Electric vehicle maker Lucid has made the much-anticipated unveiling of the Gravity, a three-row all-electric SUV with a range that could conceivably leave a Tesla Model X, Fisker Ocean or Rivian R1S stuck in a charging station.
The importance of Clear Gravity – and more aptly the reception it receives – is existential for the EV maker. The Lucid Air sedan, the company’s first EV, has received positive reviews. But demand has softened this year, forcing the automaker to cut prices and lower its production guidance for the year.
Gravity could help Lucid regain a foothold in the increasingly competitive EV industry. Of course, Lucid has to launch the vehicle. Clear overdue its sedan and its SUV are no different in this respect. The company initially aimed to start building the Gravity SUV in late 2023, but in August, it moved the production date to late 2024.
Lucid Gravity Basics
Image Credits: Clear
Lucid bombastically wrote that the EV “heralds the dawn of a new era for electric SUVs.” There is an explanation for this tone. as sales of Lucid’s first vehicle (a luxury sedan called the Air) they fall short, its future now depends on whether Gravity can truly be a force in the EV market. However, this is a new era for Lucid. And the all-electric SUV he designed has some notable features, including a rugged low-slung design with a sporty tail out — all contributing to a drag coefficient of 0.24. This aerodynamic design is a contributing factor to its battery range. Lucid also claims the vehicle goes from zero to 60 in less than 3.5 seconds — approx. one second longer from what Tesla claims about its Model X Plaid.
Lucid CEO Peter Rawlinson and lead designer Derek Jenkins sit on the wrist of the new Lucid Gravity. Image Credits: Harry Weber
Lucid Gravity features a compact powertrain with EV motors and a 900-volt electrical architecture and payload capacity over 1,500 lbs and an additional 6,000 lbs towing capacity, the company claims. Lucid estimates that Gravity’s range will exceed 440 miles. Lucid boss Peter Rawlinson said in a statement that the predicted range is possible “with a battery pack just over half the size of some of our battery-hungry competitors.” If it performs as Lucid suggests in real-world conditions, it will be the longest-range electric SUV on the market.
The vehicle can also apparently charge like a Tesla – gobbling up to 200 miles of range after about 15 minutes on a fast charger. The company says the seven-seat SUV will have a starting price under $80,000. If history is any guide, there will be plenty of add-ons and trim levels that will push the price well beyond that number.
Inside Clear Gravity
Image Credits: Clear
Inside the SUV is a curved 34-inch OLED screen that floats above a redesigned steering wheel. Lucid enhances interior touches, as it did with Air.
Notable is the seven-passenger configuration and a console that opens for extra storage. Lucid said those sliding second-row seats combine with built-in end tables for an “elevated rear-seat experience.”
Those rear seats, both the second and third rows, fold flat to provide more than 112 cubic feet of total usable cargo space, according to the company.
