We can listen to what Lucid Group’s (NASDAQ:LCID) chief executive has to say about his company. At the same time, the facts must inform our investment decisions, and Lucid stock ultimately only deserves a “D” grade.

Much like Elon Musk, the chief executive of Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA), Lucid’s leader is full of bravado and supreme optimism. However, it’s your money that’s at risk, not his, if you choose to invest in a money-losing operation like Lucid Group.

Is Lucid’s CEO Just a ‘Mini-Musk’?

Here’s what’s ironic about Lucid Group CEO Peter Rawlinson. He was once Tesla’s chief engineer for the Model S. Now, Rawlinson is turning against his former employer, claiming that Lucid outpaces Tesla in terms of EV technology.

With his verbal swagger and bluster, it almost feels like Rawlinson is trying to be a miniature version of Musk.

For instance, Rawlinson believes that Lucid Group’s Gravity SUV is “on track to become the best SUV in the world,” yet Lucid hasn’t even started production on the Gravity SUV yet.

Rawlinson really let his verbal cannon go loose during the recent Evercore ISI 3rd Annual Global Clean Energy and Transition Technologies Summit.

Part of Rawlinson’s and Lucid Group’s grand plan, apparently, is to “target and access 6 times” the total addressable market “with the advent of the Gravity SUV scheduled for production late this year.”

That’s just the beginning, though. The next step, evidently, is for Lucid to “get to 30 times the TAM with a more affordable mid-size platform scheduled for production late ’26.”

But wait — it gets much bigger than that. We also need to increase those figures dramatically, as Rawlinson’s next step for Lucid Group is to “create a multiplier on top of all of that to licensing our technology to other automakers who will need this.”

Now, Let’s Get Back to Reality

Those numbers imply big dreams and visions. On the other hand, they might just be the fantasies of a leader who wants to inspire confidence among Lucid Group’s shareholders.

Is Lucid really positioned to “create a multiplier on top of” a 30-fold TAM expansion? There’s no guarantee, first of all, that an expansion of that magnitude will actually happen. After all, it’s not as if EV demand is off the charts right now.

Besides, critical thinkers should look at Lucid Group’s actual, established data. The automaker incurred a huge, $680.859 million net loss in 2024’s first quarter.

Lucid delivered a grand total of 1,967 vehicles in Q1. So, there’s no need to imply that the company will capture appreciable swathes of some imagined, gigantic addressable market.

And let’s not overlook the fact that Rawlinson plans to lay off 400 workers, or approximately 6% of the Lucid Group’s staff. That’s after the automaker already eliminated 1,300 job positions, by the way.

Thus, the chief executive can spout big predictions if he wants to, but actions speak much louder than words.

Lucid Stock: Just Stick to the Facts

Lucid Group’s loyal shareholders have lost money over six-month, one-year and three-year time frames. Frankly, it’s time for Lucid’s investors to face the hard facts. This is a money-bleeding operation that isn’t selling nearly as many vehicles as Tesla.

We can’t confirm that Rawlinson wants to be the next Musk, but it feels that way sometimes. The Lucid Group CEO is full of bravado, but his lofty predictions aren’t as meaningful as the hard facts.

So, Lucid stock only earns a “D” grade today. Rawlinson’s predictions might sound great, but we don’t recommend risking one’s hard-earned capital on unprofitable Lucid Group.

On the date of publication, neither Louis Navellier nor the InvestorPlace Research Staff member primarily responsible for this article held (either directly or indirectly) any positions in the securities mentioned in this article.