Lucid Cosmos: New electric SUV spotted during test drives in California
Image: Lucid (illustrative)
A camouflaged prototype of the upcoming Lucid Cosmos was recently photographed in California, USA. The photos show the electric mid-size SUV on public roads, about 60 kilometers south of Lucid’s headquarters in Newark. The American electric vehicle manufacturer plans to set the starting price for its third model series at under $50,000 before taxes, which is roughly 45,000 euros. The production start date has since been delayed from the end of 2026 to the second half of 2027.
The photos (Reddit) show a test vehicle completely covered with black-and-white-gray camouflage film. Visible are a sloping roofline, a rear spoiler, door handles integrated flush with the surface, and narrow taillights beneath the camouflage. The electric car has California license plates and was photographed from both side and rear perspectives.
The technical basis of the Cosmos is a mid-size platform that Lucid officially introduced in March. It uses the newly developed Atlas electric powertrain, whose more compact design and standardized components are intended to reduce manufacturing costs. In an investor presentation, Lucid specified that the all-wheel-drive Cosmos features a battery with a 69 kWh capacity and an estimated range of around 300 miles or 483 kilometers.
Originally, Lucid planned to start production of the new model family by the end of this year. In August, the company, which operates in Europe as well, adjusted the timeline as part of a comprehensive operational reorientation to the second half of 2027. Lucid CEO Silvio Napoli cited the need to ensure new vehicles have sufficient technical readiness before launching them as one of the reasons for the delay. The new AMP-2 facility in Saudi Arabia is set to be the first production site for the Cosmos, while prototype development and pre-series manufacturing will initially take place in Arizona.
With the Cosmos, Lucid expands its lineup, which has previously focused on higher-priced models, to include a mid-size electric SUV in a lower price segment. The new platform is intended to support not only the Cosmos but also the already announced SUV Earth, as well as another production model that has not been detailed yet. For this vehicle family, Lucid relies on smaller batteries, reduced numbers of components, and a more standardized powertrain design to lower manufacturing costs compared to its existing models.
To date, Lucid has been selling the electric luxury sedan Air and the luxury SUV Gravity. Both have been available in markets including Germany for some time now.
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Thomas Langenbucher is an expert in electromobility with professional experience in the automotive industry and finance sector. Since 2011, he has been covering electric vehicles, sustainable technologies, and mobility solutions for ecomento.de. Learn more.
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