Lucid Motors Starts Production of Lucid Air at AMP-1 Factory in Casa Grande

CASA GRANDE, AZ (September 28, 2021) — Lucid Group today celebrated the start of production of its Lucid Air at its Advanced Manufacturing Plant (AMP-1) in Casa Grande with a factory commissioning ceremony attended by Lucid Group CEO and CTO Peter Rawlinson and Governor Doug Ducey.

The company kicked off its Production Preview Week, a series of events during which Lucid welcomed guests to AMP-1 and Lucid Powertrain Manufacturing (LPM-1). Lucid Air luxury electric sedans rolled off the assembly line today during the factory commissioning event at AMP-1. Lucid has also embarked on a massive expansion of the facility, which will add 2.85 million square feet to support more Lucid Air production and establish production of the Gravity SUV starting in 2023. AMP-1 will create approximately 6,000 direct jobs with an economic impact of more than $100 million by 2030. 

“The proprietary EV technology that Lucid has developed will make it possible to travel more miles using less battery energy. For example, our Lucid Air Grand Touring has an official EPA rating of 516 miles of range with a 112-kWh battery pack, giving it an industry-leading efficiency of 4.6 miles per kWh. Our technology will allow for increasingly lighter, more efficient, and less expensive EVs, and today represents a major step in our journey to expand the accessibility of more sustainable transportation,” said Peter Rawlinson, CEO and CTO, Lucid Group. “I’m delighted that production cars endowed with this level of efficiency are currently driving off our factory line.” 

“Today’s event signifies a new era in electric vehicle manufacturing in Arizona,” said Governor Doug Ducey. “Lucid’s ongoing investment in Arizona represents an investment in good jobs and livelihoods for Arizonans now and in the future. I commend CEO Peter Rawlinson, Sandra Watson and the Arizona Commerce Authority, and Casa Grande Mayor Craig McFarland for their partnership to bring this project to completion. We are proud to call the Lucid Air “Made In Arizona” and look forward to many more innovations to come.”

Positioned on a 590-acre site, AMP-1 is the first greenfield, dedicated electric vehicle factory to be built in North America. The nearly 1-million-square-foot facility will manufacture Lucid Air Dream Edition models.

“Today has been years in the making, and we are excited to see production kick off at Lucid’s state-of-the-art factory in Casa Grande,” said Sandra Watson, President and CEO, Arizona Commerce Authority. “ With AMP-1 up and running, Arizona will continue growing as an electric vehicle epicenter, attracting EV innovators throughout the supply chain.”

The EPA recently released its official range estimate for the Lucid Air Dream Edition Range, which is the longest range for any electric car rated by the EPA: 520 miles on a single charge, more than 100 miles over its closest competitor. 

The AMP-1 commissioning adds to the momentum of the electric vehicle industry in Arizona. From Atlis Motor Vehicles establishing its Mesa manufacturing facility in 2016, to Nikola breaking ground in Coolidge in May 2020 and ElectraMeccanica breaking ground on their first U.S. manufacturing facility in Mesa in May 2021, the state’s electric vehicle industry continues to grow. Most recently, Zero Electric Vehicles announced it will open a new headquarters and production facility in Gilbert.

The recent activity has also attracted key suppliers including:

• KORE Power, which announced in July it will build a 1-million-square-foot lithium ion battery manufacturing facility in Buckeye.
• UACJ Whitehall, an EV parts manufacturer, which announced a new facility in Flagstaff in March 2021.
• And Li-Cycle, a lithium-ion battery recycler, announced it will build a commercial lithium ion battery recycling facility in Gilbert in April 2021.

Media contacts

Alyssa Tufts, Arizona Commerce Authority, [email protected]

About the Arizona Commerce Authority

The Arizona Commerce Authority (ACA) is the state's leading economic development organization with a streamlined mission to grow and strengthen Arizona's economy. The ACA uses a three-pronged approach to advance the overall economy: attract, expand, create - attract out-of-state companies to establish operations in Arizona; work with existing companies to expand their business in Arizona and beyond; and help entrepreneurs create new Arizona businesses in targeted industries. For more information, please visit azcommerce.com and follow the ACA on Twitter @azcommerce.