Lucid puts its Gravity SUV on real roads for testing

Lucid’s inching closer to production of its second vehicle, the all-electric Gravity SUV, and it’s got some pictures to show for it. The automaker released two new photos of the upcoming luxury vehicle on Tuesday and announced that it has entered “a new phase of development,” with driving tests now being conducted on US public roads.

The images show off an only slightly camouflaged Lucid Gravity in a mostly dark gray matte wrap, with social media logos and an invitation for onlookers to follow the automaker. The SUV is seen curving along an open road in an area with grassy plains.

Lucid seems to have intentionally framed the images to obscure interior details, including the second image of the rear, which is zoomed out. There does seem to be a non-finalized sensor attached to the top of the vehicle, hinting at some upcoming autonomous technology. And if you look closely in the front image (above), you can see a helmeted driver behind what looks like the rear of a curved panoramic dashboard.

The long-anticipated Lucid Gravity was revealed by the automaker last year, and it gave a first glimpse of its spacious interior space with three-row seating that includes options for five-, six-, and seven-seat configurations — plus reclining seats. Lucid is promising a next-generation “Glass Cockpit” with high-resolution displays and a new Lucid UX software for the Gravity, but we will have to wait for its reveal.

Major info like the Gravity’s driving range, performance, and pricing are still under wraps. Reservations are expected to start this year.

Lucid’s been hinting at building an SUV as early as 2019 and even said it would build it in 2020. Formally known as “Project Gravity,” the vehicle’s production planning had been under consideration since before the company completed construction of its AMP-1 factory in Casa Grande, Arizona. At the time, Lucid had not even begun production of its first and only vehicle: the Lucid Air sedan.

By the time Lucid went public through a special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) merger in 2021, the automaker shifted Gravity’s timeline to be released in 2023 — before Lucid had even begun to deliver its first Air vehicles to customers. Later, in 2022, the automaker had to push out Gravity’s release to 2024, with Lucid CEO Peter Rawlinson at the time citing “extraordinary supply chain and logistics challenges” surrounding Air production.

But it looks like Lucid is back on track with not only Gravity but also its Air sedan as well. It recently announced deliveries of its latest “Stealth Appearance” Air Grand Touring models, shrugged off federal tax incentive changes with its own $7,500 credit, and its overall deliveries are up 290 percent year over year following lackluster production numbers.