Peter Rawlinson | |
|---|---|
 Rawlinson in 2019 | |
| Alma mater | Imperial College London |
| Occupation(s) | CEO and CTO of Lucid Motors |
| Known for | Tesla Model S, Lucid Motors |
Peter Rawlinson is a British businessman and engineer based in California. He is the chief executive officer, [1] chief technology officer, and board member [2] of Lucid Motors and is known for his work as Chief Vehicle Engineer of the Tesla Model S and the Lucid Air. [3]
Rawlinson was born in 1957 and grew up in Bonvilston, South Wales and attended Cowbridge Grammar School in the Vale of Glamorgan. [4] He considered going to art school before deciding to become an engineer. [5] Rawlinson attended Imperial College London, graduating from the Department of Mechanical Engineering in 1979. [6]
Rawlinson has held several positions in the UK automotive industry, including Principal Engineer at Jaguar Cars, Chief Engineer at Lotus Cars and Head of Vehicle Engineering at Corus Automotive. [7] Rawlinson was one of the first people in the UK to use computer-aided design (CAD) and computer-aided engineering (CAE); in the 1980s, his team created Jaguar's first intranet to transfer engineering files from computer to computer. [8]
Rawlinson joined Tesla in February [9] 2009 [10] as Vice President and Chief Vehicle Engineering of Tesla Model S. [11] One week after joining, he told his boss, Elon Musk, that the early Model S prototype was a "false dawn" and that Rawlinson's 6-person team would have to restart the engineering work on Tesla's flagship vehicle from a "clean sheet." [12]
Rawlinson was responsible for the technical execution and delivery of the Model S, [13] improving structure and production by taking advantage of the fewer restrictions facilitated by electric vehicle drivetrain. [14] [15] [16] [17] At Tesla, Rawlinson built a team of 150 engineers and drew upon his knowledge of computational prototyping, digital wind tunnels and other CAD and CAE work from his advanced engineering work in the UK. [18] Rawlinson said that, from 2009-2012, "Tesla was truly at the cutting edge, developing the most advanced technology with clarity, a vision and purpose, and an absolute singularity of mindset.” [19] He resigned his position at Tesla in January 2012 [20] to move back home to the UK and care for his aging mother. [21]
Rawlinson helped launch Lucid Motors in 2016 as the Chief Technology Officer [22] and was appointed Chief Executive Officer in 2019. [23] He oversees the development of the Lucid Air and Lucid Gravity. [24] His goal is to make Lucid a "major volume player," including the planned late 2024 launch of an electric SUV and a planned 2026 launch of a mid-sized sedan. [25] His name is on dozens of patents for battery technology or other innovations, and Rawlinson oversaw Lucid’s development of the battery used by all the teams in the Formula E electric-vehicle racing circuit. [26]
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