Lucid Motors annonce d'importants licenciements dans un contexte de ralentissement de l'industrie

Lucid Motors, the luxury electric vehicle (EV) company, is cutting about 400 jobs as the EV industry faces slow growth. According to a recent Dépôt auprès de la 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.

Des licenciements à tous les niveaux

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.

"Nous optimisons nos ressources d'une manière qui, selon nous, permettra à l'entreprise de se positionner au mieux en vue d'une réussite future et d'opportunités de croissance, alors que nous nous concentrons sur la réalisation de nos objectifs ambitieux", a écrit M. Rawlinson.

Des coûts élevés et de lourdes pertes

Lucid a dû faire face aux coûts élevés de la création d'une entreprise de véhicules électriques. Malgré des critiques positives sur sa berline Air, dont le prix varie entre $69.900 et $249.000, l'entreprise a enregistré plus de $680 millions de pertes entre janvier et mars de cette année. En 2023, les pertes nettes de Lucid s'élèveront à $2,8 milliards.

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.

Licenciements dans l'ensemble de l'industrie

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.

Photo avec l'aimable autorisation de Lucid.