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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.
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Tesla Cybercab production ignites with 60 units spotted at Giga Texas
Designed exclusively for unsupervised Full Self-Driving, the Cybercab promises to deliver safe, affordable, on-demand mobility without human drivers. Early units with temporary controls allow engineers to refine hardware and software in controlled settings before full autonomous fleets hit the roads.
Tesla Cybercab production at Giga Texas seems to have ignited, as 60 units were spotted outside of the production facility on Wednesday, with speculation hinting the all-electric ride-hailing vehicle could be headed to the lineup sooner rather than later.
Interestingly, they were also spotted with steering wheels, which Tesla said the car would be void of.
Giga Texas observer and drone operator Joe Tegtmeyer shared on X a new post that revealed approximately 60 Cybercabs parked in two organized groups in the factory’s outbound lot—the largest concentration observed to date.
Happy 8 April (Wednesday) at Giga Texas, especially for those wanting an update on Cybercabs … I saw about 60 of them in two groups in the outbound lot today … the largest grouping yet!
Also, looks like at least some of these have white seats and most still have clearly… pic.twitter.com/mZbKH96bA7
— Joe Tegtmeyer 🚀 🤠🛸😎 (@JoeTegtmeyer) April 8, 2026
Tegtmeyer noted white seats inside several vehicles and clearly visible steering wheels on most. These are not yet the final steering-wheel-free production versions unveiled in 2024, but early units are likely undergoing validation testing for new features and real-world robotaxi operations across the country.
The timing could not be more symbolic. Tesla has consistently affirmed that mass manufacturing of the Cybercab would begin this month.
CEO Elon Musk has reiterated the April 2026 target multiple times, emphasizing that while initial output will be slow, following the classic S-curve of new-vehicle ramps, the Giga Texas line is being prepared to produce hundreds of units per week.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk outlines expectations for Cybercab production
The first Cybercab already rolled off the line in February, but April marks the official shift to volume production of this purpose-built, pedal- and steering-wheel-free autonomous vehicle.
These 60 Cybercabs signal far more than parked prototypes. They represent tangible proof that Tesla is executing on its ambitious robotaxi roadmap.
Designed exclusively for unsupervised Full Self-Driving, the Cybercab promises to deliver safe, affordable, on-demand mobility without human drivers. Early units with temporary controls allow engineers to refine hardware and software in controlled settings before full autonomous fleets hit the roads.
As production scales, Giga Texas, already home to Cybertruck production, will become the epicenter of Tesla’s autonomous revolution, targeting millions of vehicles annually in the years ahead.
For Tesla and its investors, this sighting underscores manufacturing excellence and timeline discipline. It counters skepticism about the company’s ability to deliver on next-generation vehicles amid a competitive autonomous landscape.
Broader implications are profound: lower transportation costs, reduced emissions, and safer roads as robotaxis proliferate. Musk’s vision of a future where Cybercabs operate 24/7, generating revenue for owners and riders alike, is now visibly underway.
With mass production officially ramping in April, today’s images are not just a snapshot of parked vehicles; they are the first frames of a mobility transformation. Tesla is not only meeting its commitments; it is accelerating toward an era where autonomy reshapes daily life. The Cybercab era has begun.
News
Tesla makes major rebound in European market with 4x in registrations
Tesla delivered a striking performance in Germany’s automotive market in March 2026, with new vehicle registrations more than quadrupling year-over-year, according to official data from the German Federal Motor Transport Authority (KBA).
Tesla headlines will have you believe the company is dead to rights in Germany, selling nearly no cars, and stating consumers are more interested in other brands not run by CEO Elon Musk.
However, the latest data from Germany proves this might be a dying narrative.
Tesla delivered a striking performance in Germany’s automotive market in March 2026, with new vehicle registrations more than quadrupling year-over-year, according to official data from the German Federal Motor Transport Authority (KBA).
Newly registered Tesla vehicles jumped 315.1 percent to 9,252 units, marking the company’s strongest March on record in the country and signaling a sharp rebound after earlier challenges in the European market.
A big 4x from Tesla in Germany in March in vehicle registrations
Don’t let anyone tell you Tesla is dead in Europe https://t.co/24hyus1xTF pic.twitter.com/205yPwncRv
— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) April 7, 2026
The March surge accounted for roughly 72 percent of Tesla’s first-quarter total in Germany. Q1 registrations reached 12,829 vehicles, a 160 percent increase from the same period a year earlier. For context, the implied March 2025 figure was approximately 2,229 units—one of the brand’s weaker months in recent years.
These numbers underscore Tesla’s ability to capitalize on renewed demand in Europe’s largest car market, where the company had faced softening sales throughout much of 2025 amid heightened competition and broader economic pressures.
Germany’s overall new passenger car market also expanded in March, with 294,161 registrations—a 16 percent rise from the prior year. Battery-electric vehicles (BEVs) performed even more robustly, climbing 66.2 percent to 70,663 units and representing about 24 percent of all new car registrations.
