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This Is Lucid's New Sub-$50,000 SUV

Smaller car, big ramifications

Lucid midsize EV SUV teaser
  • written by
    Senior News Editor
    Nick Yekikian has worked in the automotive industry since 2019. He has written close to a thousand car-related articles and tested and reviewed more than 200 vehicles over the course of his career. Nick is the Senior News Editor at Edmunds and has also contributed to MotorTrend, Automobile Magazine and Super Street. When Nick isn't zipping around town in his latest used-car find, he's probably making digital art in Photoshop or playing disc golf with friends.
    edited by
    Copy Chief
    Kathleen Clonts has worked in the automotive industry since 2014 and has copy-edited thousands of vehicle reviews and stories about cars and the auto industry in that time. Kathleen is the Edmunds editorial team's copy chief and previously worked as the senior copy editor for Automobile Magazine.
  • Lucid is working on a smaller platform for more affordable vehicles.
  • The first will be a midsize SUV.
  • The midsize EV will have a similar range to rivals but with a smaller battery.

Lucid has just teased its forthcoming midsize SUV at its Technology & Manufacturing Day. We reported in May that the California-based luxury EV automaker would build a midsize crossover EV for less than $50,000, and now we have our first image of the yet-unnamed EV. The new platform will open up Lucid's lineup to far more than just the two vehicles it makes right now, and the midsize SUV pictured above will be the first to use it. Lucid also gave us an initial timeline for the midsizer, saying "[the] platform is scheduled to start production in late 2026."

Lucid also said that the midsize SUV will achieve the same range as rivals, but with a more compact battery. The most direct rival for the upcoming Lucid is the Mercedes-Benz EQE SUV, and the 350+ model we tested on our real-world Edmunds EV Range Test achieved 345 miles of range on a single charge. The EQE SUV uses a battery pack of just over 90 kWh, but Lucid says here it can get similar range figures with a smaller battery, which brings multiple advantages. The most obvious one is a lower weight, which would make the crossover better to drive. It also means more options when it comes to clever packaging because the battery will take up less space in the floor of the car. 

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Lucid Air and Gravity in profile

Lucid kept any more detail than that under wraps, but from the teaser image we saw here, it's clear the midsize SUV will take much of its design from other Lucid models. The sculpted hood, aerodynamic proportions, and windshield pillars that sweep up from the base of the hood to the rear of the car all match the design themes found on the Air and Gravity, the brand's two other models. 

Speaking of the Gravity, the brand's upcoming three-row SUV, Lucid confirmed that it will come with Tesla's NACS charging port. That means it will have access to Tesla's vast array of Superchargers once it goes on sale in 2025. 

Nick Yekikianby

Nick Yekikian has worked in the automotive industry since 2019. He has written close to a thousand car-related articles and tested and reviewed more than 200 vehicles over the course of his career. Nick is the Senior News Editor at Edmunds and has also contributed to MotorTrend, Automobile Magazine and Super Street. When Nick isn't zipping around town in his latest used-car find, he's probably making digital art in Photoshop or playing disc golf with friends.

Kathleen Clontsedited by

Kathleen Clonts has worked in the automotive industry since 2014 and has copy-edited thousands of vehicle reviews and stories about cars and the auto industry in that time. Kathleen is the Edmunds editorial team's copy chief and previously worked as the senior copy editor for Automobile Magazine.

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