Gary Zhou 
Electric vehicle makers Rivian and Lucid have released their Q3 2023 results. The results and forecasts from Rivian and Lucid suggest that the two automakers are moving in very different directions. Investors appear to have seen the distinction, as hinted at by Rivian and Lucid’s stock on Wednesday’s pre-market.
During its Q3 2023 earnings call, Rivian executives noted that a notable upgrade at its factories is expected to cut manufacturing costs moving forward. The company also noted that its dedicated electric delivery van would no longer be exclusive to Amazon. More importantly, Rivian noted that it was raising its production guidance for 2023 to 54,000 units, a slight increase from its previous estimate of 52,000.
Rivian shares (RIVN) jumped 4.5% in after-hours trading, and as of writing, RIVN stock is up by as much as 8.9% on Wednesday’s pre-market.
Lucid, on the other hand, reported falling third-quarter revenue and a wider net loss. The company also lowered its projection for vehicles this 2023 to just between 8,000 to 8,500 units, down from 10,000. It should be noted that even Lucid’s 10,000-vehicle estimate was already adjusted, as in February, the automaker initially estimated that it could produce up to 14,000 vehicles in 2023.
Lucid has stated that its forecast considers the vehicles that it could deliver for the rest of 2023. The company also stated that numerous Air sedans are going to government and retail customers in Saudi Arabia. Investors did not seem to receive the company’s updates well, however, as shares dropped 4.2% in after-hours trading.
As of writing, Lucid shares (LCID) are down by as much as 4.88% in Wednesday’s pre-market.
While both Rivian and Lucid are yet to reach profitability, the former appears to be showing more and more signs that its business is stabilizing. Rivian, after all, produces the R1T pickup truck, the R1S SUV, and electric delivery vans. Despite being a pickup truck that starts at a premium price of about $73,000, the Rivian R1T at least does not have a lot of competition right now.
The Lucid Air, on the other hand, is a luxury sedan that still starts closer to $100,000. And while the Lucid Air is a critically acclaimed sedan, its segment is already filled with entries from pure EV makers and veteran carmakers alike, such as the Tesla Model S Plaid, the Porsche Taycan, and the Mercedes-Benz EQS.
