The Former Chief Engineer of Lucid Motors Sues Company for Wrongful Termination, Discrimination, and Retaliation
The former chief engineer of Lucid Motors, Eric Bach, has filed a federal lawsuit against the company for wrongful termination, discrimination, and retaliation. In the lawsuit, filed in the Northern District of California, Bach alleges that one of the automaker’s top HR executives referred to him as a “German Nazi.”
Bach claims that he was stripped of his responsibilities overseeing the powertrain division in early 2025 as a result of an HR investigation into the company’s workplace culture. He believes that he was targeted because of his German heritage.
According to the complaint, Bach first learned about the disparaging comment in mid-2025, months after the investigation into workplace culture was launched and after losing some responsibilities at the company. He encouraged a co-worker to report the incident.
Lucid Motors allegedly confirmed that the HR executive made the remark, and Bach logged an internal complaint against another Lucid vice president for similarly racist behavior. In response, Bach claims that Lucid Motors tried to force him to resign in October 2025, and ultimately fired him on November 5, 2025.
The lawsuit comes at a challenging time for Lucid Motors, as the company is facing financial difficulties while working to ramp up production of its second vehicle, the Gravity SUV. The company is also developing more affordable mass-market vehicles on a midsized platform set to debut in late 2026.
Executive Turnover at Lucid Motors
Lucid Motors has experienced significant executive turnover in recent months. The company’s VP of engineering left on the same day Bach claims to have been fired. Former CEO and CTO Peter Rawlinson resigned suddenly in February, and the company has not yet named a permanent replacement. Several other key executives have also left the company within the past year.
In the lawsuit, Bach claims that before the internal investigation, he was seen as a rising star within the company. He oversaw all hardware engineering, product management, and corporate planning. Lucid’s chairman and board members had expressed confidence in his abilities, with indications that he could potentially become Chief Technology Officer or even Chief Executive Officer.
The workplace culture investigation, which Bach alleges was tainted by HR’s racist beliefs, led to him losing significant responsibilities and being excluded from board meetings. Despite his decade-long tenure with the company and his achievements, Bach’s career at Lucid Motors came to an abrupt end due to the alleged discriminatory treatment.
For more details on the lawsuit, you can view the document below:
