Like rival Rivian, Lucid Motors has been saying for a while it wants to venture beyond the premium luxury market. Newly published European patent images show what the company has been up to in its pursuit of that goal. Here’s our clearest yet look at the future Lucid Cosmos, a sub-$50,000 USD compact electric SUV that the California-based automaker is betting its mass-market future on.
Aiming to directly challenge the Tesla Model Y and brand-new Rivian R2, most notably, the Cosmos follows a corporate playbook similar to Rivian's: launch with flagship halo vehicles (the Air sedan and Gravity SUV) before introducing high-volume, lower-cost models.
Design of the Lucid Cosmos
The design drawings were filed with the European Union Intellectual Property Office under Lucid’s corporate moniker, Atieva Inc., and they give us a handy all-angles preview at a production-ready vehicle, from the looks of it.
The Cosmos adapts the "cab-forward" proportions of the larger Gravity but implements a distinct fastback silhouette. The roofline rakes sharply into a dovetailed rear section featuring a unique split rear window divided by a prominent spoiler.
The profile is characterized by flowing lines that visually compress the doors, evoking styling cues reminiscent of the Jaguar I-Pace and Fisker Ocean. Lucid branding is prominently displayed on the tailgate and nose, resting above a bold bumper and rear aerodynamic diffuser.
From the varied front fascia designs within the patent filing, we can probably assume there will be multiple trim levels, including a top-tier performance model with an aggressive lower opening that Lucid claims will dispatch the 0–96 km/h (0–60 mph) sprint in just 3.5 seconds.
Interior of the Lucid Cosmos
Unusually, the patent filing showcases one element of the interior layout, which confirms that the Cosmos will break from the multi-screen, curved displays found in Lucid's current luxury offerings. Instead, the dashboard is anchored by a single, expansive horizontal display spanning nearly the entire width of the cabin.
There’s a reason for the new approach: Lucid has previously hinted that this simplified cabin geometry is tied to its future autonomous vehicle ambitions, as models built on this new midsize platform are slated to support its global robotaxi partnership with Uber.
Powertrain of the Lucid Cosmos
Behind the design, the targeted engineering specifications are where Lucid intends to eclipse its mid-size rivals. Here’s what Lucid hopes to deliver at a reasonable price with by far its most affordable EV to date: A 69-kWh battery will, with the help of a .22 coefficient of drag from the exterior shell, give the model a range of over 482 km.
The vehicle’s “Atlas” drive unit is reportedly 23 percent lighter and utilizes 30 percent fewer components than Lucid’s existing motors. Furthermore, the compact SUV retains a cutting-edge 800-volt electrical architecture. This allows it to outpace competitors at the plug, adding up to 322 km (200 miles) of range in just 14 minutes, essentially half the time it takes most newer EVs these days. Ant it will fully supporting bidirectional vehicle-to-home charging functions.
When will the Lucid Cosmos be available?
Initial production of the Cosmos is scheduled to begin later this year on a manufacturing line in Saudi Arabia. However, the bulk of vehicles earmarked for North American buyers will eventually be assembled at Lucid's factory in Arizona, where the mass-market crossover will join the Air and Gravity assembly lines in roughly a year's time.