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        home > news > Automakers > Q&A: Lucid Design Director Derek Jenkins

        Q&A: Lucid Design Director Derek Jenkins

        Redifining what a car can be while crafting a new brand DNA from the ground up.

        Paul A. Eisenstein
        Paul A. Eisenstein , Publisher & Editor-in-Chief
        Sept. 10, 2020
        Lucid’s design chief Derek Jenkins took a leap of faith after spending time at VW, Audi and Mazda.

        A quick look at the resume of Lucid’s design chief Derek Jenkins and you recognize one of the auto industry’s hot shots of design. Since graduating from the prestigious Art Center College of Design, he has helped a handful of top brands craft some of the most solid products of recent years, including the award-winning 2016 Mazda MX-5 Miata. Jenkins has also worked for Audi, covering a broad range of products, from the little A2 to the flagship A8, as well as down-market sibling Volkswagen.

        In 2015, he took what many saw as a risky detour, signing in with California-based electric vehicle start-up Atieva. It was one of a wave of EV wannabes, many of which have since folded. But, the now renamed Lucid Motors appears positioned to have a serious shot at carving out its own niche, perhaps even giving chase to the dominant electric vehicle player, Tesla.

        Lucid this week formally unveiled its first production model, the Lucid Air, and Jenkins spoke by Zoom in a one-on-one conversation with TheDetroitBureau.com editor and publisher Paul A. Eisenstein.

         

        (Q&A: Lucid CEO Peter Rawlinson.)

         

        Derek Jenkins, Lucid’s top engineer, said the skateboard platform allows for maximum flexibility.

        TheDetroitBureau: Since Lucid was formed nearly six years ago we have seen a lot of EV startups come and go. There were a lot of skeptics about whether you would even make it to market, as well.

        Derek Jenkins: Truthfully, this has taken a long time, and longer than we would have liked. But it’s allowed us to really refine the technology and refine the car. That’s the way we operate. (And) it’s not just a car we’re building. We have to get a team off the ground, we had to go out and do a lot of fundraising. We had the financial side and the effort that went into the factory. Now we have to get the retail and distribution program in line. It’s taken longer than we hoped but that ties to the enormity of the process.

         

        TDB: You’ve had a lot of experience with mainstream automakers (including Audi, Volkswagen and Mazda) before joining Lucid. From a design perspective, how is this different from what you’d done before?

        Jenkins: That’s really the core reason I took the leap of faith and made the career shift to a project like this. (We are) much more entrepreneurial, being able to work across a whole range of aspects within Lucid, able to help develop the design DNA, the brand DNA, the visual language and the look and feel across the whole company.

        The Lucid Air is just the first step in the company’s efforts to positively impact the environment.

        You don’t get those opportunities when you’re in a big company. When you work for a company like Ford, VW, BMW, you have more people in design than you have in our entire organization. What’s great is that a very small group of people, less than I can count on one hand, are basically making all the decisions about what goes into the product. We’re not designing by committee.

         

        TDB: In a presentation on Lucid, one of the key points was that you don’t have the typical silos, say, between engineering and design and manufacturing.

        Jenkins: it’s just tremendous because the joined up thinking and decision making between design and engineering is really seamless. And it’s really hard to get that in a in a big, traditional organization.

         

        TDB: From a design perspective, how is it different working on an electric vehicle using a skateboard platform compared to a conventional vehicle?

        Designing an electric car opens up a whole new world in terms proportion, interior space, vehicle dimensions and more, Jenkins noted.

        Jenkins: Going to electrification opens up a bunch of possibilities with respect to proportion, interior package space, vehicle dimensions. There’s a huge opportunity to take a real benefit from the miniaturization of components and how you lay those out. On the flip side, trying to create an electric vehicle that gets tremendous range requires a big commitment towards aerodynamics. And aerodynamics is a science, but it also has a bit of magic (that is) different with every project.

        We’re not adhering to the existing size segmentation logic derived from internal combustion. It doesn’t add up anymore because our motors are small but powerful, changing the whole format of size on the outside versus space on the inside.

