Lucid Motors anuncia importantes despidos en medio de la desaceleración del sector

Lucid Motors, the luxury electric vehicle (EV) company, is cutting about 400 jobs as the EV industry faces slow growth. According to a recent Registro SEC, this layoff round will affect 6% of Lucid’s staff by the end of October, with most layoffs impacting California employees, according to SFGate.

Despidos a todos los niveles

In an email to staff, CEO Peter Rawlinson explained that the layoffs would affect workers at all levels, including leadership and mid-level management, excluding hourly manufacturing and logistics employees. He expressed hope for Lucid’s upcoming SUV, the Gravity, but noted that it hasn’t started generating revenue yet.

"Estamos optimizando nuestros recursos de la manera que creemos que posicionará mejor a la empresa para el éxito futuro y las oportunidades de crecimiento mientras nos centramos en alcanzar nuestros ambiciosos objetivos", escribió Rawlinson.

Costes elevados y grandes pérdidas

Lucid ha tenido que hacer frente a los elevados costes de creación de una empresa de vehículos eléctricos. A pesar de las críticas positivas de su berlina Air, que oscila entre $69.900 y $249.000, la empresa registró más de $680 millones en pérdidas de enero a marzo de este año. En 2023, Lucid tuvo unas pérdidas netas de $2.800 millones.

To manage costs, Lucid laid off 1,300 workers in March 2023. The company has stayed afloat partly due to funding from its biggest financial backer, Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund. In March, Lucid raised another $1 billion through a stock sale to a subsidiary of the fund.

Despidos en todo el sector

Lucid’s layoffs add to the growing list of job cuts in the EV industry, including those at Tesla and Rivian. In his email, Rawlinson urged staff to support their colleagues who are beginning their search for new employment.

EVXL’s Take

The layoffs at Lucid Motors highlight the challenges facing the EV industry, despite increasing consumer interest and positive reviews. The high costs and significant financial losses underscore the tough road ahead for new entrants in the market. Lucid’s reliance on external funding, particularly from Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund, has been crucial in keeping the company afloat.

The launch of the Gravity SUV could be a turning point, but it will need to quickly generate revenue to sustain Lucid’s ambitions. As the industry evolves, companies will need to balance innovation with financial prudence to thrive.

Foto cortesía de Lucid.