First Lucid Air.,

And I made it look a million times better than it does in RL. I know the inside however is pretty cool. I saw them years ago,

Will cars be the new Mall anchor stores?

During the housing crisis I spent a significant amount of time writing articles about how people were overreacting about the mallpocolypse. They were just going to turn these malls into mixed use housing/retail. Santana Row in San Jose was the perfect successful example. And that is what happed over the years. We all survived.

Then last night I was talking to Mr S. about how he thought Rivian was going to sell cars. Car lot? How? I haven't been paying very close of attention to them (outside of their ridiculous stock price) because I have seen a million cars that never made it to market. Until I see one in the wild they are just another Far Away Future car. Which is what Mr S. started calling Faraday Future after we saw it at CES. He knew that car was never making it too production.

We all know that Tesla is already in malls, but possibly most people don't know that Lucid and Polestar also have mall showrooms at ValleyFair in San Jose. Right across from Santana Row.

I saw them over the summer and I found it perplexing. I thought mall real estate must be super expensive. But what if all the new car companies go direct to market and just set up a showrooms in a mall. Then they become a new anchor store.

The slow descent into blandness.

 

When you just want to look like everyone else.

I think this is a Lucid Air. The wrap part of the car says Air. The only reason it caught my eye was the sensors. But this car that got in my shot proves my point. I don't even know what it is... but it's basically the same car.

The sad thing is that I was in one of these car about 3 years ago... and I thought they were cool at the time. But now they look exactly like every other car on the road. I hate this period in time for cars. Every SUV looks like the next.

I do enjoy they are testing in Elons back yard. I mean, it's not exactly like they are that far away in the first place. But I do think it would be hilarious if they started doing loops around the Tesla plant. And it was funny to get the car in front of the dead Fry's electronics.

This is the first time I've seen one in the wild - outside of them in the corporate headquarters.

Starting to look a lot like vaporware.

Saudi Arabia is talking to an electric-car maker about a deal — and it's not Tesla.

This started coming through my feed last night and I rolled my eyes. Then Mr S. started sending me links of Tesla bears having some faith in this company. But I'm starting to wonder if this car is just going to be like Faraday Future and some of the others that never really get off the ground. To which I have seen many!

Why do I think this? I saw this car pretty much one year ago and I was actually pretty impressed by it. However, I also know they have been taking deposits for a YEAR now.

If I recall correctly this was about the price of a Tesla. Not a Ferrari. "Normal" people don't wait years for cars. Ferrari people do.

I personally find the fact that I haven't even seen one at a car show, or driving around The Valley fairly troubling for a car that's been taking deposits for a year. And they are just in Newark! Maybe I will drive out there and see if there are any signs of life one day.

I would assume they will be at Pebble Beach again his year and maybe I will change my mind. But just because a car company takes deposits doesn't mean they will deliver. And interest rates were very different a year ago. Can you imagine putting down a deposit for a car and the interest rates just keep creeping up and up and up? Some of those people are going to  pop out.

Personally I find this Saudi involvement a Hail Mary funding of last resort kinda thing. There is a fowl wind blowing in the Valley right now. It feels like the money isn't sloshing as much around.

Update - I'd just like to point out (if you didn't go to the link) the Saudi's want majority ownership of Lucid.

So.......how true do you think this Tesla story is? Elon is never ever giving the Saudi's majority ownership.

I have to hand it to Lucid Motors.

I wouldn't call myself and electric vehicle fan. Possibly I will change my mind when it takes the same amount of time to charge them as it does to pump gas. So - I was pretty meh about this car. Until I saw it. Allegedly it goes 400 miles on a single charge. They couldn't tell me what it would do to the battery if I drove it 100MHP.

One thing I liked about the car is that it wasn't obvious from the outside that the roof was transparent. I also liked that the back seats bucket back. (that's a seat option. You can also get bench seats - but why would you?)

My greatest fantasy about these cars is that when they fully become autonomous (this one ships with level 2 autonomy) is that they become sleeper cars. This is when I become a buyer. Imagine the day that instead of driving to L.A., you slept to L.A.? You'd walk into your sleeper car and nap for six hours or so. Then you arrive in L.A. completely fresh as a daisy.

Last night Mr S. were talking about all the ways the word would change. You wouldn't need hotels as much. But places where you could just shower and take care of personal needs would pop up to service car nomads. And they would charge your car as a service.

I mean if I was 20 and not married and didn't have obligations - imagine how much of the world you could explore that way. You'd just wake up in another city. Would suburbia become further and further inland?

I also have to give the Lucid Motors sales people props. They weren't going to take your "I'm just browsing" crap.  They were hungry, but not annoying. Knew their product well. Because, I want to know the things like - where did you hide the lidar. (in those transparent bumper panels on the front and back) My only real complaint was that they roped if off too tightly so it was hard to get great shots. But that is a SiliconValley thing.