Lucid Motors, which is setting new standards for sustainable mobility with its advanced luxury EVs, Tuesday announced completion of the first phase of construction at the new Lucid AMP-1 (Advanced Manufacturing Plant) factory in Casa Grande, AZ, with the commissioning of production equipment and processes under way ahead of start of production for Lucid Air in Spring 2021. As the first greenfield, dedicated electric vehicle factory built in North America, Lucid's innovative AMP-1 was designed with a future-ready focus that allows for additional phases of expansion at the site, with the next phase expected to begin in early 2021, enabling future production of the brand's first SUV under the name Project Gravity in 2023. Lucid Motors broke ground on the first greenfield, dedicated electric vehicle factory built in North America less than a year ago, with the innovative AMP-1 factory now standing ready to start production of the next-generation EV, Lucid Air, in just a few months. "We broke ground on the 590-acre Lucid AMP-1 site in Casa Grande, Arizona, on Dec. 2, 2019, and slightly less than a year later we have completed the first purpose-built EV factory in North America," said Peter Rawlinson, CEO and CTO, Lucid Motors. "The effort and agility demonstrated by this team is truly astounding, as we're already commissioning equipment compatible with the Lucid manufacturing system to start production of the next-generation EV, Lucid Air, in just a few months." As part of the factory's commissioning, which tests Lucid's innovative production processes and state-of-the-art equipment, the company has already built its full beta prototype test fleet and is now transitioning to the construction of a final series of production-representative versions of Lucid Air. The Lucid manufacturing system embraces advanced processes such as an aircraft-inspired riveted and bonded monocoque body structure replacing spot welds, which endows Lucid Air with state-of-the-art structural efficiency. Customer-ordered production cars will start coming off the Arizona line in Spring of 2021, with an initial capacity of up to 30,000 units annually to supply global markets, beginning with North America. These will initially consist of Lucid Air Dream Editions, followed quickly by Grand Touring and Touring models. Lucid Air Pure joins the lineup in early 2022, available from $69,900. The Arizona site was selected for a number of reasons — including infrastructure, talent, geographic location, and pre-existing automotive supply chain — but it also offered space for a large footprint and planned expansions, as key areas of the factory were intentionally designed with this in mind. This includes a state-of-the-art, water-based paint shop designed to be future-proof with the necessary footprint and specialized infrastructure so it can be expanded to meet the needs of all future phases of the factory itself. A total of four phases are planned through 2028, taking the square footage of the factory from its current 999,000 square feet to 5.1 million square feet. In its final form, AMP-1's manufacturing capacity will be up to 400,000 units per year. "In building this factory, we adhered to several important manufacturing philosophies, including the tenets of 'Future Ready' and 'On Time,' together which have allowed us to effectively manage our investment and build a brand new factory from the ground up," said Peter Hochholdinger, VP of Manufacturing, Lucid Motors. "As we add new platforms and vehicles to our lineup, the planning that went into this facility ensures that we will always be able to keep up with growing customer demand for our advanced electric vehicles." — PRNewswire