        Going electric allowed us to us to keep the car low and fairly compact, with a long, sleek cabin, which is great for aerodynamics. The rest is designing to minimize air disruption: no big grilles, not a lot of the scoops and holes that are common today (on cars with internal combustion engines). It’s a form-follows-function approach, but it also looks elegant and expensive.

         

        (Lucid Air to offer biggest battery pack of any EV — and longest range.)

         

        TDB: A lot has changed since Lucid was founded, notably the big switch from passenger cars to SUVs and crossovers. In retrospect, should you have started with a utility vehicle, rather than a sedan?

        The Lucid Gravity will carry over many key design themes from the Lucid Air sedan.

        Jenkins: It’s a great question. We talked about sedans. We talked about SUVs. We talked about pickup trucks in 2015. Ultimately, we knew the primary goal with the first product was to define Lucid as a brand. We knew the first product had be a stellar new benchmark for electrification in areas of range, performance, aesthetics and luxury. The sedan format is typically lower and smaller and lighter, more sleek and definitely more aerodynamic, definitely better for road handling and road comfort. So, it just became the logical format to focus on for the first go. Obviously, we’re going to follow on with a crossover for the second product.

         

        TDB: Even with the sedan you haven’t sacrificed room, especially for cargo. Your frunk (front trunk) is twice the size of what the best the competition offers and not much smaller than most trunks.

        Jenkins: Everybody wants a ton of space. And, I think, in our case a great deal of attention focused on the backseat and also a tremendous amount of cargo space. The frunk is just like a bonus room.

         

        Jenkins shows off the stunning interior of the new Lucid Air.

        TDB: What can you tell us about your planned SUV, the Lucid Gravity?

        Jenkins: We have so much focus on efficiency, range, performance and, of course, interior space. It’ll follow all those (requirements). I think there’s still a big opportunity to define is an SUV/crossover that takes full advantage of electrification and has a priority on efficiency and formance and space. Like sedans, (today’s) SUV format is dictated by the internal combustion architecture. I can say that our next product will take that to another level.

         

        TDB: Suddenly, everyone seems to want to build electric pickups. Could that be in Lucid’s future?

        Jenkins: Yeah, it goes without saying. I mean, we’ve already done a lot of long-term planning for our second platform and our third, as well, looking 10 years into the future. And we’re keenly aware of where the sales volume exists today in North America and the rest of the world. (A pickup) is certainly in the discussion.

         

        TDB: We’re also seeing some companies push into sci-fi territory with designs like the Canoo or the Toyota e-Palette. Could Lucid come up with something like those people movers for use in e-mobility services?

        Lucid isn’t saying whether it will offer a three-row version of Gravity.

        Jenkins: Electrification, with the simplicity of the platform and miniaturization (of components), is going to enable some really neat new kinds of vehicle formats. I love vans. I have a Eurovan as a personal vehicle. So I love the idea. We’re open to a lot of different things. It’s all on the table right now in our long-term thinking.

         

        (Lucid starts taking $1,000 deposits for its new Air EV.)

         

        TDB: Let me turn to Tesla as wrap up. They’re the 800-pound gorilla of electrification. Do they frighten you? Inspire you?

        Jenkins: It goes without question we all have tremendous respect for Tesla and what they’ve achieved helping accelerate the transition towards sustainable mobility in such a short period of time. We have a lot of Tesla people. CEO Peter Rawlinson is the most well known. But, as we look at the transition to electrification, it’s just begun. Tesla has a certain brand and a certain approach and why shouldn’t we have a shot at being very, very successful when the market (for EVs) is only 2% right now? Our mission is to accelerate the transition. Tons of respect for Tesla but we’re going to give it our own shot and do the very best we can to be positioned at the very top of this transition.

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        Yesterday

        One response to “Q&A: Lucid Design Director Derek Jenkins”

        1. Kory Chatelain says:
          January 5, 2023 at 5:38 pm

          This is an example of a letter that will be sent to all of Lucid Motors USA, Inc.’s Leadership and Board of Directors detailing our experience with trying to purchase and take delivery of an Air Touring.

          As of today, 05 January 2023 there has been no response from Lucid Motors USA, Inc.

