- Lucid CEO Rawlinson criticizes Tesla’s direction.
- Rawlinson asserts Lucid’s technological advantage.
- The two leaders have a history of disagreement over Rawlinson’s role at Tesla.
Losing that lovin’ feeling
In a recent interview with BBC’s Wake Up to Money, Lucid CEO Peter Rawlinson expressed concerns about Tesla’s trajectory under Elon Musk’s leadership.
Rawlinson, who served as a chief engineer at Tesla from 2009 to 2012, stated that Tesla seems to have lost its sense of purpose and is “losing its way.” He noted a worrying trend towards distraction, alluding to Musk’s involvement in social media and politics.
Rawlinson asserted that Lucid is “many years ahead” of other automakers, including Tesla, in terms of some of its technology. However, Lucid has only delivered around 6,000 vehicles in 2023, compared to Tesla’s more than 1.8 million deliveries.
Both companies have faced challenges due to slumping EV sales, leading to layoffs at Tesla and a 6% workforce reduction at Lucid.
Clash of the EV titans
Rawlinson and Musk have traded barbs on social media in the past, disagreeing about Rawlinson’s role during his time at Tesla.
In 2021, Musk claimed that Rawlinson was “never chief engineer” and was only responsible for body engineering, a view Rawlinson characterized as “historical revisionism.”
