BEVERLY HILLS—On Wednesday, July 8, Lucid Motors announced a plan to open 20 stores throughout the country, including two in Beverly Hills, by the end of 2021.

The car manufacturer company will specialize in creating electric vehicles, in its mission to “inspire the adoption of sustainable transportation.” The retail locations will be called ‘Studios’ and ‘Service’ centers. The company plans to open both facilities on 9022 Wilshire Boulevard in Beverly Hills, according to a release from the company. 

Peter Rawlinson, CEO and CTO of Lucid Motors, said that ‘Studios’ will be a place for people to learn about the new electric vehicles the company intends to launch. 

“We designed Lucid Studios to be engaging, to start conversations and to help educate people about the performance and efficiency benchmarks possible in an electric vehicle,” said Rawlinson. 

The company’s first vehicle, and electric Sedan named Lucid Air, will debut in an online reveal on September 9. Lucid will also reveal details about production specifications, available configurations, and pricing information in addition to the vehicle’s design. 

Production of the Lucid Air will begin in late 2020 at the company’s new factory in Casa Grande, Arizona. Along with the car reveal, Lucid will land a new website which will feature a configurator that “will enable prospective owners to customize their own car and view it from any angle in a variety of environments.”

Many states in the country prohibit direct-to-consumer auto sales from automakers. Some states require an independent dealership to mediate every purchase. California law does not stipulate regulations restricting market action regarding the distribution of motor vehicles. 

In October 2018, former California Governor Jerry Brown vetoed a bill named “AB 2107” that originally called for a statewide ban against direct sales by automakers.

The measure was first introduced in the California Legislature in February of that year. After the bill was amended eight times, the California State Assembly and the California State Senate passed the bill, but it was vetoed by Brown.

Lucid plans to open its ‘Studio’ locations in other parts of California, Virginia, Florida, and New York.