- Lucid Motors, the firm behind ground-breaking fully-electric cars such as the Lucid Air, is set to acquire select Arizona-based facilities and assets from now-bankrupt electric and hydrogen truck manufacturer, Nikola.
- The acquisition will focus solely on fully-electric aspects of Nikola’s operations, excluding any hydrogen aspects of Nikola’s business.
- Under the acquisition, which still needs to be approved by the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware, Lucid will also offer over 300 ex-Nikola employees Arizona-based roles for Lucid Motors, as the manufacturer looks to expand its reach.
Lucid will acquire select facilities from Nikola’s electric truck operations
The acquisition of these facilities doesn’t mean Lucid Motors are about to enter the electric truck facility, with the facilities to be used for further development and production of Lucid’s electric car range – with Lucid CEO Marc Winterhoff noting Lucid’s preparation for an upcoming ‘midsize’ EV platform. With Lucid’s existing factory being located in nearby Casa Grande, Arizona, the acquisition of these sites will remain geographically close to Lucid’s existing operations.
Under the agreement, Lucid will take over Nikola’s former facilities in Coolidge, Arizona and Phoenix, Arizona, which will add more than 884,000 square feet to Lucid’s footprint in Arizona. These facilities already carrying existing EV-related equipment, such as battery testing chambers, machining equipment, and chassis dynamometers.
Marc Winterhoff, Interim CEO at Lucid, commented:
“As we continue our production ramp of Lucid Gravity and prepare for our upcoming midsize platform vehicles, acquiring these assets is an opportunity to strategically expand our manufacturing, warehousing, testing, and development facilities while supporting our local Arizona community. We are delighted to extend employment offers to more than 300 former employees, who bring valuable industry experience, and together with our outstanding teams, will continue powering Lucid’s industry-leading innovation.”
Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs added:
“Today’s announcement is fantastic news for Arizona workers and our state’s growing EV and battery manufacturing industry. Arizona is the proud home of Lucid’s advanced EV manufacturing lines – and this acquisition promises to strengthen Lucid’s operations while offering continued employment to hundreds of skilled workers in our state.”
