Lucid Motors is staking its retail success on two key plays its new Gravity SUV and a showroom experience that rewrites the traditional dealership model. And so far, both are gaining traction with customers.

In Q1 2025, Lucid reports it delivered 3,109 vehicles, up 58% year-over-year. Most of that growth came from the initial deliveries of the Gravity, a luxury 3-row electric SUV positioned to broaden Lucid’s reach beyond its flagship Air sedan.

Critically for U.S. retailers tracking EV buying patterns, Lucid says over 75% of Gravity buyers are new to the brand. Early demand has also raised production estimates, with more Gravity units expected in the second half of the year as production scales.

Of course, the modern showroom that feels more like a luxury meeting space than a car dealership is not a new one. Other start-up and tech-driven auto brands have their own high-design spaces to interact with their direct-to-consumer prospects. Rivian Spaces are casual, lifestyle-focused interiors. Tesla’s spaces are akin to minimal, Apple-store spaces, complete with kiosks for ordering.

Dealers with luxury franchises – including Mercedes-Benz, Audi and Cadillac – offer their own spins on upscale features, including concierge services, interactive displays and art-gallery aesthetics.

Lucid Studios: A Retail Strategy Built Around Personalization

What sets Lucid’s Studios apart is their focus on selling a lifestyle and identity to those who value both personalization, sustainability and identity. That same aesthetic is seen in muted earth tone car colors – grays, tans, blues – that have gained popularity in recent years. It might be likened to Subaru’s aesthetic – prominently showcased at auto shows and dealerships – of nature, art and reliability.

Lucid leadership ties its retail to its boutique-style showroom concept that moves away from high-traffic, high-pressure dealership floors in favor of luxury, one-on-one customer engagement. But it’s more than that.

Here are some of the features that make Lucid Studios different:

• Dedicated sales advisors who guide buyers through a personalized vehicle configuration process.

• Lucid Studio Live, a digital-twin experience for remote customers powered by ZeroLight, offering online shoppers the same concierge-level service as an in-store visit.

• In-studio service capabilities, including many locations that double as maintenance centers and offer mobile service vans for at-home repairs or checkups.

• A showroom ambiance centered on sustainability and minimalist luxury, often featuring warm wood tones and West Coast design cues.

Visitors commenting online say these studios are more than display rooms; they’re branded lifestyle environments that help Lucid reinforce its values and justify its premium positioning.

A Model Dealers Are Watching

Lucid’s vertically integrated, U.S.-based production gives it a competitive edge amid growing tariff pressure on imported EVs and components. As price sensitivity grows and inventory constraints tighten for many automakers, Lucid is promoting its Arizona-built vehicles and localized supply chain as selling points.

And data shows welcoming, in-person retail spaces such as Lucid Studios offers are important:

• 88% of car buyers conduct at least half of the car-buying process in person, marking a 5-percentage-point increase from the previous year, reports the Capital One Buying Outlook.

• 67% of consumers expect to purchase their next car in person at a dealership, indicating a strong preference for face-to-face interactions, reports Progressive Insurance.

• 87% of Gen Z shoppers are open to considering traditional in-person shopping at dealerships, reports Urban Science.

For dealers, Lucid’s playbook raises several points of interest that they may move to adopt:

• High-touch, studio-style selling may have growing appeal for EV shoppers who expect concierge service, transparency and brand consistency.

• Lucid’s combined sales-service locations and mobile service model reflect a flexibility that could influence future fixed ops strategies.

• Lucid emphasizes the made-in-America focus, which may well translate into more competitive pricing.