Photo: YouTube / Lucid Motors
The Lucid Air, aka the most beautiful sedan in the world that doesn’t exist yet (in production version), is not a Tesla killer. Lucid Motors CEO and CTO Peter Rawlinson would rather the world didn’t think of it in this light.
Whenever a product similar to an existing and quite successful one comes out, it’s branded the killer of the predecessor. The trope is quite common in the auto industry as well, and Tesla gets its fair share of “killers” whenever a new EV is introduced. The same was said about the Air back in 2017, when the concept was unveiled.
While it’s true that similar products will compete for the same segment of the market, Lucid’s Rawlinson believes there’s plenty of room for both Lucid and Tesla to coexist. “Please don't describe us as a Tesla killer,” Rawlinson tells Ars Technica in a new interview. “The world's big enough that we can both thrive and prosper alongside each other.”
That said, Rawlinson adds that he understands where the comparisons come from, but insists they’re somewhat misguided. If Air is the “killer” of anything, it’s rather the Mercedes-Benz S-Class and not the Model S. “It's a justifiable comparison in one respect, because I think that Tesla is undeniably the leader in electric powertrain technology today,” he explains.
Before Lucid, Rawlinson worked for Tesla as VP of vehicle engineering and the chief engineer of the Model S.
In the same interview, he talks about how the Air would have been on schedule had it not been for the ongoing health crisis, and details construction on the plant in Casa Grande, Arizona, and improvements on the design (“it’s matured like fine wine”), aerodynamic efficiency, and powertrain. The first production prototypes will be ready by the end of the year, and production units in early 2021.
While it’s true that similar products will compete for the same segment of the market, Lucid’s Rawlinson believes there’s plenty of room for both Lucid and Tesla to coexist. “Please don't describe us as a Tesla killer,” Rawlinson tells Ars Technica in a new interview. “The world's big enough that we can both thrive and prosper alongside each other.”
That said, Rawlinson adds that he understands where the comparisons come from, but insists they’re somewhat misguided. If Air is the “killer” of anything, it’s rather the Mercedes-Benz S-Class and not the Model S. “It's a justifiable comparison in one respect, because I think that Tesla is undeniably the leader in electric powertrain technology today,” he explains.
Before Lucid, Rawlinson worked for Tesla as VP of vehicle engineering and the chief engineer of the Model S.
In the same interview, he talks about how the Air would have been on schedule had it not been for the ongoing health crisis, and details construction on the plant in Casa Grande, Arizona, and improvements on the design (“it’s matured like fine wine”), aerodynamic efficiency, and powertrain. The first production prototypes will be ready by the end of the year, and production units in early 2021.
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