Photo via Lucid Motors
By Mark Cowling | Pinal Central
Electric cars are facing skepticism similar to the kind that Henry Ford argued against 100 years ago, Pinal Partnership members and guests heard Friday morning.
Mike Cruz, who is beginning a new role as head of government relations for Lucid Motors, commented on the Lucid job cuts announced days previously.
“Obviously they’re going through some changes right now, but those were outlined in the last earnings call. Every tech company right now is going through some right-sizing and trying to adjust their model,” Cruz said.
“Interest rates are high, the workforce is hit-and-miss. Demand has gone down. Inflation is killing people,” he continued. “It’s killing the everyday American and it has reduced demand. But what makes Lucid and other organizations in Pinal County just optimal is we’re here for the long haul. They’re all here for the long haul.
“What we’re doing in Pinal County is not just short-term, it’s 20, 30, 40 years down the line,” Cruz said. “Electric vehicles have their issues right now, we’re working through it. But that is the same fight that Henry Ford had in the ‘20s trying to convince a bunch of cowboys that your horses and carriage are not going to be as efficient as this vehicle. That’s the fight we’re having.”
Friday was Cruz’s last day as district administrator for Pinal County Supervisor Steve Miller, R-Casa Grande. He represented Miller on Pinal Partnership’s “Supervisors Roundtable” at Elements Event Center in Maricopa, while Miller was on a twice-postponed family vacation.