          06 January 2023

          Mr. Peter Rawlinson
          CEO/CTO
          Lucid Motors USA, Inc.
          7373 Gateway Boulevard
          Newark, CA 94560

          Re: Lucid Financing/Identity Confirmation

          Mr. Rawlinson:

          My husband (Laurence Best Esq.) has been dealing with Lucid Motors for a year now. We received the purchase agreement on 24 December 2022. Mr. Sam Thornhill was assigned as our delivery agent. In the 3rd week of December 2022, the loan papers were completed, and the loan application was approved by Bank of America. We informed Mr. Thornhill that we would leave our Pensacola, Fl. home on Wednesday, 28 December 2022, driving to Ft. Lauderdale, Fl. anticipating the arrival of our Air Touring in Riviera Beach Fl. Lucid offered no other delivery options. From our primary residence in Covington, La. this is a 1,700-mile round trip.

          50 miles outside Gainesville, Fl. we received a call from Christine at Bank of America stating they needed Larry’s BIRTH CERTIFICATE to confirm his identity. Naturally we couldn’t provide that documentation since we were hundreds of miles from home and driving at the time. After a heated conversation, we were offered the alternative of providing a utility bill. Again, we couldn’t provide the said document. My husband ended the conversation. He then called Mr. Thornhill and explained the situation. Mr. Thornhill informed us that the district manager was “working on it”. He didn’t make clear if the district manager was Lucid or Bank of America.

          We heard nothing and were offered no other options from Lucid Motors about this situation.

          Around 5:00 PM on Thursday, 29 December 2022, we received a call from Bank of America to discuss other options. The only alternative offered was to provide a utility bill. My husband had a colorful conversation with the Bank of America representative and hung up. He then called Mr. Thornhill who asked if we had heard anything from Bank of America. Larry relayed Bank of America’s position and told him we would not be taking delivery of our Lucid Air Touring. That is the most polite way I can describe that conversation. On 30 December 2022 I called Lucid customer service (888.995.8243) and spoke with Andre. He said that he would try to get someone in the “leadership team” to speak with me. On 05 January 2023 I called Lucid’s corporate customer service (510.648.3553) and spoke with Omar. I was told me this would be expedited and speak with a manager.

          -2-

          Numerous issues arose from this situation:

          We were required to have a cashier’s check in the amount of $31,000.00 as a down payment for this vehicle.

          Supposedly, without Bank of America knowing my husband’s identity, the car loan was approved. That in itself is frightening.

          If Lucid handles financing/identity confirmation in this manner, can they be trusted to repair this vehicle when something malfunctions?

          My husband and I both have Florida drivers’ licenses (which Lucid has in their records) that require a birth certificate to obtain, why wasn’t that enough to prove his identity?

          Why weren’t we notified this information was required when the loan application was submitted?

          Why didn’t Bank of America ask for credit references and financial statements to determine our ability to purchase this vehicle?

          During our life we have purchased numerous luxury vehicles, namely Bentleys, Mercedes and Audis among others. Never have we been asked for a birth certificate or required to have a cashier’s check for the down payment. The whole financing/identity confirmation process was aggravating, humiliating, amateurish and quite frankly pathetic.

          Not to mention the fact that we spent approximately $3,000.00 to install the appropriate charging outlets in all our homes (no mortgages on any). If gaining repeat customers is Lucid’s goal, then the level of customer service should be examined and improved. Presently, it is unacceptable.

          Lastly, this letter is a formal request to be reimbursed $3,000.00 in travel expenses. Receipts are available upon request. Subsequently, we lost a $7,500.00 tax credit due to Lucid Motor’s egregious handling of our financing and delivery. Plus, if we decide to purchase another Lucid (which is highly improbable) we lose the advantage of earlier pricing. The money we lost on this debacle exceeds $20,000.00.

          A timely response is requested. And yes, a cashier’s check is acceptable. If a response is not received within a month from the date of this letter, further action will be taken.

          Mr. Kory Chatelain
          646 Millikens Bend
          Covington, La. 70433

          601.550.0446

          korychatelain@att.net

          Reply

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