Top Lucid Motors executive departs amid new CEO’s leadership shakeup

Emad Dlala, a prominent figure at electric vehicle manufacturer Lucid Motors, has departed from the company just months after taking on a significant role. This marks the first notable executive exit following the appointment of Silvio Napoli as the new CEO in April. Napoli transitioned to Lucid after a successful tenure at Schindler Group, where he held various leadership positions, and he officially stepped into his role as CEO just last week. In a statement to TechCrunch, Lucid Motors confirmed Dlala’s departure, highlighting that the company is undergoing organizational changes aimed at boosting innovation and enhancing operational efficiency under Napoli's leadership. As part of this restructuring, Vivek Attaluri, the vice president of vehicle engineering, and Marc Solsona Palomar, the vice president of software, will now report directly to Napoli. “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,” the company expressed. Lucid Motors emphasized its commitment to refining its organizational structure and processes to maximize the capabilities of its team, promising further updates soon. Dlala, who had been with Lucid Motors for over a decade, was one of the company's longest-serving employees. In recent years, he held the positions of vice president and senior vice president of the powertrain team. In November, he ascended to oversee all aspects of “Engineering and Digital,” coinciding with the departure of Lucid's long-time chief engineer, Eric Bach, who has since filed a wrongful termination lawsuit against the company, which is currently in arbitration. The company has experienced significant changes lately, including a workforce reduction of 12% earlier this year. This restructuring followed a year-long search for a new CEO after Peter Rawlinson's unexpected exit in early 2025. Dlala's exit comes just ahead of the anticipated launch of Lucid Motors’ first mass-market vehicle, the Cosmos, which is expected to retail below $50,000, aiming to broaden the company's appeal. This new model is set to play a pivotal role in Lucid's partnership with Uber to develop robotaxis. The company is collaborating with autonomous vehicle firm Nuro, starting with the self-driving Gravity SUV, which is projected to debut in San Francisco by the end of this year.