Peter Rawlinson (engineer)

Rawlinson was born in 1957 and grew up in Bonvilston, South Wales and attended Cowbridge Grammar School in the Vale of Glamorgan.{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/business/2021/apr/03/meet-the-briton-leading-a-tesla-rival-who-wants-to-save-the-planet-lucid|title=Meet the Briton leading a Tesla rival who wants to save the planet|date=3 April 2021 |first=Jasper |last=Jolly|work=The Guardian}} He considered going to art school before deciding to become an engineer.{{Cite web |last=Jolly |first=Jasper |date=2021-04-03 |title=Meet the Briton leading a Tesla rival who wants to save the planet |url=http://www.theguardian.com/business/2021/apr/03/meet-the-briton-leading-a-tesla-rival-who-wants-to-save-the-planet-lucid |access-date=2022-05-03 |website=The Guardian |language=en}} Rawlinson attended Imperial College London, graduating from the Department of Mechanical Engineering in 1979.{{Cite web |title=Alumnus Peter Rawlinson of Lucid Motors visited Imperial {{!}} Imperial News {{!}} Imperial College London |url=https://www.imperial.ac.uk/news/231777/alumnus-peter-rawlinson-lucid-motors-visited/ |access-date=2022-05-03 |website=Imperial News |date=8 November 2021 |language=en}}

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.{{cite web|url= http://relationshipscience.com/peter-rawlinson-p4364923 |archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20170128234044/http://relationshipscience.com/peter-rawlinson-p4364923 |title=Peter Rawlinson|archivedate=28 January 2017|accessdate=28 January 2017|url-status=live}} 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.{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=on2oFqJJjuQ&list=PLe4PRejZgr0PzN7r8NikAnOqP70DHhoJ0&index=1 |title=Peter Rawlinson on Computer Automotive Engineering {{!}} Masters in Business |date=2024-06-21 |last=Bloomberg Podcasts |access-date=2024-06-25 |via=YouTube}}

Rawlinson joined Tesla in February{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=on2oFqJJjuQ&list=PLe4PRejZgr0PzN7r8NikAnOqP70DHhoJ0&index=1 |title=Peter Rawlinson on Computer Automotive Engineering {{!}} Masters in Business |date=2024-06-21 |last=Bloomberg Podcasts |access-date=2024-06-25 |via=YouTube}} 2009{{cite web|url=https://ir.tesla.com/press-release/tesla-motors-announces-senior-engineering-and-manufacturing|title= Tesla Motors Announces Senior Engineering and Manufacturing Executives|date=30 September 2009 |publisher=Tesla Motors and Globe Newswire}} as Vice President and Chief Vehicle Engineering of Tesla Model S.{{Cite web|url=https://www.tesla.com/sv_SE/blog/tesla-motors-announces-senior-engineering-and-manufacturing-executives|title = Tesla Motors Announces Senior Engineering and Manufacturing Executives|date = 20 April 2010}} 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."{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=on2oFqJJjuQ&list=PLe4PRejZgr0PzN7r8NikAnOqP70DHhoJ0&index=1 |title=Peter Rawlinson on Computer Automotive Engineering {{!}} Masters in Business |date=2024-06-21 |last=Bloomberg Podcasts |access-date=2024-06-25 |via=YouTube}}

