- Lucid’s top engineer, Emad Dlala, has left the company.
- The departure comes shortly after Lucid’s new permanent CEO took over, and months before the startup is set to launch its first roughly $50,000 EV.
- TechCrunch first reported the news on Tuesday.
Lucid Motors’ top engineer, Emad Dlala, has left the company, the EV startup confirmed on Wednesday. The move comes days after Lucid’s first permanent CEO in over a year, Silvio Napoli, took the reins of the company earlier this month. TechCrunch was first to report the news.
“Emad Dlala has elected to leave the company to pursue other opportunities. We thank Emad for his many contributions over the years and wish him continued success in his future endeavors,” Lucid said in a statement. “As previously communicated, Lucid is transforming its organization to accelerate innovation and strengthen execution under CEO Silvio Napoli.”
Vivek Attaluri, vice president of vehicle engineering, and Marc Solsona Palomar, vice president of software, will now report directly to the CEO, Lucid added.
Dlala spent almost 11 years at the California-based EV startup. Most recently, he served as senior vice president of software and engineering, overseeing Lucid’s engineering efforts after the departure of Eric Bach late last year, the company’s chief engineer. (Bach has sued for wrongful termination.)
Photo by: Patrick George
The shakeup in Lucid’s top ranks comes during a pivotal time for the EV startup. Napoli, who previously led Schindler, a Swiss maker of elevators and escalators, was named CEO in April and officially assumed the role on June 1. He took over from Marc Winterhoff, who was serving in an interim capacity since the company’s longtime CEO, Peter Rawlinson, abruptly resigned in early 2025.
The company teased its next two models, the Cosmos and Earth, at an investor day earlier this year. It plans to start producing the Cosmos, potentially its first model with mass appeal, by the end of this year. At around $50,000, the crossover is far less expensive than Lucid’s existing lineup of the Gravity SUV and Air sedan and takes direct aim at the Tesla Model Y, which is America’s best-selling electric car.
Lucid has long said that its midsize vehicles—including the Cosmos, Earth, and another yet-unnamed model—will bring it the manufacturing scale it needs for long-term financial stability.
Contact the author: Tim.Levin@InsideEVs.com