Lucid Motors sticks to its production target despite a slow quarter.

Lucid Motors, a maker of electrical vehicles seen as a possible challenger to Tesla, mentioned Thursday that it had delivered only some hundred automobiles through the first three months of the yr however maintained that it was nonetheless on observe to promote not less than 12,000 by the tip of 2022.

The corporate, led by a former high Tesla engineer, has been thought-about probably the most promising start-ups making electrical automobiles. Nevertheless it upset buyers in February when it reported issues making sufficient vehicles at its Arizona manufacturing unit to fulfill demand, and reduce its manufacturing forecast. Lucid shares have misplaced two-thirds of their worth since peaking in November.

Lucid mentioned it was struggling to amass the parts wanted to satisfy reservations it has obtained for 30,000 automobiles. “Much like many firms in our trade, we proceed to face global-supply-chain and logistics challenges, together with Covid-related manufacturing unit shutdowns in China,” Sherry Home, Lucid’s chief monetary officer, mentioned in a press release Thursday.

In an interview, Ms. Home mentioned that demand for Lucid vehicles remained robust. An extra 5,000 reservations obtained since February would, in the event that they grow to be agency orders, translate into $500 million in further gross sales, she mentioned.

Lucid delivered 360 automobiles within the first quarter, up from 125 within the earlier quarter. In April, the corporate delivered 300 vehicles, an indication that manufacturing is accelerating shortly, Peter Rawlinson, who engineered the Tesla Mannequin S earlier than founding Lucid, mentioned in an interview Thursday. He and Ms. Home mentioned that offer chain issues are easing.

“We really see a light-weight on the finish of the tunnel now,” Mr. Rawlinson mentioned. The corporate has suffered from shortages of some commodities, he mentioned, however declined to specify which of them.

The corporate reported a lack of $81 million within the first quarter of 2022 on gross sales of $58 million. In the identical quarter a yr earlier, when the corporate’s income was negligible, Lucid reported a lack of $2.9 billion.

Lucid’s debut product, the $169,000 Lucid Air Dream Version sedan, was named automobile of the yr by MotorTrend journal, which praised the car’s styling, workmanship and vary of practically 520 miles. Lucid and Tesla automobiles dominate the Environmental Safety Company’s rankings of most-efficient electrical vehicles.

However like many new automobile firms, Lucid has confronted difficulties in ramping up manufacturing. Lucid mentioned Thursday it could elevate costs for brand spanking new reservations starting in June. Probably the most inexpensive car will price $87,400 earlier than authorities incentives, and the most costly can be $179,000. Tesla and different producers of electrical vehicles have additionally raised costs considerably, pushing the automobiles additional out of attain for middle-income consumers.

“We face extraordinary inflation pressures significantly for some uncooked supplies that have an effect on the value of battery cells,” Mr. Rawlinson mentioned. However he additionally mentioned he was “extremely optimistic concerning the future for E.V. adoption,” due to effectivity enhancements that can cut back prices.

With money reserves of $5.4 billion from buyers, together with the sovereign wealth fund of Saudi Arabia, Lucid mentioned, it has sufficient cash to maintain going effectively into 2023.