Author: EVAI

• Lucid’s Technology and Manufacturing Day event gave several updates on the state of the company, the Gravity SUV and upcoming technology.
• A shadowy teaser of the new Project Midsize vehicle, coming soon. 
• The midsize platform is scheduled to start production in late 2026 with a starting price under $50,000.

Two things are true about Lucid Motors right now. It makes the most efficient and longest-range electric vehicles on the market. But it’s also still a nascent startup attempting to cross the “valley of death”: the gap between high initial startup costs and long-term stability and profitability. 

At Lucid’s Technology and Manufacturing Day event today, CEO and CTO Peter Rawlinson showed off several new technologies and updates to existing products that the automaker hopes will get it across that valley. The upcoming Gravity SUV is one of them; done right, it should take the Lucid Air’s remarkable range and efficiency to a type of vehicle that’s far more popular with families and mainstream car buyers. We also know that existing Lucid models are getting enhanced automated driving software and dumping Amazon’s Alexa as the in-car virtual assistant (which is good news because it’s supremely unimpressive in the current Air.) 

But I’d argue none of these are as important as Project Midsize, the nickname for the program that aims to bring Lucid into the $50,000-ish crossover arena—something that will be as key to Lucid’s success as the Model Y was for Tesla. And today, we got our first good look at this vehicle not under some kind of a sheet. 

“The new crossover will use the efficiency and cost advantages enabled by Lucid technology to deliver the same range as competitors while using a smaller battery,” the automaker said on its website. “The midsize platform is scheduled to start production in late 2026 with a starting price under $50,000.” 

Here’s a lightened version I made, which also doesn’t reveal too much: 

But even from these pics, the car looks quite handsome. I think it carries its proportions a bit better than the electric Porsche Macan does, and even reminds me a bit of the Aston Martin DBX crossover. (That’s an interesting coincidence, considering Lucid is powering Aston’s future EVs.) 

Rawlinson said that the midsize car could be a market that’s 30 times bigger than the Air sedan, which goes to show just how important affordable crossovers are globally. He alluded to a possible event where the midsize car could be revealed next year. 

What do we think so far? Let us know in the comments. 

Contact the author: patrick.george@insideevs.com

Correction: An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated when Rawlinson said the midsize EV may be revealed; it has been corrected. We regret the error.

Volkswagen is recalling 98,806 of its ID.4 electric vehicles due to defective door handles that could cause doors to open unexpectedly.

The recall includes 2021-2024 models assembled in both Zwickau, Germany, and Chattanooga, Tennessee. The recalled vehicles may have door handles that can’t effectively keep out water. VW believes less than 1% of the affected vehicles have the defect, however.

2024 Volkswagen ID.4

In vehicles that do have the defect, water could enter the door handle and reach a printed circuit board, which could cause “communication issues” between the handle and the door control unit, leading to an erroneous command to unlock the door, according to recall documents from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). If this happens, the driver may notice a clicking noise similar to the sound made when the door is unlocked normally.

VW is aware of 135 warranty claims from June 2023 to May 2024 related to this issue, but is not aware of any crashes or injuries.

Dealers will inspect the door handles and, if necessary, replace them with improved versions, free of charge. Vehicles will also get a software update, and VW will reimburse customers for any work they might have paid for themselves related to this issue. This recall expands two previous ones. Customers who had recall work performed under either of those will have to bring their cars to dealerships for this recall as well.

2024 Volkswagen ID.4

VW plans to mail owner notification letters by Nov. 1, 2024. Owners can contact the automaker’s customer service department at 1-800-893-5298 for more information.

This recall follows one earlier this year of nearly 80,000 ID.4 EVs from model years 2021 to 2023 for screen issues and software problems. That recall did not include 2024 ID.4 models, which received a handful of updates, including a larger available screen that seemed to purge many of the issues Green Car Reports found with the interface in earlier models.

Hyundai N’s next electric vehicle is taking shape The vehicle is a high-performance version of the Ioniq 6 Peak output should match or exceed the 641 hp of the Ioniq 5 N The Hyundai N performance lineup is set to be expanded, once again with an electric vehicle. Hot on the heels of the launch of the N division’s first EV, the 2025 Ioniq 5 N…

The European Union will lower proposed tariffs on electric vehicles from Tesla and certain Chinese automakers after hearing comments submitted by the automakers, Reuters reported Tuesday.

