South Korea’s HL Group, formerly known as Halla Group, will supply key autonomous driving components to U.S.-based electric vehicle (EV) manufacturer Lucid Group Inc., a move that will expand its presence in North America.

According to multiple industry sources on Sunday, HL Klemove, a subsidiary of HL Group, secured a groundbreaking agreement with Lucid Motors to provide cutting-edge autonomous driving solutions for Gravity, its upcoming large electric sports utility vehicle (SUV).

Under the first agreement signed between the two companies, HL Klemove will supply Lucid Motors with essential components such as the virtual engine sound system (AVAS), all-around radar, and forward-facing cameras for the Gravity.

The AVAS system enables EVs to emit distinctive sounds at low speeds, helping pedestrians recognize their presence for safety.

Details on the size of the order have not been disclosed but it is anticipated to be substantial, considering Lucid’s plan to mass-produce 50,000 units of the Gravity annually.

Founded in 2007 by former Tesla executive Bernard Tse and others, Lucid Motors stands out as one of the few North American EV companies, besides Tesla, with substantial production capacity, reaching hundreds of thousands of units per year.

With a factory in Arizona with an annual production capacity of 350,000 units, Lucid is poised to be a significant player in the EV market.

In 2020, Lucid surprised the industry with its high-performance sedan, Lucid Air, boasting impressive power output and range.

Gravity, a seven-seat model, is expected to boast longer driving distance compared with its rivals, with a remarkable range of about 400 miles (644 kilometers) per charge.

Peter Rawlinson, chief executive officer of Lucid, expressed confidence that Gravity will be a game-changer in the SUV segment.

With Lucid Motors onboard, HL Group has expanded its clientele to include all major North American EV manufacturers.

HL Klemove supplies autonomous driving solutions to Rivian Automotive Inc., another U.S. EV company, equipping approximately 80,000 vehicles, including electric pickup trucks R1T.

HL Klemove was established through the merger of HL Mando’s autonomous driving division and Mando-Hella Electronics Corp. in 2021, making it the sole Korean company capable of manufacturing products for all aspects of autonomous driving.

The company possesses an extensive portfolio of over 2,180 patents related to autonomous driving and aims to complete the development of fully autonomous driving core products by the next year. HL Klemove achieved 67.9 billion won ($52.1 million) in operating profit last year on sales of 1.36 trillion won.

By Lee Yu-sup and Han Yubin

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