Tesla’s 9,252 deliveries captured approximately 13.1 percent of the BEV segment for the month and roughly 3.1 percent of the total new car market, highlighting its continued leadership among pure-play electric brands despite growing competition from both domestic German manufacturers and Chinese entrants like BYD, which saw its own registrations surge 327.1 percent to 3,438 units.
The strong showing comes as Germany’s EV incentives and infrastructure investments continue to support adoption. Tesla’s lineup, anchored by the Model Y and Model 3, appears to have resonated with buyers seeking premium electric options.
Industry observers note that the concentrated March registrations, accounting for the bulk of the quarter, may reflect strategic inventory management, competitive pricing adjustments, or pent-up demand following a slower start to 2026.
This performance provides a much-needed bright spot for Tesla in Europe, where the brand had seen market share erosion in prior periods.
Tesla Model Y outsells all EV rivals in Europe in 2025 despite headwinds
With Q1 2026 registrations up significantly, Tesla has demonstrated resilience in a market that registered 699,404 new passenger cars for the quarter, up 5.2 percent overall. As the year progresses, sustained momentum in Germany could bolster Tesla’s European outlook, particularly if broader BEV growth persists amid evolving policy support and technological advancements.
The March 2026 data from the KBA paints a picture of Tesla’s renewed strength in Germany: a fourfold monthly leap, record quarterly gains, and a solid foothold in an expanding EV segment.
Whether this marks the beginning of a sustained recovery or a seasonal peak remains to be seen, but the numbers affirm Tesla’s enduring appeal in one of the world’s most competitive automotive landscapes.
Elon Musk
Elon Musk reveals unfortunate truth of Tesla Full Self-Driving development
In a candid reply to a dramatic video of Tesla’s Full Self-Driving (FSD) system averting disaster, Elon Musk laid bare a harsh reality facing autonomous vehicle technology.
Tesla’s Full Self-Driving suite is one of the most significant technological developments in terms of passenger travel in decades, but it is not all sunshine and rainbows, even with major strides in safety, CEO Elon Musk revealed.
In a candid reply to a dramatic video of Tesla’s Full Self-Driving (FSD) system averting disaster, Elon Musk laid bare a harsh reality facing autonomous vehicle technology.
The clip shows a Model 3 traveling at over 65 mph on a foggy, rain-soaked highway when a pedestrian suddenly steps into traffic.
Full Self-Driving instantly detects the threat and swerves safely, preventing what could have been a fatal collision for both the pedestrian and the driver’s cousin.
Musk’s response was unequivocal:
“Tesla self-driving saves a lot of lives – the statistics are unequivocal. That doesn’t mean it’s perfect, of course.” Even with a projected 10x safety improvement over human drivers, FSD would still prevent roughly 90% of the world’s approximately one million annual auto fatalities. The remaining 10%—roughly 100,000 deaths—would expose Tesla to relentless lawsuits. Meanwhile, the vast majority of lives saved would go unnoticed. “The 90% who are still alive mostly won’t even know that Tesla saved them. Nonetheless, it is the right thing to do.”
This “unfortunate truth,” as Musk implicitly framed it, highlights a fundamental asymmetry in how society perceives safety technology. Human drivers cause the overwhelming majority of crashes through distraction, fatigue, or error.
Tesla self-driving saves a lot of lives – the statistics are unequivocal.
That doesn’t mean it’s perfect, of course.
Even when we improve safety 10X, saving 90% of the million lives lost in auto accidents every year, Tesla will still get sued for the 10% who did die. The 90%… https://t.co/OrNB1mO5eF
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) April 6, 2026
Yet when FSD errs, the incident becomes headline news and a courtroom target. Prevented tragedies, by contrast, leave no trace.
Survivors simply continue their journeys, unaware of the split-second intervention that kept them alive. The result is a distorted public narrative that amplifies failures while rendering successes invisible.
We have seen this through various headlines throughout the years, including the mainstream media’s obsession with only mentioning the manufacturer’s name in the instance of an accident when it is “Tesla.”
Opinion: Tesla Autopilot NHTSA investigation headlines are out of control
The video’s real-world example underscores FSD’s current capabilities. In near-zero visibility, the system’s cameras and neural network reacted faster than any human could, demonstrating the life-saving potential Musk cites.
Tesla’s latest safety data already shows FSD (Supervised) performing significantly better than the U.S. average, with crashes occurring far less frequently per mile driven.
Still, regulatory scrutiny, liability concerns, and media focus on edge-case failures continue to slow widespread adoption. Musk’s frank admission suggests Tesla is prepared to push forward despite the legal and perceptual headwinds.
As FSD edges closer to unsupervised autonomy, Musk’s post serves as both a progress report and a reality check. The technology is already saving lives today.
The unfortunate truth is that proving it and scaling it responsibly will require society to value statistical lives saved as much as dramatic stories of those lost. In the race toward safer roads, perception may prove as formidable an obstacle as the fog and rain in that viral video.
Tesla Cybercab production ignites with 60 units spotted at Giga Texas
Tesla makes major rebound in European market with 4x in registrations
