Pinal County lands electric car factory

Lucid Motors is making a $700 million investment in Arizona to open its first manufacturing plant for its electrical vehicle – in Casa Grande.

According to Brian Barron, director of the company’s global manufacturing, plans are to hire more than 2,000 full-time employees by 2022. The hiring process will begin next year, as will the push for investors. The production of Lucid’s first model is set to begin in 2018.

A press conference was held at the state capitol Tuesday afternoon. Lucid officials brought two Alpha prototypes for display.

“At Lucid Motors, we are developing a vehicle that will lead the new era in mobility,” Barron said. “We looked all over the United States to find the right community to share this endeavor with us.”

Arizona beat out 12 other states to land the factory.

Gov. Doug Ducey said the company was drawn to Arizona for its “low taxes and light regulations,” among other assets. Lucid Motors is based out of Menlo Park, California.

Claudia Pavlovich Arellano, the governor of Sonora, said parts for vehicles would be supplied by companies in the neighboring Mexican state.

Central Arizona College “will be supporting us to recruit and train the necessary associates to get this factory up and running,” Barron said. He also highlighted the importance of access to rail and air transportation in Pinal County.

Pinal County and the City of Casa Grande worked with local landowners to piece together five properties into one lot for Lucid Motors. Ducey called the location “truly a win for Arizonans.”

A Navy veteran, Barron said he is encouraging veterans to apply.

“We will be working to support our veterans as they re-enter the workforce,” he said.

Peter Rawlinson, chief technical officer, said the site in Casa Grande has “the perfect infrastructure, the interstate network and the position in the growing technology region here, which ideally suits our endeavor.”

He said Lucid will offer a 1,000-hp model with a 400-mile range, an advancement for electric cars. Lucid started in 2007 as Atieva and received its current name in October.

“This car started with a vision, a vision of how a car could be re-imagined, how it could be redesigned around cutting-edge technology, a cutting-edge electrical vehicle drive train by condensing that drive train, condensing the size of key elements, the motors, the inverters, the battery pack, to a shape, an organic form which optimizes the experience and the space for the occupants in the interior … This is going to be a fine driving machine,” Rawlinson said.

Maricopa Mayor Christian Price said that while Maricopa did not have an opportunity to compete for the factory, it would still benefit from having Lucid so close. He said it was a win for all of Pinal County.

“That’s the nature of regionalism,” he said. “When they are nearby , especially in our backyard, they need skilled labor. I know there are people in Maricopa who would rather drive southwest than drive north on 347.”

More importantly, Price said, there are ancillary services Maricopa can provide. The city already has Volkswagen and Nissan testing grounds as well as race tracks and car-related businesses. He said the factory could also strengthen the region’s relationship with Mexico, the state’s top trading partner.