xponents
Active Member
Lucid chief says “Tesla is distracted right now” — BBC Top Gear Magazine
Peter Rawlinson says his new Lucid brand is willing to capitalise on such an opportunity with 'laser focus'
apple.news
Lucid Group boss Peter Rawlinson reckons Californian rival Tesla has its eyes off the ball.
Speaking at the FT’s Car of the Future summit, the ex-Tesla chief vehicle engineer (who created the Model S) said: “I think that Tesla is distracted right now. There’s a degree of distraction which is worrisome.
"I think it’s for Lucid now to really take the mantle and to really help the technology kick off with absolute laser focus on the mission to create more electric cars to drive down the cost.”
In his keynote discussion, the Lucid chief also said we’re looking at batteries all wrong. He reckons how far the battery travels per kilowatt-hour is the more sensible way to judge the battery capacity.
There’s currently two ways of describing official battery range – the US’s EPA result and the EU’s WLTP number… and three, if you count China’s CLTC figure, too. But these lab numbers have very little to do with real-world results.
Rawlinson argues that judging the battery capacity on its density is fairer to consumers. “Almost anyone can claim to make a thousand kilometre-range car. If you stuff enough batteries in, it's relatively easy. And that's what some companies are doing. It's just not a legit exercise.”
The engineer claims the key is to go further with fewer batteries. By that token, the Lucid Air has a 4.74 miles-per-kWh capacity. (To put that into context, the Mercedes EQS has a 3.2 mpkWh capacity.)
Rawlinson says reaching 6 mpkWh capacity will enable smaller cars to be made, since they’ll be able to carry smaller (and cheaper) battery packs for the amount of daily or weekly miles they’ll need to be able to do. That, in turn, will bring the cost to a much lower price point.
Rawlinson said: “I don't aspire for us to do the $25,000 car, but if you could get a 6mpkWh car because you've got Lucid technology and if you've got a fast charging network that you know is reliable, why do you need more than 150 miles range? You’d only need a 25kWh battery bank. And the way that particularly LFP [battery tech] is going, that pack [could cost] under $3,000, maybe closer to $2,000 in a few years’ time. That is the enabler for the $20,000 car for the mass market.”
The Lucid boss has staked a lot in this new EV venture. The company got the backing of Aston Martin last year, in a deal that pulled it back from the brink of bankruptcy. But the share price has been less enthusiastic. While it’s creating a 90,000-car capacity factory in Arizona, and has dropped the cement for a 150,000-unit one in Saudi Arabia in recent days, the firm only sold 6,001 cars of the 8,428 it built in 2023 – a bit surprising when you consider how well the Lucid Air Sapphire actually drives.
Rawlinson reckons Mercedes is a bigger problem. He said: “We're up against the cache, the three pointed star, the allure of companies with a long and storied racing history. We don’t have that.”
Thanks for sharing this, @xponents !Lucid chief says “Tesla is distracted right now” — BBC Top Gear Magazine
Peter Rawlinson says his new Lucid brand is willing to capitalise on such an opportunity with 'laser focus'apple.news
So immature. Clearly Lucid hits a nerve the amount of times he comments on them.I way prefer the Lucid PR team to this one: https://www.teslarati.com/lucid-q1-results-elon-musk-reaction/
It's the equivalent of "Hey honey, let the kids play!" With Tesla being the kids and Lucid being the actual grownups in the room. I much prefer the more mature messaging of Lucid, and Rawlinson never calling out their cars in interviews adds to this perception. Rawlinson is a gentleman.. the same cannot be said of Elon. But hey, hes Bri'ish, its to be expectedI way prefer the Lucid PR team to this one: https://www.teslarati.com/lucid-q1-results-elon-musk-reaction/
That’s kinda bold considering…Lucid chief says “Tesla is distracted right now” — BBC Top Gear Magazine
Peter Rawlinson says his new Lucid brand is willing to capitalise on such an opportunity with 'laser focus'apple.news
Wanna finish that sentence for the rest of us that don’t live inside your head?That’s kinda bold considering…
Funny they failed to mention that Musk wanted desperately to have the PIF has his Sugar Daddy just a few short years ago. He lost that bid to Lucid when he mouthed off as usual.I way prefer the Lucid PR team to this one: https://www.teslarati.com/lucid-q1-results-elon-musk-reaction/
It is a perfect opportunity for lucid to get ahead. However to go after Elon, who pretty much created the opportunity for Lucid to even be here is kind of lame and pretty brazen for an executive that has still yet to show his own competence. I know those two have been going after each other, but I don't really see how it benefits him as a leader.Wanna finish that sentence for the rest of us that don’t live inside your head?
Personally, I’m glad to see a professional but honest response. Tesla *is* distracted, and this is a good opportunity for Lucid.
I disagree because the two things aren't mutually exclusive. Elon's investment into Tesla made the EV industry what it is today, but Peter didn't even say anything that we all aren't thinking already about Tesla being distracted. Not sure it's brazen considering the mass layoffs Tesla has been experiencing recently. Also, for a "car company" to claim it's not seems like a distraction.It is a perfect opportunity for lucid to get ahead. However to go after Elon, who pretty much created the opportunity for Lucid to even be here is kind of lame and pretty brazen for an executive that has still yet to show his own competence. I know those two have been going after each other, but I don't really see how it benefits him as a leader.
I think calling the statement “Tesla seems distracted” anything but “obvious” is absurd, and would require one to have had their head in the sand for the last few years.It is a perfect opportunity for lucid to get ahead. However to go after Elon, who pretty much created the opportunity for Lucid to even be here is kind of lame and pretty brazen for an executive that has still yet to show his own competence. I know those two have been going after each other, but I don't really see how it benefits him as a leader.
Mmmm….go look at Musks tweets, shows you what being brazen is. Peter has always been a role model. Imaging telling your kids that you should behave like Elon Musk. I have a lot more respect for Peter, Musk behaviors has made me dislike him over the past few years. Yes, he achieved a lot, but that doesn’t give you the license to behave like a jerk to everyone. Any CEO who goes political has no emotional intelligence.It is a perfect opportunity for lucid to get ahead. However to go after Elon, who pretty much created the opportunity for Lucid to even be here is kind of lame and pretty brazen for an executive that has still yet to show his own competence. I know those two have been going after each other, but I don't really see how it benefits him as a leader.
ahem .... Welshman ...… my money’s on the Brit over the South African.
sometimes we need a complete asphole to break things and make change happen. perhaps Elon is just lucky and timed it with advancements in battery tech, but GM, in bed with the oil giants, couldn't make a practical EV... nobody could until the government started funding Elon's projects.... Elon, who pretty much created the opportunity for Lucid to even be here