Earlier this year, Lucid built the first prototypes of its cheaper midsize EVs. These models will be crucial for the brand, which has until now relied only on the larger and fairly pricey Air sedan and Gravity SUV. Now, a new image has popped up of what’s believed to be the Cosmos, Lucid’s smaller electric SUV that will challenge the Model Y. The spy photo is particularly interesting since the vehicle was captured alongside its Tesla rival, allowing us to compare the proportions and size of the two vehicles. Let’s take a closer look.
Related: Lucid Details New Platform for its Upcoming $50,000 EVs
A Downsized Lucid
This photo was taken near the Lucid factory. Could this be one of the midsize vehicles? pic.twitter.com/oHngFSS2Wd
— John (@john61640) May 21, 2026
The spy image of the camouflaged Lucid was captured by X user @John near the company’s factory in Arizona. While Lucid itself has not confirmed the validity of the image, elements of the design like the front quarter window and roofline match up well with previous teasers shared by the automaker.
The Lucid was pictured alongside a pre-facelift Model Y, and it appears to be roughly the same size, so that would make it comfortably smaller than the Gravity. It looks to be lower and broader than the Model Y. The wheel design is familiar from certain Gravity variants, and the only other detail that’s visible is a large screen that runs from the driver’s side well beyond the middle point of the dashboard. A previous teaser of the dashboard from the inside of the vehicle is consistent with what we see in the new spy photo.
Lucid
Not much else is known about the Cosmos, but we expect single- and dual-motor variants. Lucid has been a leader for range on a full charge, so we fully expect this to continue when the midsize crossover arrives. The company said the “same Lucid DNA” of its larger models will extend to these cheaper EVs, with similarly impressive space utilization, efficiency, and driving dynamics.
Pricing is expected to start at below $50,000 when the Cosmos goes on sale, placing it in direct competition with mid-range Model Y variants.
What It Means
Lucid
Up until now, the Tesla Model Y has mainly faced off against legacy automakers who don’t yet have the same amount of EV experience. But Lucid and Rivian are exclusively EV brands, and they’re finally launching models at a price point to compete with the Model Y. The Rivian R2 has already gone into production and the Lucid Cosmos is building up to a reveal. These vehicles are expected to offer a more rugged appeal (Rivian) and more luxury (Lucid) than Tesla, but will it matter? So many others have threatened to dethrone the Model Y, and while the gap has closed somewhat, it’s still far and away America’s most popular EV. Now over six years since the Model Y went into production, it’s anyone’s guess as to how long it can keep its crown.
