After years of preparation, uncertainty and sometimes deep lows, the American Lucid Motors has its first production model in the starting blocks. Techzle spoke exclusively with Derek Jenkins, the man who drew the Air, about his first Lucid, letting go of the old industry and the power of simplicity.
You have an impressive list of cutting-edge designs to your name, from the Audi A2 through the Volkswagen Microbus Concept to the dazzling Mazda Shinani Concept and the current fourth-generation MX-5. Despite that track record with established brands, you decided to jump into the dark in 2015 by switching to Lucid Motors, a new brand that had not yet produced a single car. Why that risky transfer?
“As an American I grew up with a love for European and especially German cars. To be honest, American cars didn’t really interest me, perhaps because I grew up in southern California. My ambition was to follow a design course and to work in Germany. I was lucky enough to get that opportunity in the VW group and I worked on all kinds of projects there for a long time. At the same time, Mazda has always fascinated me, so when the opportunity arose to work there, I took it. But then I got to the point where I realized that the auto industry was on the brink of a massive turnaround. Many of my friends and colleagues had gone there in the early days of Tesla, and even then I was deeply impressed with what they got there, even though it seemed impossible to create something like this from scratch. So when I got into a conversation with Peter Rawlinson (CEO Lucid Motors, ex-Tesla, ed.), I felt that this was my chance. I had done the traditional work, I had achieved those goals, but this was the more adventurous work: starting from scratch. Here I could apply what I had learned. So I dove and yes you are right it was a big risk. It was a long road in which we were almost dying several times. I thought I knew a lot, but setting up a completely new company and all that came with it was a new learning process, which turned me into an entrepreneur as well as being a designer. ”
Technically, Lucid does almost everything differently from the rest of the industry. What does that strategy require from a designer?
“The unique thing is that we start from scratch, which allows us to draw around the new technology and in harmony with it. We do not have to take into account previous generations from which a new car must be a consequence. That offers a lot of freedom. At the same time, it forces me to be very calculating about what we create, because in fact I am designing a completely new brand. That puts a lot of pressure on my work, because everything we do – lines, details, shapes – must be suitable for implementation on future models. That is challenging, but also very rewarding work. Because of my long career in the ‘old’ industry, I know how difficult it is to be limited by brand face, having to replace existing models with something very similar. That certainly presents challenges, but setting up something completely new is unique. ”
Yet with the Audi A2 and Mazda MX-5 ND you proved that you are not afraid to let go of brand traditions or previous models.
“Even for established brands, there will come times when they have to take such steps to a new generation. I was lucky enough to be able to work at VW under Ferdinand Piëch, who had the guts to take on gigantic projects such as the A2, with which he made huge strides and pushed boundaries. Sometimes it’s happy timing, just like with Mazda, where they were working on a new brand face at the time of the fourth generation MX-5. I was in the right place at the right time. ”
An electric platform gives a designer much more freedom, but at the same time the result must still be recognizable as a car as we know itso as not to deter buyers. What would your next design look like without that limitation?
“Funny that you should ask, because that is indeed something we have thought about. When we started working on the first sketches of the Air, we struggled with how far we can go without losing much of our target audience. That is always a challenge in design, it is important to define who will want the car. We focused on people who now drive a sedan, a crossover, coupe or four-door coupe, but at least at the top of the segment. Since that time, when we started working on the Air in 2016, people’s tastes have become a bit more conservative. They are business people and entrepreneurs who want to radiate their success, but also not over the top. That balance is important. I think that in addition to technology, design is also gaining momentum and that also applies to consumer taste. I see a future for sedans with a modern design that are even more stretched, slimmer and more seamless. Aerodynamics will become even more important, as will glass technology and new lighting techniques. ”
Lucid Air
What are the typical characteristics by which we will recognize the upcoming models from Lucid Motors? ”
“As EVs, they will be cars with long cabs and a relatively short nose and – if applicable – trunk. Monovolumes and twobox models will dominate in the coming years, because that makes the most sense when you want to optimize interior space. You will see that in our crossovers and SUVs. We also have a very distinct front and rear, seamless with small air openings, streamlined. We will continue to develop our front and rear light blades. I also plan to further refine the Air’s minimalism. Few lines to keep the design as clean as possible, concentrating on proportions and simple, iconic details. Finally, the typical blank aluminum window pillars that you see on the Air will return in various forms on our upcoming models. ”
What was your assignment when Peter Rawlinson put you to work?
