Lucid's CEO Said The EV Startup 'Underinvested In Service.' Here's How It's Fixing That
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Lucid says its service wait times fell 20% in the third quarter compared with the previous quarter, following an expansion of service centers, staffing and mobile repairs. The company plans further growth as it works to improve customer support and prepares to launch midsize EVs in the second half of 2027.

Lucid says it reduced global service wait times by 20% in the third quarter compared with the previous quarter, as the electric-vehicle maker adds service locations, technicians and mobile repair capacity. The expansion follows CEO Silvio Napoli’s acknowledgment that Lucid had underinvested in service and comes as the company prepares for a broader lineup of vehicles.

The company said it is building more brick-and-mortar service centers in North America, Europe and the Middle East, while increasing the number of technicians who can travel to customers. Lucid operates around 40 service centers in the United States, according to the report. Customers who cannot conveniently reach one may rely on mobile service.

Lucid said its global technical and support staffing was more than 40% higher in Q3 than in Q2. It is targeting a 50% increase by the end of the year and a 60% increase by early 2027. The company also reported that mobile service capacity rose 15% from Q2, with a target of a 40% increase by year-end. These are company-reported staffing and capacity comparisons; the report does not provide underlying headcounts or a detailed measure of service demand.

Lucid’s location strategy includes sites that pair a showroom, which the company calls a studio, with a service center. Its first such combined location opened in Mission Viejo, California. The company said further combined locations are planned in Los Angeles and Dallas before year-end, followed by Chicago in early 2027. It also said 20 new Gravity support vehicles are being used to transport technicians to vehicles needing service.

At a glance
updateWhen: Service improvements reported for Q3; a…
The developmentLucid says it has cut service wait times by 20% quarter over quarter and is expanding its repair network after CEO Silvio Napoli said the company had underinvested in service.

Service Capacity as Lucid Grows

Repair access affects the ownership experience after a vehicle sale, particularly for a brand with a relatively small physical service footprint. More technicians and mobile appointments could give Lucid owners additional ways to get repairs without traveling to a service center, although the company has not published customer-level results showing how access or satisfaction has changed.

The effort also matters to Lucid’s plans to sell vehicles to a broader market. The company says production of its first EVs on a midsize platform is due to begin in the second half of 2027. A larger customer base would increase the need for dependable repair and support capacity. The new service investments are therefore part of the operational work required to support growth, not just a response to current wait times.

Lucid is pursuing the expansion while trying to reduce losses and align production with demand. Better service may support customer confidence, but the reported wait-time decline alone does not establish whether the broader turnaround is succeeding or whether the company can sustain its planned investment.

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Napoli’s Turnaround Plan

Napoli took over as Lucid’s CEO in the summer, according to the report, with a mandate to cut costs and reduce losses. Since then, the company has made executive changes, reduced staffing and cut production at its Arizona factory as it seeks to better match supply with demand. The report says Lucid has faced challenges growing sales of its Air sedan and Gravity SUV.

On his first earnings call as CEO in August, Napoli said Lucid had “underinvested in service.” The current expansion is one part of a wider set of priorities that also includes the midsize vehicles and partnerships related to robotaxis. Lucid’s planned midsize models are intended to be more affordable than its current vehicles, with production scheduled to start in 2027; the company has not yet provided results showing how the service buildout will perform at that larger scale.

““We are building a broader, more accessible service network that supports our guests wherever they are in the ownership journey.””

— Billy Hayes, Lucid chief customer officer

What the Wait-Time Figures Show

Lucid’s reported 20% reduction in global wait times compares Q3 with Q2, but the company has not specified the exact metric, the number of repair requests covered or how wait times vary by region and type of service. The figures are company-reported, and the source material does not include independent verification.

It is also unclear how many additional service centers will open beyond the named locations, how many technicians the staffing percentages represent, or whether the mobile-service targets will be met. Lucid has not disclosed the cost of the expansion or described how quickly new capacity will affect customers in areas that currently have limited access.

Planned Sites and Capacity Targets

Lucid says it plans to open combined studio and service locations in Los Angeles and Dallas before the end of the year, with a Chicago location planned for early 2027. It is targeting 50% higher technical and support staffing by year-end and 60% by early 2027, measured against Q2, as well as a 40% increase in mobile service capacity by year-end.

The company’s next test will be whether those additions improve owners’ access to repairs while Lucid works toward production of its midsize EVs in the second half of 2027. Further company updates will be needed to establish whether the staffing, location and mobile-service targets are met and whether wait-time reductions continue.

Key Questions

How much did Lucid say its service wait times fell?

Lucid reported a 20% decrease in global service wait times in Q3 compared with Q2. The company has not specified the exact wait-time measure or provided a regional breakdown in the source report.

How is Lucid expanding service?

The company says it is building more service centers, hiring technical and support staff, and increasing mobile repair capacity. It also cited 20 new Gravity support vehicles used to take technicians to vehicles needing service.

Where are Lucid’s next combined studio and service locations planned?

Lucid said locations in Los Angeles and Dallas are planned before the end of the year, with another in Chicago planned for early 2027. Its first combined studio and service center opened in Mission Viejo, California.

What service targets has Lucid set?

Lucid is targeting technical and support staffing increases of 50% by year-end and 60% by early 2027, compared with Q2. It also aims to raise mobile service capacity by 40% by year-end.

When does Lucid expect to begin making its midsize EVs?

Lucid says production of its first vehicles on the midsize platform is expected to start in the second half of 2027.

Source: insideevs.com

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