Lucid layoffs: 1,500 jobs cut, COO Marc Winterhoff out — EV maker has now shed nearly 30% of its workforce in 4 months
Lucid Group announced on Monday it is cutting approximately 18% of its US workforce as part of a sweeping cost-reduction plan, marking the Saudi-backed electric
Lucid Group announced on Monday it is cutting approximately 18% of its US workforce as part of a sweeping cost-reduction plan, marking the Saudi-backed electric vehicle maker's second significant round of layoffs in 2026. The cuts, which affect full-time employees, contractors and hourly production workers in manufacturing, are expected to generate annualised savings of approximately $158 million. Lucid also confirmed the departure of Chief Operating Officer Marc Winterhoff, effective immediately, and said the COO role has been permanently eliminated. Who Is Leaving and What Changes at the Top Winterhoff had served as Lucid's interim chief executive for more than a year before Silvio Napoli formally assumed the CEO role on 1 June. Despite earlier indications that Winterhoff would remain at the company in an operational capacity, Monday's announcement confirmed his exit alongside the elimination of the position itself. Also Read | Salesforce lays off Mulesoft staff even as AI revenue crosses $1 bn Napoli, whose background is in industrial manufacturing rather than the automotive sector — he spent his career at Swiss elevator and escalator maker Schindler Group — now leads the company through what is shaping up to be one of the most consequential restructuring efforts in its history. Lucid's executive suite has seen considerable turbulence in recent years. Longtime CEO Peter Rawlinson departed abruptly in February 2025. Chief Engineer Eric Bach was let go in late 2025 and subsequently filed a wrongful termination lawsuit. More than a dozen senior executives have left the company over the past two years.
The Scale of the Cuts and What They Cost Lucid had approximately 9,000 employees globally as of 31 December 2025. The 18% reduction represents roughly 1,500 positions across full-time staff, contractors and hourly manufacturing workers at its AMP-1 factory in Casa Grande, Arizona. The company said it expects to incur cash charges of approximately $32 million related to severance, employee benefits and transition support for affected workers. In a regulatory filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, Lucid said it would also eliminate the second production shift at its Arizona plant, further curtailing output as it seeks to bring inventory levels down. "These are difficult decisions taken to align production with demand, reduce inventory, and adapt to declining market conditions," a Lucid spokesperson said. "They are part of a broader effort to simplify the company, sharpen execution, and position Lucid to become more competitive over time." Second Round of Cuts in Four Months Monday's announcement is the second major workforce reduction Lucid has carried out this year alone. In February, the company eliminated approximately 12% of its US workforce in a push for profitability, a round of cuts that cost roughly $40 million in the near term but was projected to deliver up to $500 million in savings over several years. Taken together, the two rounds of cuts in 2026 have reduced Lucid's headcount by close to 30% within the span of a single year — a pace of restructuring that is unusual even by the standards of an EV sector that has been broadly contracting since the post-pandemic boom receded.
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