Model X, and Mercedes EQS SUV, the Range Rover EV, the Jeep Wagoneer S, and the Cadillac Escalade EV arriving in 2024 will compete with the Gravity.

Flexible buying options

The Lucid Gravity, when it arrives in 2024, should be available to purchase under lease or loan options. Lucid Financial Services announced on June 7, 2022, that Lucid Air variants would be available for purchase through lease or loan. The brand has collaborated with the Bank of America to offer 24-, 36- or 48-month leases or loans of various terms. Moreover, Lucid Motors has created an all-digital platform to enable a fast and easy online financing process.

At launch, the service was only available in 34 of the 50 American states—Virginia, Nevada, New York, Alabama, Idaho, Texas, Vermont, Arizona, Missouri, Florida, Hawaii, California, Kentucky, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, New Mexico, South Dakota, Illinois, Montana, Arkansas, North Dakota, West Virginia, District of Columbia, Alaska, Maine, Washington, Nebraska, Delaware, Georgia, Michigan, Tennessee, Oregon, Maryland, and Connecticut.

Lucid Gravity FAQs

Image Source: EUIPO