Lucid Motors, the California-based electric car startup, has secured a 500-acre site in Casa Grande to build a manufacturing plant that will produce the company’s first electric car, the Lucid Air.
“Construction of the plant will proceed in three phases with production of Lucid’s all-electric luxury sedan beginning in late 2020,” says Marketing Manager David Salguero. “We will likely break ground on phase one this spring. This presents a $240-million investment and the ability to build 20,000 vehicles a year.” Phase three will be complete in the mid-2020s. According to Salguero, the total capital investment across all three phases is approximately $700 million.
In January 2017, after announcing the plant would be located in Casa Grande, Lucid Motors had some issues finding funding. But recently, it signed an investment agreement worth $1 billion that is putting the project back on track. According to the company, the factory is expected to employ 2,000 full-time employees and manufacture up to 130,000 vehicles annually.
Lucid Motors has also proposed a new curriculum for the Advanced Manufacturing Technology Program at Central Arizona College. Graduates of the yearlong program would immediately be able to enter the advanced technology workforce.
“Since the proposal was made, we’ve seen a growth of the program by 1,300 percent,” says Kristen Benedict, Advanced Technology Division Chairwoman. “All the colleges on the Sun Corridor will be offering the same curriculum.”
The addition of the manufacturing plant could also cut down commute times for future employees who currently live in Casa Grande but travel to Phoenix or Tucson for work.
“I know it goes without saying, but this project will be a major boost to the Casa Grande economy,” says Casa Grande Mayor Craig McFarland.