Lucid Motors on the Brink: Company Laying Off 18 Percent of Staff

US luxury electric vehicle manufacturer Lucid Motors has announced serious structural changes. The company's new CEO, Silvio Napoli, has decided to reduce the workforce by 18 percent, or approximately 1,500 employees, to simplify management and reduce costs. This is the second major layoff in the last four months, following a 12 percent workforce reduction in February. This was reported by Techcrunch.com report states.

According to the company's statement, the second shift of EV production at the plant in Casa Grande, Arizona, has also been canceled. These measures are considered necessary to make the Lucid Motors platform more competitive and adapt to the changing demands of the market. Currently, a cooling of the EV market is being observed in the US, forcing even the largest auto giants to revise their plans.

Management Changes and Personnel Instability

The layoffs did not only affect ordinary workers but also high-level executives. Marc Winterhoff, who served as interim CEO for over a year, has left the company entirely. He was previously expected to move to the position of Chief Operating Officer (COO), but Lucid Motors decided to eliminate this role completely. Such personnel turnover is not new for the company: in the last two years, more than ten top managers, including former CEO Peter Rawlinson and chief engineer Eric Bach, have stepped down.

Lucid Motors plans to complete this restructuring process by the third quarter of this year. According to company data, approximately 158 million dollars per year will be saved as a result of layoffs and process optimization. At the same time, 32 million dollars are expected to be spent on severance payments for the dismissed employees.

Future Plans: Lucid Cosmos and Robotaxis

Despite the crisis, the company is working on launching its first mass-market model, the Lucid Cosmos SUV. This electric vehicle, expected to be priced under 50,000 dollars, is intended to become the primary revenue driver for Lucid Motors. Through this model, the company aims to reach a wider audience and compete seriously with rivals like Tesla.

Furthermore, Lucid is attempting to establish itself in the field of autonomous driving technologies. In partnership with Uber and Nuro, the company plans to launch a luxury robotaxi service in San Francisco. Owned by Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund, the brand is striving to continue its innovative projects despite financial difficulties.

Experts believe that the current period is critical for Lucid Motors. By aligning production volume with demand and drastically reducing costs, the company seeks to achieve long-term stability. However, high-level personnel instability and the general market decline raise certain concerns regarding the brand's future success.