“Peter had gained so much valuable experience developing the Tesla Model S that he had a very clear picture of both the strengths and weaknesses of that car. He had clever ideas on how to optimize interior space and aerodynamics. Those were his two spearheads. That appealed to me, because I think it is great to have as much space as possible in a certain footprint. The Air is very close to the Model S in terms of outer dimensions. It is a little bit shorter, a little narrower and a little lower. This provides better aerodynamics and makes the Air more efficient. So that was the simple assignment: optimizing interior space and aerodynamics. ”
To what extent is that interior space ready for autonomous driving?
“The Air is already set up for that. It has a primary 34-inch cockpit display on top, which should provide the driver with optimal interaction with the car. Below that is the Pilot Panel for when you drive autonomously, on which you can do all kinds of other things such as content streaming. The interior is also ergonomically designed for relaxation, with plenty of space, mood lighting and chair massage; everything that helps you to sit back and relax. ”
Apart from the Model S, what are the models that the Air has to compete with?
“The Air is difficult to push into a segment and we don’t focus on a particular segment, let alone a model. I’m thinking of the mid- and top-end luxury sedan and four-door coupé-like. To think in BMW spheres: the 5 series, 6 series GT, lots of emotion and performance, the 7 series. The Lucid Air has features that suit all three. Exterior dimensions of the 5 or an E-class, slender and ultra-fast as a 6 GT, Audi A7 or Porsche Panamera, while the interior can compete with a 7, S-class or A8. That is a unique combination of features, while you also have more luggage space, rear and front, than all the cars I just mentioned. That’s the beauty of an EV. Realize that the current segment classification of cars is based entirely on combustion engines. That is about to change, because dimensions, layout, performance, space and ease of use are no longer dependent on old values. For example, a car no longer has to be enormously long to get a lot of legroom in the back. All those parameters and segments will be overhauled and the Lucid Air is the first step. ”
Lucid Air
What are you particularly proud of about Lucid Air?
“The model is future-oriented, but still appeals to many people. That is the greatest challenge for a designer and we have managed to find that balance. Furthermore, the steps we have taken with aerodynamics. But above all I am proud that we have not only created a model, but a brand. Both investors and the public should see in this not only a new car, but the birth of a new brand. I worked on that for five and a half years. ”
What are your great examples?
“My favorite designers are usually Italian or German. I am a huge fan of Italdesign and Giorgetto Giugiaro’s work on the first Golf, the Lotus Esprit and all the beautiful concepts he was involved in. But certainly also all the beauty of Bertone and Marcello Gandini, early Lamborghinis like the Miura and Countach. Porsche has also made great things, especially the 911 and 928 have had a lot of influence on me. But my influences are also very diverse, from cars that are beautiful and elegant, to raw or even crazy designs. In general, I especially believe in designs that are both pronounced and simple, such as the 911 and the Miura, devoid of too many lines or intricate details. Personally, I think modern car design has become much too complex and over-styled, so that you no longer see the overall picture of many cars. There are far too many details, holes, grills and curves in it. You draw a Miura with a few lines, you rarely succeed with a modern car. At Lucid we strive for that again. I sometimes ask my designers to summarize what they have drawn in three main points. If they can’t, it’s a bad design. ”
On the other hand, the fewer lines and details, the more difficult it is to be distinctive as a brand.
“Correct. But that is true of most art forms. The most memorable pieces of music often consist of the most basic of loops. They linger and survive. Auto design is the same. Certainly, there are successful complex designs, simplicity is not necessarily the way to go, but it is mine. ”