EV Startup Lucid Motors Goes for the Brand Experience

Yet seven in 10 consumers surveyed by Cox said they like the idea of a quotBrand Experience Centerquot where they can learn about an automaker39s offerings in a comfortable hightech space without being hassled by a salespersonThat approach pioneered to some extent by Tesla and especially by former Tesla and Apple marketing guru George Blankenship is gaining popularity It has even been adopted wholesale by one of the newest and most promising electric vehicle startups LucidA Lucid sales representative told MediaVillage quotOne of the benefits of having a directtoconsumer sales model is it allows customers to complete their configuration and order from the comfort of their home We are hard at work developing a more detailed website inclusive of an immersive configurator We plan to launch this new website in the coming months well in advance of starting production on the AirquotMediaVillage spoke with CEO and chief technology officer Peter Rawlinson pictured below about the Lucid Air electric car which will make its productionready debut at the New York International Auto Show in New York in April The car which will be built in Arizona is expected to go on sale with a heavilyoptioned launch edition by the end of the yearJust about everything at Californiabased Lucid which received 1 billion in funding from Saudi investors is made inhouse Rawlinson said including the battery packsamp160and motors Unusually the advertising and marketing team and the video production company are also fully under the Lucid roof The latter appears to know what they39re doing based on this rhythmically edited teaser videoRawlinson promises that the configurator will benefit from instore virtual reality Will Lucid advertise quotNot in the formal sensequot he said Digital promotion is more the order of the day coupled with quota series of stores in prestigious locationsquot The first of these at the company39s head office in Silicon Valley will open in February The second will be in Beverly Hills near Rodeo DriveRawlinson confirmed for the first time that Lucid has already begun work on the design of an SUV that will sit on the same platform as the Air sedan That39s future product for now the Air is quite impressive on paper The Air sedan will use lithiumion battery packs of more than 100kilowatthours and just over 90kilowatthours giving it a range of 400 and 315 miles respectively Lucid39s Atieva division also developed the longdistance packs used in season six of the Formula E races enabling teams to complete the race without changing carsTaking range out of the equation is essential to Lucid39s brand Rawlinson pointed out that Tesla was recently valued at more than 100 billion amp8212 ahead of Ford and General Motors combined amp8212 because its technology is deemed to be ahead of the pack Rawlinson wants that same distinction and dismisses the suggestion amp8212 frequently heard from companies with shortrange EVs amp8212 that most people drive only 30 or so miles daily and don39t need a 400mile rangeRawlinson pointed to his Rolex Sea Dweller watch quotI don39t really need a diver39s watch that39s waterproof to 1220 metersquot he said quotPeople buy luxury goods based on things they might want to doquot amp8212 going offroad or taking a long trip for instanceOwners are unlikely to reach the limits of the Air39s performance but they39ll be more than happy to tell other people what their new purchase can do With two powerful electric motors amp8212 a top option amp8212 the Air is said to generate as much as 1000 horsepower a zero to 60 mph time of 25 seconds and a top speed of more than 200 mphHighlevel infotainment and connectivity are critical in today39s marketplace because consumers are saying they39re buying cars based on the tech According to Frank Forkin executive vice president at Ipsos RDA quotAbout onethird of new car buyers indicate that the audio brand in their next new vehicle will have a significant impact on their purchase consideration If the vehicle is equipped with a toprated brand such as Bose Bang ampamp Olufsen or Bowers ampamp Wilkins the percentage who indicate the audio brand will have a significant impact on their purchase consideration can rise to as high as 50 percentquotquotWe39re putting extraordinary effort into our user experience and connectivity to make it engaging and artistically richquot Rawlinson said quotWe want a superrich touchscreen experience and basically to produce a superhighway for data connectivity that nobody else hasquotAn earlier form of the tech was on display when Lucid showed off its Alpha prototypes at the New York Auto Show in 2017 The screen and related controls were impressive then but Rawlinson says quotthey39ve been considerably upgraded sincequotAs for servicing that39s still being worked out According to the sales rep quotWe will begin opening service centers as we get closer to production with specific locations to be announced In addition to service centers we39ll also have a strong mobile service presence that will be able to complete simple maintenance requests from the convenience of your home or officequot Consumers have also shown a strong preference for loaner cars athome service and mobile repair services For actual service visits it doesn39t hurt if the surroundings are rich in amenitiesLucid has set a really high bar for itself Unless it excels in a huge variety of areas amp8212 branding comfort durability fit and finish performance purchase and servicing experience and range amp8212 it will be just another EV alsoran First impressions are positive though Did I mention that Rawlinson was the chief engineer on the Tesla Model S He said his role was to keep pushing the car to new levels so it would be something extraordinary in the marketplace And with such features as overtheair updates and a huge touchscreen it wasClick the social buttons to share this story with your friends and colleaguesThe opinions and points of view expressed in this content are exclusively the views of the author andor subjects and do not necessarily represent the views of MediaVillagecomMyersBizNet Inc management or associated writers

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EV Startup Lucid Motors Goes for the Brand Experience

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Jim Motavalli

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