Lucid has struck a deal to acquire two former Nikola facilities in Arizona, adding nearly 900,000 sq. ft to its production and testing capacity and offering jobs to over 300 ex-Nikola workers as it scales EV production
Lucid is adding muscle to its Arizona operations by acquiring select facilities and assets previously belonging to Nikola Corporation, further consolidating its manufacturing base as it ramps production of the Lucid Gravity and prepares its midsize EV platform.
The agreement, reached following a bankruptcy auction that concluded on 10 April 2025, is subject to approval by the US Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware. The deal does not involve the acquisition of Nikola’s customer base, business operations or hydrogen fuel cell electric truck technologies. Instead, it focuses solely on infrastructure and workforce integration.
As part of the arrangement, Lucid will acquire two of Nikola’s former sites. The first is a large-scale manufacturing complex located at 680 East Houser Road in Coolidge, Arizona. The second is Nikola’s previous headquarters and product development centre in Phoenix, at 4141 East Broadway Road. Together, the facilities add more than 884,000 sq. ft of capacity to Lucid’s existing Arizona footprint, which already houses its AMP-1 factory in Casa Grande.
”As we continue our production ramp of Lucid Gravity and prepare for our upcoming midsize platform vehicles, acquiring these assets is an opportunity to strategically expand our manufacturing, warehousing, testing, and development facilities while supporting our local Arizona community”
- Marc Winterhoff, interim CEO, Lucid
Lucid expands EV development and hires 300 former Nikola staff
These buildings come equipped with an array of high-specification capabilities. Among them are environmental and battery testing chambers, a full-size chassis dynamometer and extensive machining equipment. The infrastructure will allow Lucid to accelerate validation and development cycles for current and future vehicle platforms while expanding its warehousing and assembly capacity.
Crucially, Lucid is also extending employment offers to more than 300 former Nikola employees. These include a variety of technical salaried and hourly roles spanning manufacturing engineering, software, assembly, vehicle testing and warehouse support. The workforce integration reflects a calculated move to absorb specialised EV skills while softening the blow of local job losses following Nikola’s collapse.
“As we continue our production ramp of Lucid Gravity and prepare for our upcoming midsize platform vehicles, acquiring these assets is an opportunity to strategically expand our manufacturing, warehousing, testing, and development facilities while supporting our local Arizona community,” said Marc Winterhoff, interim CEO at Lucid. “We are delighted to extend employment offers to more than 300 former employees, who bring valuable industry experience, and together with our outstanding teams, will continue powering Lucid’s industry-leading innovation.”
Read more Electrification stories
- Toyota adds battery electric vehicle production to Kentucky
- Can Rivian navigate production challenges in the EV world?
- $21bn Hyundai plan to scale US automotive vehicle production
- BMW powers up Debrecen plant for Neue Klasse rollout
Political leaders in Arizona were quick to praise the move, both for its economic impact and for helping preserve the state’s ambitions to remain a hub for EV and battery manufacturing.
“Today’s announcement is fantastic news for Arizona workers and our state’s growing EV and battery manufacturing industry,” said Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs. “Arizona is the proud home of Lucid’s advanced EV manufacturing lines and this acquisition promises to strengthen Lucid’s operations while offering continued employment to hundreds of skilled workers in our state.”
“I am honoured to work with the local Lucid team to support the asset acquisition efforts of Nikola Corporation in my hometown of Coolidge,” added Arizona State Senator T.J. Shope. “This investment will be instrumental in helping those impacted by job loss to regain employment by Lucid and further solidify Lucid’s commitment to growth in Pinal County and our state, by utilising the Coolidge facility for Lucid manufacturing operations.”
While Lucid has made clear that the acquisition does not include Nikola’s products or fuel cell technologies, the deal reflects a pragmatic use of existing infrastructure as the company scales production of the Lucid Gravity SUV and readies its more accessible midsize EV platform. By repurposing cutting-edge facilities and integrating skilled local labour, the company gains both speed and resilience in an increasingly competitive electric vehicle landscape.
With its AMP-1 plant already in operation and further investments underway, Lucid’s strategic buildout in Arizona positions it not only to support near-term production targets but also to deepen its roots in the US EV manufacturing corridor.
No comments yet