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Lucid's Logistics Chief Joins Humanoid Robot Maker Figure
Confirmed
In Short: Andrew Bailey, Lucid’s Head of Global Logistics, announced on Thursday that he is leaving the electric vehicle (EV) maker to join humanoid robot developer Figure AI.

In a LinkedIn post, Bailey said, 'After an incredible chapter, I’m closing out my time at Lucid Motors and beginning a new one.' He added, 'Now, I’m excited to share that I’ve joined Figure AI as Head of Commercial Logistics.
Bailey joined Lucid in January 2023 as Director of Materials Management and was promoted to Head of Global Logistics in July 2023. In his role at Lucid, he led a global logistics organization of over 800 employees across various departments.
Before Lucid, Bailey spent a decade at German automotive supplier Dräxlmaier Group, where he launched and managed a plant producing interior components for luxury carmakers, overseeing more than 400 staff.
Figure AI, Bailey's new employer, has been making strides in the humanoid robot market. The company reported in April that it had delivered over 350 Figure 03 robots from its BotQ factory, increasing production from one robot per day to one per hour within 120 days.
In May, Figure signed an agreement with Catalyst Brands to deploy humanoids at its distribution center in Reno, Nevada. The Figure 03 also began working at BMW’s plant in Spartanburg, South Carolina, in June.
The Figure 03’s predecessor, the Figure 02, had a successful deployment at the same BMW plant, contributing to the production of more than 30,000 BMW X3s during an 11-month period.
Lucid has faced challenges, including workforce reductions and delays in production schedules. In June, the company announced it would cut about 18% of its US workforce, with annualized savings of about $158 million, and eliminated the Chief Operating Officer role.
Bailey’s departure from Lucid follows the recent announcement of Marc Winterhoff’s departure from the company, which was confirmed by Lucid in an SEC filing.
Lucid expects inventory reduction to contribute about $600 million to $800 million to the $1.4 billion in cash flow improvements identified for 2026.
Bailey’s move to Figure AI highlights the growing importance of humanoid robots in various industries, as companies like Tesla also face leadership changes in their robotics programs.
What this adds
Bailey's transition from Lucid to Figure AI underscores the evolving focus in the automotive industry towards robotics and automation.
The departure of key figures from Tesla's Optimus program, as noted by Basenor, suggests a broader trend of leadership changes in the robotics sector.
What's confirmed
- In a LinkedIn post, Bailey said, 'After an incredible chapter, I’m closing out my time at Lucid Motors and beginning a new one.' He added, 'Now, I’m excited to share that I’ve joined Figure AI as Head of Commercial Logistics.
- Bailey joined Lucid in January 2023 as Director of Materials Management and was promoted to Head of Global Logistics in July 2023. In his role at Lucid, he led a global logistics organization of over 800 employees across various departments.
- Before Lucid, Bailey spent a decade at German automotive supplier Dräxlmaier Group, where he launched and managed a plant producing interior components for luxury carmakers, overseeing more than 400 staff.
- Figure AI, Bailey's new employer, has been making strides in the humanoid robot market. The company reported in April that it had delivered over 350 Figure 03 robots from its BotQ factory, increasing production from one robot per day to one per hour within 120 days.
- In May, Figure signed an agreement with Catalyst Brands to deploy humanoids at its distribution center in Reno, Nevada. The Figure 03 also began working at BMW’s plant in Spartanburg, South Carolina, in June.
- The Figure 03’s predecessor, the Figure 02, had a successful deployment at the same BMW plant, contributing to the production of more than 30,000 BMW X3s during an 11-month period.
- Lucid has faced challenges, including workforce reductions and delays in production schedules. In June, the company announced it would cut about 18% of its US workforce, with annualized savings of about $158 million, and eliminated the Chief Operating Officer role.
- Bailey’s departure from Lucid follows the recent announcement of Marc Winterhoff’s departure from the company, which was confirmed by Lucid in an SEC filing.
- Lucid expects inventory reduction to contribute about $600 million to $800 million to the $1.4 billion in cash flow improvements identified for 2026.
- Bailey’s move to Figure AI highlights the growing importance of humanoid robots in various industries, as companies like Tesla also face leadership changes in their robotics programs.
What's still developing
- In that role, he led “a global logistics organization of 800+ across customs, transportation, material planning, packaging engineering, warehouse, and lineside operations,” according to his profile.
- A third model, the midsize Cosmos crossover, was previously scheduled to start production at Lucid’s AMP-2 plant in Saudi Arabia in late 2026.
- In August, Lucid pushed that start to the second half of 2027.
- Bailey worked at Lucid for over three and a half years.
- As Director of Materials Management, Bailey oversaw material planning, flow engineering and internal logistics to “ensure zero production downtime in Lucid’s build-to-order electric vehicle (EV) manufacturing environment,” the profile says.
- He was based at Lucid’s factory in Casa Grande, Arizona.
- Tesla has lost another senior figure from its Optimus humanoid robot program.
- The company's head of sensors for Optimus has left, confirming the departure on LinkedIn — the latest in a string of leadership changes at one of Tesla's most strategically important projects.
- Sensors are not a peripheral concern for Optimus — they are the robot's primary interface with the physical world.
- In June 2025, Milan Kovac — then Vice President of Engineering for Optimus and the architect behind the robot's sensors, neural networks, and factory integration — left Tesla after nine years, citing family reasons.
- His responsibilities were subsequently absorbed by Ashok Elluswamy, who heads Tesla's Autopilot software group.
- Tesla has staked a significant portion of its long-term valuation story on Optimus reaching meaningful production scale — Elon Musk has publicly described the robot as potentially the company's most valuable product over time.
