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Exclusive: A talk with Derek Jenkins, VP of Design at Lucid Motors
The following post comes courtesy of NextMobility.co
I recently had a chance to talk with Lucid Motors VP of Design, Derek Jenkins, about the design philosophy behind the company’s ultra-luxurious Lucid Air. The Silicon Valley-based electric car startup founded in 2007 as Atieva has raised over $130M to date and on the precipice of achieving something no other electric car company within this space, outside of Tesla, has been able to do at scale – float a beautifully executed vision of the not-so-distant future that the greater electric vehicle community actually believes will come to fruition. And, they absolutely can’t wait for it.
Development of Lucid’s electric car platform has been well underway since the beginning of the company, but it wasn’t until 2015 that the first vehicle: the Air, began to take shape. Jenkins, an industry veteran who joined the startup in 2015, is leading the design team at Lucid Motors.
Lucid is aiming directly at the German automakers that historically have dominated the luxury car market. “From the beginning, we were very much focused on a luxury product; we felt like there is still a big opportunity at that end of the market,” says Jenkins. Lucid believes that there will still be a significant amount of time before German luxury auto manufacturers introduce electric vehicles in a meaningful way. “There was a lot of open opportunity to do something that is more forward-facing and less based on tradition, that is kind of the foundation,” said Jenkins.
Lucid says they are taking full advantage of the electric powertrain and the “miniaturization” of the electric motors in their design process, customizing the platform to meet the needs of their design. Lucid’s electric motors, transmission, and differential are all “very compact” compared to the vehicle’s relative power output.
Jenkins tells me that their team rearranged the lithium ion cells in the battery pack to utilize two separate modules, as a way to put more emphasis on opening up interior space. Some areas of Lucid Air’s 130 kWh battery pack is double-stacked, which allowed their designers to maximize interior space by removing certain sections of the vehicle’s floor. The design of the battery pack is a far departure from the single “skateboard” style pack used by Tesla.
Jenkins tells me that they wanted the interior experience of the car to feel very open, airy, and light. They made the dashboard less bulky, decreased the weight of the doors and focused on letting more air into the car, hence arriving at the name ‘Air’.
Designing for an Autonomous Future
“It’s hard to say whether we will reach full level 5 autonomy in the life cycle of this vehicle.” Jenkins and the Lucid design team made the driver’s area focused on ergonomics. All touch screens are easily within reach and the vehicle is clearly designed with an incredible focus on passenger comfort.
“We’re designing the interior for a dual purpose. I look at that center screen to be used way more in autonomous mode so I can dive into my email or watch TV. You need to create something that someone can be more relaxed in autonomous mode.” – Derek Jenkins, VP of Design at Lucid Motors
Lucid decided not to integrate a fold-away steering wheel, something that other electric car makers are looking to integrate. “We still want the Air to be an amazing driving vehicle, something thoroughly enjoyable to drive and feel physically connected to the car,” says Jenkins.
One design feature that Jenkins highlighted was the Air’s use of brushed aluminum trim that is said to come with a big wow-factor. Designing a vehicle for the future while making it appealing to current customers was a constant balancing act for the Lucid design team.
Still, Lucid reemphasizes Air’s target market will be the typical German luxury sedan buyer. Jenkins says that the Air is designed to have an overall vehicle size of a mid-size luxury sedan (E-Class), but with the luxurious interior of a large luxury sedan (S-Class), and the driving performance and design of a coupe class (CLS-Class). “This is the redefinition of luxury in a real modern sense”.
Making the leap to Lucid Motors
Derek Jenkins, VP of Design at Lucid Motors
Jenkins joined Lucid Motors in July of 2015 and was previously Director of Design at Mazda North America. Jenkins has nearly 25 years of design experience from Audi, VW, and Mazda, and lead the design of many vehicles, including the new 2016 Mazda Miata, VW Scirocco Concept, and Mazda 6. Jenkins, an industry design leader, took a huge risk jumping from a leadership position at Mazda to a Silicon Valley startup, but has no regrets.
“I had been in the industry designing cars for over 20 years… I was sensing a lot of change in the horizon towards electrification; I witnessed the success at Tesla… It was just too attractive to pass up,” said Jenkins.
Lucid expects to attract customers that expect to have an ultra-luxurious interior in the form of a “private jet on wheels“, and new focus on technology and an advanced powertrain. While many are quick to jump to the conclusion that Lucid will have an uphill battle in a market dominated by Tesla, Jenkins says that they didn’t design the Air to be a “Tesla killer”. Rather, the company aims to produce a vehicle that is fundamentally different than Tesla’s offerings.
