The Lucid show is seen on the New York Worldwide Auto Present on April 16, 2025.
Danielle DeVries | CNBC
Lucid Group is focusing on a brand new objective that may make it the primary automaker to supply extremely superior self-driving capabilities in its automobiles within the coming years, the corporate stated Tuesday.
The all-electric car producer expects to launch what it is calling “mind-off” driving wherein a automobile can basically drive itself beneath regular circumstances and not using a human needing to observe it or intervene until there is a change in circumstances, comparable to extreme climate. That may be like an occupant taking part in a sport of playing cards or watching TV whereas the automobile is driving.
Lucid on Tuesday stated it plans to leverage Nvidia‘s “Drive AV” platform and multisensor suite that features cameras, radar, and lidar — or mild detection and sensing, which permits the car to higher “see” its environment — for the forthcoming system.
Marc Winterhoff, interim CEO of Lucid, stated the plan is to debut the brand new system “positively within the coming years,” however he declined to specify a precise timeframe aside from it will not be in 2026. The system is first deliberate for Lucid’s upcoming midsize car earlier than it might develop to different fashions, he stated.
“I wish to make it possible for we are able to supply this for our clients in a timeframe that I believe could be very bold, however on the identical time, additionally we’re real looking,” Winterhoff instructed CNBC. “The principle purpose why I made a decision to not begin from scratch, simply do it ourselves, it is merely time to market. … Additionally, it might price some huge cash.”
Winterhoff stated Nvidia’s applied sciences can be a catalyst for the system, whereas Lucid plans to truly execute the self-driving expertise.
Within the meantime, Winterhoff stated Lucid plans to proceed to extend the automated applied sciences on its present automobiles — the Air sedan and Gravity SUV — in partnership with Nvidia.
A Lucid-supplied teaser picture of its upcoming midsize car behind its present Gravity SUV.
Lucid
“Will probably be a stepping stone,” stated Winterhoff, who has served as interim CEO since firm founder Peter Rawlinson left as chief government in February.
Many corporations, together with Normal Motors and Tesla, have promised private self-driving automobiles however have did not ship. Automakers have invested billions of {dollars} engaged on autonomous automobiles lately, with most pulling again spending after years of making an attempt to deploy the applied sciences.
What Lucid is aiming to launch is what the {industry} refers to as “Degree 4: Excessive Driving Automation.” As outlined by SAE Worldwide, previously the Society of Automotive Engineers, Degree 4 applied sciences mustn’t require monitoring or human intervention beneath sure, however not all, circumstances.
There are a restricted variety of Degree 4 automobiles at the moment on U.S. roadways. Most notably, Alphabet‘s Waymo operates robotaxis in quite a lot of cities. Lucid is saying it plans to be the primary for a client car.
Reaching such a system for Lucid can be daunting, particularly given its monitor file on superior driver help system, or ADAS.
The corporate, by its personal admission, has not lived as much as its clients’ expectations. It has been gradual to launch methods able to hands-free driving, like many corporations supply, or compete with well-known “Degree 2” applied sciences comparable to GM’s “Tremendous Cruise” or Tesla’s “Autopilot” or “FSD.”
In the meantime, it is set to be a file 12 months for EV gross sales, however demand for all-electric automobiles is anticipated to say no with the tip of federal incentives of as much as $7,500.
Lucid introduced the self-driving expertise plans in addition to different initiatives at the side of the Nvidia GTC world synthetic intelligence convention going down this week in Washington, D.C.
