Lucid readying Tesla Model Y fighter that will pinch advanced tech from the luxury Air limo
Lucid Motors has begun teasing a sleek Tesla Model Y that could blow away the competition with class-leading aero, range, space and efficiency when it arrives in 2026.
Claimed to be only a ‘few years’ away from launch, the first picture of Lucid’s Tesla Model Y fighter was shown during a media presentation by CEO Peter Rawlinson.
Captured by ‘X’ user, journalist John Voelcker (as pictured above), the third Lucid looks far lower to the ground and sleeker than a traditional battery-electric SUVs suggesting it will boast an ultra-low drag coefficient designed to maximise range.
READ MORE: Luxury EV maker Lucid says it’s working on mid-size rival for the Tesla Model 3 and Y that will benefit from its advanced tech
READ MORE: Better than a Tesla Model X? Australia-bound Lucid Gravity full-size SUV to blend S-Class comfort, supercar acceleration and seven seats
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Thought to borrow its styling from the larger Gravity, the unnamed Lucid SUV will be the beneficiary of the US brand’s pioneering EV tech.
That means it should come equipped with a 900-volt electrical architecture and its next-gen batteries that will be capable of being topped up well beyond the 350kW the very fastest in its class can achieve.
Within, the new SUV will also offer buyers best-in-class space thanks to ultra-compact motor, inverter and transmission that combined weighs just 72kg and are all so small they can all fit in an aircraft carry-on bag.
Better still, offering three times the energy density of rival motors, the new motors can pump out up to 500kW while delivering impressive levels of efficiency.
Built at the car-maker’s new plant located in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, it’s thought that Lucid will price its all-new SUV at around $US50,000 ($75,000), suggesting it will be a rival for the more expensive end of the Tesla Model Y line-up.
Like the current Lucid Air limo and Gravity SUV the new entry-Lucid model has already been green-lit for right-hand drive markets. But when the luxury EV brand will land here is still far from certain.
Lucid originally began taking orders from Australian buyers back in 2020 but then stopped, following a delay in RHD production delay. It’s now thought Lucid will launch here once the new mid-size SUV is ready for sale in either 2026 or 2027.
But that’s not all that might be coming. A leaked full-size clay model of a Gravity SUV-based pick-up suggests a Rivian R1T or Tesla Cybertruck rival might also join the party in the future, appealing to owners who lust after a faster, quieter more luxurious all-electric alternative to a Ford Ranger.
