The King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST) has partnered with Lucid Group to open the Middle East's first Electric Vehicle Innovation Center which, according to Lucid interim CEO Marc Winterhoff, "embodies our ongoing commitment to leading the advancement of electric vehicle technology, and our support toward strengthening Saudi Arabia a hub for technological innovation"
Local, regional and global research and experts will convene at the centre, which will hope to accelerate Lucid's status as one of the world's most advanced EV manufacturers.
Winterhoff continued, "By combining Lucid’s engineering expertise with KACST’s advanced research capabilities, we will continue to push the boundaries of what’s possible. Our teams are eager to begin the planned work together, recognizing this research will help shape the future of sustainable mobility."
Dr. Talal bin Ahmed Al-Sedairy, senior VP for Research and Development at KACST, added, "This cooperation contributes to the transfer and localization of advanced, high-impact technologies, the establishment of new industrial value chains, and the strengthening of integration between the research, development, and innovation system, the industrial strategy, and the investment strategy, thereby accelerating the transformation of knowledge into products and technologies that support the future of sustainable mobility and enhance the competitiveness of the national economy."
Ahead of its inauguration, the centre matured from a mere testing and validation facility to one that will involve research and optimisation in the engineering phases, extending Lucid's work at similar sites in the United States.
