How Pinal County is on the road to becoming electric vehicle capital
by Rebecca Rhoades | AZBigMedia
In December 2020, just about a year after it broke ground in Pinal County, electric vehicle (EV) manufacturer Lucid Motors announced that it had completed the first phase of its 590-acre manufacturing plant in Casa Grande and that it’s on schedule to start mass production of its luxury Lucid Air sedan by the second half of 2021. The well-equipped vehicle features 406 miles of projected range and varies in price from $87,500 to $161,500.
In nearby Coolidge, Nikola, an upstart heavy-duty truck maker, is proceeding with construction of its greenfield facility with the goal of making battery electric (BEV) and fuel-cell (FCEV) semis by 2022, followed by hydrogen fuel-cell (HBEV) behemoths in 2023. The first phase of the $600 million, 1 million-square-foot factory on 430 acres will produce the BEV and FCEV Nikola Tre cabover trucks designed for hauls of less than 300 miles and 500 miles, respectively. The Nikola Two HBEV semi, will handle long hauls.
Further north, in Maricopa County, ElectraMeccanica announced in March that it would be building an assembly facility and engineering technology center in Mesa. The company produces the Solo, a three-wheeled car/motorcycle hybrid, or electric autocycle, that starts at $17,499.
