Episode 8: "The Road to Gravity"

[hmp10]

The newest episode of "The Road to Gravity" is about the body panel stamping line. They are still calibrating the presses and have not yet installed any stamping dies into them. That means about five months to go from not yet stamping production panels to delivering completed vehicles if Lucid will, indeed, start deliveries before year end.

Question to those who know more about automotive manufacturing than I: does this timeline seem realistic?

 

[Neurio]

The newest episode of "The Road to Gravity" is about the body panel stamping line. They are still calibrating the presses and have not yet installed any stamping dies into them. That means about five months to go from not yet stamping production panels to delivering completed vehicles if Lucid will, indeed, start deliveries before year end.

Question to those who know more about automotive manufacturing than I: does this timeline seem realistic?

I'm guessing all these videos were shot months ago and have been in post production ever since. Lucid announced the other week that Release Candidates are now being produced at the factory. That tells me the stamping machines are working fully at this point.

 

[hmp10]

I'm guessing all these videos were shot months ago and have been in post production ever since. Lucid announced the other week that Release Candidates are now being produced at the factory. That tells me the stamping machines are working fully at this point.

You're probably right, but I wish Lucid would clarify the timing in these releases.

For instance, a May 17 article in "CarBuzz" said, "the Gravity is currently undergoing strenuous testing in Alaska", and the "Road to Gravity" video of that testing was released just a few weeks later.

I guess this video threw me a bit because I was following Rivian very closely during the time I held a reservation for a Launch Edition R1S. Almost a year before the first Rivian's were delivered they posted videos showing large racks of door panels that were already produced and waiting for the paint and assembly lines to come online. Of course, that might not necessarily mean Lucid would follow a similar production timeline or sequence.

 

[borski]

You're probably right, but I wish Lucid would clarify the timing in these releases.

For instance, a May 17 article in "CarBuzz" said, "the Gravity is currently undergoing strenuous testing in Alaska", and the "Road to Gravity" video of that testing was released just a few weeks later.

I guess this video threw me a bit because I was following Rivian very closely during the time I held a reservation for a Launch Edition R1S. Almost a year before the first Rivian's were delivered they posted videos showing large racks of door panels that were already produced and waiting for the paint and assembly lines to come online. Of course, that might not necessarily mean Lucid would follow a similar production timeline or sequence.

My bet is they did not film this last week, but I could be wrong!

 

[hmp10]

 

[hmp10]

 

[xponents]

This body shell really highlights how wagon-esque the Gravity is! I really do consider it a mixup of a wagon and a minivan instead of a SUV, which is a very good thing. Somewhat like a sleeker Cayenne?

 

[hmp10]

This body shell really highlights how wagon-esque the Gravity is! I really do consider it a mixup of a wagon and a minivan instead of a SUV, which is a very good thing.

Thank goodness we're getting an EV maker that really focuses on maximizing room in a sanely-sized vehicle instead of pursuing the GM route of seeing just how gargantuan a passenger vehicle you can squeeze inside the lane markers.

 

[bb2e]

Any info available on configurations and likely dates ? Partly trying to understand details like if the base model will be much further out than end-of-year and what it'll be missing other than the power of the higher offerings.

 

[DeaneG]

Any info available on configurations and likely dates ? Partly trying to understand details like if the base model will be much further out than end-of-year and what it'll be missing other than the power of the higher offerings.

Not yet. I think the pot is still bubbling on those decisions.

 

[hmp10]

Not yet. I think the pot is still bubbling on those decisions.

Agree. However, with August looming, time is getting pretty short if any Gravitys (Gravity's, Gravities . . . what the devil is the correct plural form?) are to be delivered before year end.

I think the plan is to put some of the pre-production vehicles that are now entering production into the hands of select journalists, and I assume they will want to discuss what specs and features their test cars have and what the associated trim levels are?

 

[hydbob]

Agree. However, with August looming, time is getting pretty short if any Gravitys (Gravity's, Gravities . . . what the devil is the correct plural form?) are to be delivered before year end.

I think the plan is to put some of the pre-production vehicles that are now entering production into the hands of select journalists, and I assume they will want to discuss what specs and features their test cars have and what the associated trim levels are?

I'd prefer them to get test cars into studios that people can actually sit in and feel and touch and other things

 

[DeaneG]

I'd prefer them to get test cars into studios that people can actually sit in and feel and touch and other things

I'd think that the RC cars could be used for this. It'll take a month or two more to get the line working reasonably smoothly, mods made to early revision components, etc.

 

[hydbob]

I'd think that the RC cars could be used for this. It'll take a month or two more to get the line working reasonably smoothly, mods made to early revision components, etc.

Are you allowed to have the general public drive a RC car? I don't think so, so it really needs to be one that is driveable unless it's just a showroom queen

 

[hmp10]

I'd prefer them to get test cars into studios that people can actually sit in and feel and touch and other things

I'm like a kid in line at Garrett's (a Chicago institution) waiting for a hot batch of caramel corn to come up while they load me a bucket of cheese corn. I'm chomping at the bit to sit in the vehicle myself AND to see the first in-depth reviews by experienced testers. I want both. And I want them NOW.

I was hoping the color boards at least would be in the Design Studios by now so I could decide on interior and exterior colors.

Actually, I'm just looking for an excuse to drive over to a Lucid showroom again. Don't know why I still find it so exciting after three years and at least half a dozen visits. There's really not that much there to see most of the time.

 

[DeaneG]

Are you allowed to have the general public drive a RC car? I don't think so, so it really needs to be one that is driveable unless it's just a showroom queen

Hmm, don't know. Even if so, liability worries likely would prevent it. They'd make great sales display cars though.