Jenkins notes that Lucid has been able to keep their headcount low during the development of the vehicle, so they can easily collaborate with other areas within the company and form quick divisions. “It’s a huge advantage, it’s really much more of a form and function exercise, for me as a designer. At the big companies, you are really styling over a given architecture. Here we are actually working together to create a great piece of design and engineering. That’s a big difference.”
First production of Lucid Air is expected in 2019. The company has been raising capital to fund development on a planned $700 million electric vehicle factory in Casa Grande, Arizona.
Tesla announced on Monday that the Roadster event scheduled for today would be postponed due to the need for it to be held outside.
Less than 24 hours later, CEO Elon Musk broadened that by stating it was due to high winds, immediately sending everyone into a frenzy over the Roadster’s potential ability to fly.
And realistically, it could definitely have to do with it flying, hovering, or hopping; whatever Tesla has in mind for this demonstration could not be impacted by wind. However, it might have nothing to do with the vehicle flying whatsoever, and instead could be a simple precaution, as the Roadster is a very unique vehicle with some already official specs that are just mind-blowing.
Tesla will very, very likely be showcasing both the acceleration rate and potentially even a top speed demo at the event in Waco. Both of these demonstrations, performed with a vehicle that has such incredibly fast metrics, could easily be impacted by wind as well.
Tesla Roadster event requires restricted airspace, and the FAA obliges
Top Speed Demo
At high speeds, aerodynamic forces are already overwhelmingly present. A crosswind or sudden gust adds a layer of sideways force that the tires must counter with slip angle. On a short demo course, that force can shove the car off the intended line, especially in a light car with a low frontal area and little mass to resist the push.
Electric cars, due to their battery packs, have an advantage of an extremely low center of gravity, giving them extra stability. However, the speeds at which the Roadster could travel at the demo could spell some issues if crosswinds are present.
Gusts are worse than a steady wind because the load changes faster than a driver can smoothly correct. That shows up as weaving or a late correction. Headwinds and tailwinds can also spell disaster. Headwinds cut a measured top speed but raise the power needed to get there or maintain it. Meanwhile, a tailwind can inflate the top speed, and downforce issues could become more noticeable.
Wind also loads the body unevenly. A low car can feel light on the upwind side or see a sudden change in downforce if the gust hits a wing or diffuser at an angle. Tire temperature and pressure might stay near a normal level, but lateral grip can be lost as the vehicle is spent fighting the wind.
Acceleration Demo
Launch and 0-60 MPH runs are shorter, so the car spends less time exposed to forces that could cause things to go awry. However, the first second is very sensitive, as a crosswind at launch could yaw the car before speed builds and prior to aerodynamic impact being too great. The driver will be required to correct traction control or manage how much the wheels are spinning, which will likely be corrected automatically by some sort of traction control system within the Roadster (we are fairly certain Tesla will implement something brilliant with it).
These things could cause an unstable run.
A headwind would increase drag as speed rises, while a tailwind would do the opposite. Meanwhile, surface effects, like wind-driven dust, light debris, or even rain, could reduce grip at the exact moment the tires are asked for peak longitudinal force. Standing water plus a crosswind is a common reason an acceleration attempt might be scrapped.
Flying or Not
No matter what Tesla has in store for the Roadster, waiting for ideal conditions is a great idea. People who follow and support the company, along with the engineers involved in the Roadster program, have been waiting nine years since the last unveiling for this moment. Everything should be ideal.
Some speculate that it’s just not ready, and that’s ridiculous. Why would Tesla even schedule the event — albeit prematurely — after nine years if it was not ready? Why would they jump the gun now?
We were all excited for today, but it truly is the most ideal thing in the world to wait two more weeks so everything, including the weather, can be perfect. The delay is simply worth it. But Tesla, seriously, make this the last one.
Elon Musk
SpaceX nails “Lucky 13” astronaut launch, leaning into Tesla tradition and superstition
SpaceX launched Crew-13 astronauts to the ISS Thursday, setting up a record fast Dragon docking.
SpaceX launched NASA’s Crew-13 mission to the International Space Station on Thursday morning, getting four astronauts to orbit despite a forecast of thunderstorms and gusty winds that had threatened to push the flight to Friday.