Citing an anonymous source familiar with the matter, Reuters reported that the proposed tariff for Tesla EVs will drop from 9% to 7.8%, while the tariff for Geely will decrease from 19.3% to 18.8%. All proposed tariffs are on top of the EU’s standard 10% import duty for cars.

2024 MG Cyberster

Not all automakers will catch a break. China’s BYD will reportedly see no change in a proposed 17% tariffs on its EVs. And automakers that did not participate in the process, such as SAIC, while sells the MG brand in Europe, will see a peak rate of 35.3% applied to their vehicles.

The EU announced the proposed tariff rates last month, giving China and the affected automakers 10 days to submit comments, which the European Commission reportedly took into account when devising the revised, lower rates. Those tariffs are still subject to approval by a vote of the EU’s 27 member states, Reuters noted, and can be overwritten if a qualified majority of 15 member states representing 65% of the EU population votes against them.

BYD Dolphin EV – Euro spec

The implementation of EU tariff rules may be too late to stop an influx of Chinese EVs, though. BYD has already begun selling its Dolphin compact hatchback for less than $30,000 in some markets, and the BYD Seagull might be sold for less than $20,000 in certain markets.

Last month Canada’s national government announced a 100% tariff on Chinese-made EVs, closely matching the policy adopted by the U.S. by the Biden administration earlier this year to keep Chinese EVs out. Presidential candidate Donald Trump has promised to take the 100% Chinese tariffs a step further—to all vehicle types, EV or not.

Swedish battery maker Northvolt is undertaking a strategic review that could lead to job losses as the company aims to cut costs and scale back ambitious expansion plans, Reuters reported Monday.

“No final decisions have been made on the precise nature of any (workforce) resizing,” Northvolt said in a statement to Reuters. The company has decided to suspend cathode active material production at its Skelleftea factory in Sweden, which will reportedly require Northvolt to import the material for assembly of lithium-ion battery cells.

Rendering of Northvolt Six battery factory in Quebec, Canada

Opened in 2021, the Skelleftea factory is Northvolt’s first battery plant. So far it hasn’t reached the full planned production capacity, Reuters reported. It has around 3,500 staff, according to Northvolt’s 2023 annual report. Northvolt has about 5,000 employees in total, according to Reuters.

Reuters reported that Northvolt planned to start talks with “potential partners and investors” regarding its planned factory in Gdansk, Poland, but remained committed to previously discussed new factories in Germany, Canada, and Sweden. The latter is a joint venture with Volvo announced in 2022 that was originally scheduled to open in 2025. But all pending projects could reportedly face delays as Northvolt reevaluates its financial situation.

Artist’s impression of Volvo and Northvolt battery plant planned for Gothenburg, Sweden

Northvolt is one of the startups aiming to create a local EV battery industry for Europe, but it has faced several setbacks recently. In June BMW canceled a battery supply deal estimated to be worth about $2 billion. Northvolt on Friday also announced that it was cancelling plans for a second cathode active material plant in Borlange, Sweden, as part of the ongoing strategic review.

Last month, Northvolt also announced that it was shutting down an R&D center in California, which the company inherited with its acquisition of Cuberg in 2021. The California R&D center was researching lithium-metal battery technology, work that Northvolt indicated would be transferred to its main R&D center in Sweden.

• Tesla to launch more affordable cars

• Consumer EV interest declines

• 47 status fail to meet charger ratio

• New-vehicle market in ‘standoff’

Rivian’s new rewards program offers a $750 credit and six months of free charging to the Rivian owner making the referral and to the buyer of a new R1T pickup or R1S crossover, the company said.

Jean Noonan, a partner at the Hudson Cook law firm and a former Federal Trade Commission regulator, discusses settling FTC investigations versus fighting them as the car dealer Asbury Automotive Group has done.

Hyundai has decided to sweeten the deal on its 2025 Ioniq 5 N. The automaker last week announced an offer for buyers of the high-performance electric compact crossover that lets them choose between a complimentary Level 2 home charger or a $450 charging credit. Anyone who has already purchased a 2025 Ioniq 5 N can still take up the offer, though…

• EV makers focus on lower-cost models

• Japanese automakers’ new investments

• Audi freshens A3 sedan

• Toyota dealers gather this week

• Volvo bulks up hybrid lineup