Federal Lawsuit Claims Discrimination and Retaliation at Lucid Motors

Ex-Chief Engineer Files Complaint Over Alleged Workplace Misconduct

Eric Bach, who formerly held the position of chief engineer at Lucid Motors, has filed a federal lawsuit accusing the company of wrongful termination, discrimination, and retaliatory behavior. Central to his allegations is a claim that a senior human resources executive used an offensive slur targeting his German heritage.

Chronology and specifics of the Complaint

The lawsuit was lodged in early 2026 within the Northern District of California. It details that Bach was removed from his leadership role overseeing Lucid’s powertrain division in early 2025 following an internal examination into workplace culture concerns.Bach asserts this probe was tainted by discriminatory bias against him due to his ethnic background.

Bach only became aware of the derogatory remark several months after he had been stripped of some managerial responsibilities and after the HR inquiry had commenced. Upon discovering this, he encouraged a colleague to formally report the incident through official company channels.

Allegations of Retaliation and Internal Company Reactions

The complaint states that internally Lucid Motors admitted one of their top HR executives made this inappropriate comment. Furthermore, Bach submitted an additional grievance against another vice president for exhibiting similarly biased conduct.

Bach claims that following these reports he endured retaliatory measures designed to coerce him into resigning during october 2025. Ultimately, he was dismissed on November 5th; however, public statements from Lucid merely described his exit without providing further details about circumstances surrounding it.

Leadership Instability Amid Financial Pressures

This legal dispute unfolds amid considerable turmoil within Lucid Motors’ executive team alongside financial challenges tied to ramping up production for its second vehicle-the Gravity SUV-and ambitions for more affordable models slated for release by late 2026 based on new midsize platforms.

• The company has witnessed significant executive turnover recently: The vice president of engineering departed together with Bach’s termination; former CEO and CTO Peter Rawlinson resigned unexpectedly earlier in 2025 without naming a successor;
• additional high-level exits include heads of investor relations,regional operations leaders across europe,software quality managers,and marketing executives-all occurring within approximately one year;
• This pattern signals broader instability common among electric vehicle startups navigating rapid growth while facing tightening capital markets worldwide.

Bach’s Professional Journey Prior to Dispute

before these conflicts arose,Eric Bach had steadily climbed through Lucid over more than ten years-leading extensive hardware engineering projects as well as product management and corporate strategy initiatives. His efforts were publicly commended by board members who envisioned him progressing toward senior technology leadership roles or even CEO status in future years.

“The chairman expressed gratitude for my dedication,” notes Bach in court documents; “a board member remarked I showed clear potential to become Chief Technology Officer or eventually Chief Executive Officer.”

The workplace Culture Review: Catalyst for Change?

An internal examination initiated near late 2024 aimed at addressing cultural issues reportedly resulted in HR personnel unfairly singling out Bach based on racial prejudice embedded within their process. This led not only to loss of critical responsibilities but also exclusion from key meetings involving company directors.

Bach maintains this investigation was compromised by biased attitudes held by certain HR staff members which skewed outcomes unjustly against him.

A Wider Industry Context

This case underscores persistent difficulties faced by emerging electric vehicle manufacturers striving to balance rapid expansion with fostering inclusive work environments-a challenge echoed throughout Silicon Valley tech companies where diversity efforts frequently enough clash with ingrained biases despite public commitments.Lucid Motors’ situation illustrates how internal cultural conflicts can dangerously intersect with operational demands during crucial growth phases in competitive industries focused on innovation and sustainability.