Lucid Motors has collaborated with Amazon to deliver its voice assistant software program into its debut electrical automobile, and CEO Peter Rawlinson dismissed issues concerning the e-commerce big serving as a risk within the auto market.
“I do not assume there is a competitors there. We’re blissful to have Amazon Alexa as a part of our expertise suite,” Rawlinson mentioned Thursday on CNBC’s “Squawk Alley.”
Rawlinson’s look got here a day after the Tesla rival unveiled its all-electric Air sedan, which is able to price roughly $80,000 for a base mannequin and go as much as $169,000 for a limited-volume “Dream Version.” Rawlinson was the vp of engineering at Tesla from 2009 to 2012, the place he labored on the event of the corporate’s Mannequin S.
There was hypothesis concerning the extent of Amazon’s ambitions within the auto market. In late June, the Jeff Bezos-led firm introduced it might be acquiring self-driving vehicle start-up Zoox in a deal reportedly value over $1 billion. The Seattle-based agency mentioned Zoox would proceed to function as a standalone enterprise inside Amazon.
In September 2019, Amazon mentioned it had ordered 100,000 electric vehicles from Rivian Automotive as a part of its push to get its supply fleet working solely on renewable power. Amazon beforehand took half in Rivian’s $700 million investment round that was introduced in early 2019.
Lucid’s tie-up with Amazon will permit drivers “to benefit from the full Alexa expertise on the go …. all whereas holding their eyes on the street and their arms on the wheel,” according to a press release from Lucid Motors, which obtained a $1 billion investment from Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund in 2018.
Rawlinson emphasised the advantages of the collaboration between Lucid and Amazon after he was requested whether or not the corporate took steps to guard its expertise from the cloud software program and on-line retail titan.
“I see that pure voice recognition is simply good for the car,” mentioned Rawlinson, who additionally serves as Lucid Motors’ chief expertise officer. “It’s simply the proper software, and what higher than Amazon Alexa? So I do not see any battle there in any respect.”
Lucid expects to start producing the Air early subsequent yr at its plant in Casa Grande, Arizona; the corporate’s timeline was pushed again as a result of coronavirus.