Falcon 9 lifted off from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station at 11:10 a.m. ET carrying Dragon Grace, NASA confirmed. On board are NASA commander Jessica Watkins, NASA pilot Luke Delaney, Canadian Space Agency astronaut Joshua Kutryk and Roscosmos cosmonaut Sergey Teteryatnikov. The first stage booster, B1101, landed at Landing Zone 40 beside the pad on its third flight after previously supporting Crew-12 and a Starlink mission.
Liftoff of Crew-13! pic.twitter.com/vteT0DXMTh
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) October 1, 2026
It was the first spaceflight for Delaney, Kutryk and Teteryatnikov. Watkins, who flew on Crew-4 in 2022, became the first NASA astronaut to launch aboard a Crew Dragon twice.
Before launch, the crew rode to the pad in Teslas, a tradition on NASA’s SpaceX crew flights since 2020. This time the cars carried specialty plates reading “Lucky 13.” Watkins said the mission patch leans into the number on purpose, as a nod to Apollo 13 and the resilience of that crew.
Grace is now on a short trip to the station. Docking at the forward port of the Harmony module is scheduled for about 7 p.m. ET, roughly 7 hours and 50 minutes after liftoff, which Space.com notes would be the fastest Crew Dragon transit to the ISS yet. Most Dragon flights take around 15 to 24 hours to catch the station. Hatch opening is planned for 8:25 p.m. ET.
The launch came more than two weeks later than originally planned. An oxidizer leak was found in Grace’s propulsion system in August, and NASA and SpaceX added time for tests. That pushed back the return of Crew-12, which has been aboard the station since February and is now set to splash down off Southern California next week. Crew-13 is expected to stay about six months.
SpaceX rescue mission for stranded ISS astronauts nears end — Here’s when they’ll return home
SpaceX already holds NASA orders for crew rotations through Crew-17, while Boeing is preparing an uncrewed Starliner flight to the station as early as December.
Crew-13 was only the first of three SpaceX launches planned for Thursday, as Teslarati previewed on Wednesday. A Falcon 9 launched its Transporter-18 mission from California today, where Google will be launching its first orbital artificial intelligence (AI) test satellite. Meanwhile, Falcon Heavy is set to launch the classified NROL-97 mission for the National Reconnaissance Office from Launch Complex 39A at 11:53 p.m. ET. Its two side boosters will return to Landing Zones 1 and 2, which means Central Florida could hear up to three sonic booms in a single day. The busy stretch follows Starship’s Flight 14 on Monday, which reached orbit for the first time.
Tesla has moved its Wireless Charging efforts for its electric vehicles forward, as it had a new patent published today, one that it submitted back in March.
The patent describes a system for detecting foreign objects on the wireless charging pad under varying temperatures, aiming to mitigate any undesired results that could come from something being on top of the charging pad.
🚨 Tesla has a new patent application published today, which was submitted back in March, for a Wireless Charging Pad:
“The present disclosure relates to methods and systems that can reliably detect foreign objects on a wireless charging pad under varying temperatures. In some… pic.twitter.com/LIeLfZAuDJ
— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) October 1, 2026
The abstract of the patent states:
“The present disclosure relates to methods and systems that can reliably detect foreign objects on a wireless charging pad under varying temperatures. In some examples, an object detector can utilize a set of inductive coils included in resonant tanks, and excite the resonant tanks using signals in a range of frequencies including or near a nominal resonant frequency of the resonant tanks. The object detector can detect a metal object based on resistance of a coil increasing and inductance of the coil decreasing. By analyzing the shifts and/or distributions in resonant frequencies and output magnitudes (e.g., output voltage peaks), the object detector can distinguish between changes of frequencies and magnitudes caused by temperature and those caused by foreign objects to accurately detect the foreign objects.”
The object detection system will utilize a set of inductive coils included in resonant tanks, and “excite the resonant tank using signals in a range of frequencies including or near a nominal resonant frequency of the tanks.” Metal can be detected by an increase in the coil’s resistance and a decrease in the coil’s inductance.
By analyzing shifts or disruptions in resonant frequencies and output magnitudes, the system can detect foreign objects. These types of safeguards need to be implemented through the normal operation of the charging pads.
Tesla says its Cybercab wireless charging efficiency is ‘well above 90%’
Tesla plans to utilize wireless charging with Cybercab and Robotaxi-enabled units to help streamline the fully autonomous experience from A to Z. The last thing the company wants to do is have any sort of small obstruction preventing the rider from experiencing Robotaxi as intended.
Why Tesla Roadster unveiling delay might have nothing to do with it flying
SpaceX nails “Lucky 13” astronaut launch, leaning into Tesla tradition and superstition
