Tesla's Head of Production Is Going To EV Startup Lucid Motors (electrek.co) 68
An anonymous reader quotes a report from Electrek: Tesla's head of production in charge of its Fremont factory, Peter Hochholdinger, is going to hold a similar position at Lucid Motors, an electric car startup looking to soon move to production. Lucid Motors has kind of spun out of Tesla. It was started by a former Tesla board member and executive and it is led by Peter Rawlinson, the former chief engineer of the Tesla Model S. Several other Tesla engineers and executives have also joined the startup and they are now also adding Hochholdinger to the team. Today, the startup announced that the Tesla and Audi veteran is joining as Vice President of Manufacturing and he will lead "Lucid's global manufacturing operations, commencing with Lucid's plant in Casa Grande, Arizona, as well as manufacturing engineering." Rawlinson commented on the hire: "We are delighted to welcome Peter to the Lucid team. Peter's extensive experience and proven leadership in premium-vehicle manufacturing will prove invaluable as we continue our progress towards the launch of Lucid Air and future models. In joining Lucid, Peter is empowered to create an industry-leading manufacturing process that will deliver the quality products our discerning customers demand and deserve."
Re: (Score:3, Interesting)
There will likely be a short term 'bloom' of electric car startups, followed by a period of brutal consolidation.
This happened in the early years of the petrol automotive market and will surely be repeated here
The only real question is whether Tesla will be large enough to exist after consolidation, or if these little spin-offs will dilute Tesla to the point that it is easily acquired
Here's one (Score:2)
Anyone remember Fisker?
On i680 now and then I see one that drives between Dublin and San Jose. That's all I really know about them.
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EVs require batteries, and Tesla like GILETTE, will be the ONLY battery maker, with enough volume to make enough for the demand, and price.
You guys just dont get it, Tesla makes more than everyone combined.
Re: The world is as good as saved! (Score:2)
Well, they already outlasted Fisher, who are technically still in business but not producing anything.
I live watching all the Musk haters out there trying to knock a guy that has totally disrupted 3 industries at once. You may not like him personally, but his achievements stand for themselves. Tesla is the only electric car company that is constantly pushing the envelope towards the magic 300 mile range, affordable electric car that is actually a car, not some stripped down electric milk float, or super lux
Is Lucid too late (Score:2)
Where they are aiming maybe (Score:5, Interesting)
Lucid seems to be aiming at the very top end cars, I would say Tesla is trying to serve pretty much all markets long term, driving costs down...
The Lucid is more purely about performance and high end specs. I think there's still room there for completion since traditional auto makers seem still Luke-warm about entering that space with electric cars (or possibly just do not have the experience to do so).
One thing Tesla has a pretty massive lead on though is fast charging stations. I don't see anyone else even with a plan to catch up to that, seemingly leaving Tesla with a clear field for some time to come for real car drivers at all levels that need fast charging.
Are you retarded, or just ignorant? (Score:1)
Note how they ran away from long-promised 35K Tesla
If you go configure a model 3 right now the cheapest option is $39k, hardly "running away from" a $35k model 3 - especially since after credits that is still $33,725.
DUH HERP I wonder if you can tell if $33k is less than $35k or what?
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go play with your $80k Etron that has half the range.
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Hey Anon, or shall we say BIG OIL SHORT SELLERS.
Burn in oil hell.
Lucid cars cost $60k you turd.
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Higher-end than the Tesla Roadster 2020? That's already so fast that boutique racecar companies were left scrambling to come up with something with similar specs. Those will almost certainly beat the Lucid car to market, and not leave much room for them.
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350kW chargers are already deployed in Europe, and VW is apparently installing some the US. Just waiting for cars capable of taking that much energy.
Actually at the moment the record is held by Tesla cars on them, IIRC around 200kW. Still a way to go to reach the max speed.
Re: (Score:3, Informative)
Since when was Elon an environmentalist?
Tesla Motors is nothing more than a way to make money so that he can pursue other dreams.
As far as those other dreams go... since when does a con-man out compete the two largest defense contractors on the planet (ULA), perform more launches than any nation on the planet AND field new technologies at a rate that no other company can approach?
FWIW, I do not give a rat's ass how he gets to work, just that he keeps going there and getting things done.
Maybe it is about tim
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To be fair, he's tweeted stuff at people telling them cheaper EVs to buy, stating he just wanted it for the environment. Saying all his stuff about saving the planet before it's too late or whatever.
You can call him a liar and a conman, etc. But at the least, he's trying to act like he cares and even pointing out non Tesla options to people.
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Hey shorts, go short Chernobyl land prices.
Big oil COMBINED takes in 4.1 trillion in subsidies, and pollutes the whole planet.
