At a press conference on Tuesday, Arizona Governor Doug Ducey announced that the electric vehicle start-up Lucid Motors has selected Casa Grande as its base for manufacturing operations.
According to the Governor, the new manufacturing center will mean 2,000 new jobs by 2022, as well as significant capital investment.
The governor noted that the site in Casa Grande is only a short plane ride from the company’s headquarters in Silicon Valley.
“When government takes a backseat to innovation, big things can happen,” Arizona Governor Ducey said. “Arizona's commitment to low taxes and light regulations good place to start and scale a business.”
Brian Barron, Director of Global Manufacturing at Lucid Motors, said that the site had been selected from 60 potential contenders from 13 different states. According to Barron, Lucid will start construction and begin the hiring process for the new facility in 2017. A 6-year veteran of the Navy, Barron also noted that Lucid is committed to hiring and training U.S. veterans.
By 2018, the company plans to begin production on its first car model; and by 2022, the plan is to have more than 2,000 full-time employees with more than $700 million invested in the site.
The project will be a major undertaking, and it appears that the state's shared border with Sonora, Mexico played a role in the Lucid’s decision.
Claudia Pavlovich Arellano, the governor of Sonora, joined the press conference to add that Sonora-based companies will be supplying parts to the manufacturer.
Lucid Motors CTO Peter Rawlinson closed the press conference by showing off two Alpha prototypes that the company pulled out of its test program for the occasion. According to Rawlinson, the all-electric vehicles will have 1,000 hp, and a 400-mile range.
The CTO said the new car is being designed around a new electric vehicle drivetrain that condenses the shape and size of the key elements, including the motors, inverters, and battery pack, into an organic form that "optimizes the experience and space for the occupants."