Lucid prioritizes stocking Air Sedans in both Canada and the United States.
In a strategic move, luxury electric vehicle manufacturer Lucid has revamped its sales process, prioritizing the sale of existing inventory before accepting custom orders. This shift mirrors a similar approach taken by Tesla, with both companies adjusting their strategies to cater to the evolving market and production demands.
The change in Lucid's ordering process comes on the heels of its strong Q1 2025 performance, delivering over 3,100 vehicles. Clicking "Order" on Lucid's main Air model page now leads to a searchable database of available inventory in Canada and the United States. This database includes new, demo, and pre-owned units.
To facilitate a smoother transition, Lucid is currently rolling out some of its most aggressive discounts to date in Canada. Eligible buyers in the U.S. can enjoy up to $22,500 in credits and bonuses for the Air Touring, while the Air Pure and Grand Touring models offer savings between $17,500 and $20,000, depending on vehicle ownership and location.
The configurator for custom orders remains accessible, but it is less prominently displayed to prioritize inventory options. Custom orders for the Air Pure, Touring, or Grand Touring require a few more clicks to access the configurator. On the other hand, the Gravity SUV, which recently started production and deliveries, is only available through a custom order on the configurator.
Lucid still prominently directs buyers to existing inventory with a "Get your car faster" button on the configurator. For those who prefer a more personalized vehicle, the Conquest Offers provide up to $5,000 in stacked incentives for owners of qualifying ICE, hybrid, or Tesla vehicles, without requiring a trade-in.
This shift to prioritizing inventory sales reflects an adjustment to market dynamics and production ramp-up efforts. Tesla employs a similar method when it has a large volume of unsold inventory, and it appears Lucid is now facing a similar issue. Lucid aims to double production in 2025 with the help of its new Gravity SUV.
In contrast, Tesla's process remains custom order centric, with less emphasis on existing inventory sales. This difference affects customer experience in terms of wait time and vehicle personalization options. Below is a comparison of their sales processes:
| Aspect | Lucid | Tesla | |---------------------------|------------------------------------|--------------------------------------| | Inventory Prioritization | Lucid prioritizes existing inventory — customers are generally served by vehicles already built. Only if inventory is sold out does Lucid accept new custom orders. | Tesla primarily operates on direct custom orders, producing vehicles to order with less emphasis on existing inventory sales. Inventory vehicles are available but less central to the sales process. | | Custom Order Options | Lucid accepts custom orders only after inventory is depleted, making the process more inventory-driven with some customization flexibility later. | Tesla’s sales are largely built-to-order, offering customers broad customization upfront before production. | | Model Differences | Lucid’s Air sedan initially lacked native Tesla Supercharger access, now granted as of July 2025, while the newer Gravity SUV comes with native Tesla NACS port compatibility. | Tesla vehicles have full native access to their Supercharger network by default. | | Process Focus | Lucid’s model attempts to reduce wait times by moving existing inventory first before creating new vehicles. | Tesla custom orders often involve longer delivery times but allow extensive personalization. |
This change in Lucid's sales strategy is expected to streamline the buying process for customers, reducing wait times and providing more immediate access to Lucid's luxury vehicles.
[1] Lucid Motors Announces Q1 2025 Delivery Results: https://investor.lucidmotors.com/news-releases/news-release-details/lucid-motors-announces-q1-2025-delivery-results [2] Lucid Air Pricing and Incentives: https://www.lucidmotors.com/air/pricing [3] Lucid Gravity SUV: https://www.lucidmotors.com/gravity [4] Tesla's Sales Strategy: https://www.tesla.com/order
- In light of Lucid's Q1 2025 success in delivering over 3,100 vehicles, the automotive industry's strategy has been adjusted within the company, with the sales process focusing on existing inventory instead of custom orders.
- In the finance sector, Lucid offers significant discounts and bonuses to eligible buyers in both Canada and the United States, aiming to facilitate a smoother transition and encourage the sale of existing inventory in their transportation business.
- Differentiating from Tesla's approach, Lucid prioritizes the sale of existing inventory before accepting custom orders, demonstrating the use of technology in their sales strategy to streamline the buying process, reduce wait times, and provide more immediate access to their luxury vehicles.