The 100 trillion bill will come soon
Re: Is Lucid too late (Score:5, Informative)
1) The TSLAQ "tesla executive departures list" itself clearly shows that the rate of executive departures has no long-term trend, and that the average stay of departing execs is 3-4 years (meaning even higher for those *not* departing) - perfectly normal, if not unusually *long*, for a Silicon Valley company.
2) Bert Bruggeman took over as head of production at Fremont in early December [google.com]. That's over six months advance notice.
3) Not that hardly anyone on the planet could name any Tesla production exec at a level below Jerome regardless. ;)
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Right now an innovation in battery tech will change the world. OK, it would be an incremental improvement to the world that would make a ton of money.
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There is, dont use batteries, use NH3.
Use other power to convert N in the air , and the H from H20, to combine into a fuel called NH3.
Burn it like traditional fuel or to create a DC voltage.
Re: Is Lucid too late (Score:2)
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There is plenty of room. Teslas are still luxury cars. If they can get the price down to $20k with decent range, those things will sell like hot-cakes. Right now an innovation in battery tech will change the world. OK, it would be an incremental improvement to the world that would make a ton of money.
The only thing luxury about Tesla is the price and the 0-100 kph. When it comes to interior, features and build quality it has a long way to go to compete with actual premium brands: Jaguar i-Pace [topgear.com] (car of the year in Norway (world's most advanced electric car market), Europe and World), Audi E-tron [youtube.com] and the Mercedes EQC [digitaltrends.com].
In Norway, after the launch of the Tesla Model 3, the Jaguar I-Pace and the Audi E-tron the sales of Model S and Model X have fallen dramatically. The Tesla Model 3 is the highest selling c
Lucid Dreams (Score:1)
The Electric Bonesaw [electrek.co]
Don't know about you, but if these guys can't raise the money domestically, I would be suspicious of the people that will deal with them.
It's starting to look a lot like some kind of Foxconn thing.
"premium-vehicle manufacturing" == expensive? (Score:2)
FTFS:
Peter's extensive experience and proven leadership in premium-vehicle manufacturing will prove invaluable as we continue our progress towards the launch of Lucid Air and future models.
. . . and FTFA:
In 2017, Lucid Motors announced an aggressive $60,000 base price for its luxury all-electric sedan, the Lucid Air, with a range of 240 miles and some other interesting specs.
So yet another set of nice toys for rich boys.
So we are still not there yet, when electric cars are for common, middle class folks and below.
I'd like to see the day when you can get an electric car for 20,000€ . . . only then will be "there".
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Is there really a sufficient market for high-end electric cars? Tesla is expanding toward mainstream cars, not luxury. If Tesla felt the luxury market had more room at the top end, they'd expand in that direction instead of down-market. I suppose Lucid's goal is to be a stable niche like Jaguar is, without even attempting to significantly gain market share. Or to be bought out by the likes of Jaguar.
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Is there really a sufficient market for high-end electric cars?
I think there is, if the body looks nice and the inside is luxurious, which this car is failing at least on point 1. I can't see on the inside.
Re: "premium-vehicle manufacturing" == expensive? (Score:2)
The problem that they're facing is that the market is moving fast. Back in 2017, a $60k-base-price 240mi car might have sounded nice, but it's a joke today.
Re: "premium-vehicle manufacturing" == expensive? (Score:1)
These guys talk about saving the world but they aren't trying to change anything. Bloated, rolling living rooms larded with superfluous "luxuries", priced for the global .01%. Yay.
I guess that's what "the people" want to buy when the only people you care about are spoiled yuppies.
Sell a Tesla to every single person in the world who can afford one and it wouldn't scratch the surface of the changes needed to halt the negative impact of the ICE personal automobile.
Tesla is (Score:3)
These guys talk about saving the world but they aren't trying to change anything.
Tesla truly is though. They are trying to bring electric cars to the masses in a way the other high end auto makers are just not.
They are also trying to bring everyone self driving cars, as soon as possible (or sooner).
Tesla is also trying to drive solar adoption in homes...
So although I agree with you in regards to Lucid, it's plainly not true that Tesla is not out to change the world.
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Tesla truly is though. They are trying to bring electric cars to the masses in a way the other high end auto makers are just not.
Not any more. They have basically given up on the affordable end of the market. They even killed he $35k Model 3 by putting the price up, and they really don't want you to buy one. You have to call them up, it's not on the web site, and then they send you a software limited car that they probably didn't even break even on.
Their focus has shifted to autonomy. Get that self-driving taxi service up and running and delivering revenue for them.
Which is all fine. The affordable end of the scale is dominated by tr
Lawsuit? (Score:2)
What I am hearing (Score:2)
My guess is these guys got fed up with Elon Musk, got enough venture and angel funding and are going to set up an electric car company that actually pays
So IOW ... (Score:2)
...Tesla doesn't force its people to sign Non-Compete Agreements like the other companies even force their interns?