Rawlinson was responsible for the technical execution and delivery of the Model S,{{cite web|url= https://www.bloomberg.com/research/stocks/people/person.asp?personId=79721736&privcapId=27444752 |title=Executive Profile: Peter Rawlinson|publisher=Bloomberg|accessdate=30 January 2017}} improving structure and production by taking advantage of the fewer restrictions facilitated by electric vehicle drivetrain.{{cite web|url= https://www.engadget.com/2011/01/12/tesla-chief-engineer-peter-rawlinson-geeks-out-with-us-about-mod/ |archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20160310184957/http://www.engadget.com/2011/01/12/tesla-chief-engineer-peter-rawlinson-geeks-out-with-us-about-mod/ |title=Tesla Chief Engineer Peter Rawlinson geeks out with us about Model S design |first=Tim |last=Stevens |date=12 January 2011|archivedate=10 March 2016|publisher=AOL |work=Engadget |accessdate=28 January 2017|url-status=live}}{{cite web|url= http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1053555_five-questions-peter-rawlinson-tesla-motors-chief-engineer |archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20160820065542/http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1053555_five-questions-peter-rawlinson-tesla-motors-chief-engineer |title=Five Questions: Peter Rawlinson, Tesla Motors Chief Engineer |first=John |last=Voelcker |date=14 January 2011|archivedate=20 August 2016|work=Green Car Reports|accessdate=28 January 2017|url-status=live}}{{cite web|url= http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1053555_five-questions-peter-rawlinson-tesla-motors-chief-engineer/page-2 |archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20141024220957/http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1053555_five-questions-peter-rawlinson-tesla-motors-chief-engineer/page-2 |title=Five Questions: Peter Rawlinson, Tesla Motors Chief Engineer (page 2)|first=John |last=Voelcker |date=14 January 2011|archivedate=24 October 2014|work=Green Car Reports|accessdate=28 January 2017|url-status=live}}{{YouTube|TrbOLHW8Pec|Vehicle structure}}, {{YouTube|8YxHp2ot61Y|Suspension}}, {{YouTube|NGKqPYvtqXE|Drive train}} 2011 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.{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=on2oFqJJjuQ&list=PLe4PRejZgr0PzN7r8NikAnOqP70DHhoJ0&index=1 |title=Peter Rawlinson on Computer Automotive Engineering {{!}} Masters in Business |date=2024-06-21 |last=Bloomberg Podcasts |access-date=2024-06-25 |via=YouTube}} 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.”{{cite web|url= https://ca.finance.yahoo.com/news/lucid-ceo-says-tesla-losing-175054301.html#:~:text=Rawlinson%2C%20who%20served%20as%20a,to%20Money%20that%20aired%20Monday.|title=Lucid CEO says Tesla is 'losing its way'|date=28 May 2024|publisher=Yahoo Finance|accessdate=28 May 2024}} He resigned his position at Tesla in January 2012{{cite web|url= https://www.greencarreports.com/news/1071793_two-tesla-execs-leave-before-2012-model-s-launch-stock-falls|title=Two Tesla Execs Leave Before 2012 Model S Launch, Stock Falls|date=16 January 2012 |first=Nikki |last=Gordon-Bloomfield|publisher=Green Car Reports}} to move back home to the UK and care for his aging mother.{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=on2oFqJJjuQ&list=PLe4PRejZgr0PzN7r8NikAnOqP70DHhoJ0&index=1 |title=Peter Rawlinson on Computer Automotive Engineering {{!}} Masters in Business |date=2024-06-21 |last=Bloomberg Podcasts |access-date=2024-06-25 |via=YouTube}}

Rawlinson helped launch Lucid Motors in 2016 as the Chief Technology Officer{{cite web|url= http://www.autonews.com/article/20161205/OEM05/312059984/can-lucid-succeed-where-others-have-failed%3F |title=Can Lucid succeed where others have failed?|date=December 2016|publisher=Automotive News|accessdate=30 January 2017}} and was appointed Chief Executive Officer in 2019.{{Cite web|date=2019-04-23|title=Lucid Motors Appoints Peter Rawlinson as CEO|url=https://lucidmotors.com/media-room/lucid-motors-appoints-peter-rawlinson-ceo|access-date=2020-06-06|website=Lucid Motors|language=en}} He oversees the development of the Lucid Air and Lucid Gravity.{{cite web|url= http://fortune.com/2016/11/15/lucid-motors-tesla-electric-car/ |title=Tesla's Former Chief Engineer Has A New Luxury Electric Car |first=Katie |last=Fehrenbacher |publisher=Fortune.com |date=15 November 2016|accessdate=28 January 2017}} 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.{{cite web|url=https://www.motortrend.com/features/lucid-motors-peter-rawlinson-interview-tesla-china-competition/ |title= How Lucid Motors Will Take on EV's Juggernauts: Tesla and China |date=14 May 2024|publisher=MotorTrend|accessdate=14 May 2024}} 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.{{cite news|url= https://www.nytimes.com/2021/11/18/business/lucid-motors-tesla.html?login=email&auth=login-email|title=He Helped Build Tesla. Now He's Gunning for It.|work=New York Times|date=18 November 2021 |accessdate=18 November 2021 |last1=Chokshi |first1=Niraj |last2=Ewing |first2=Jack }} It was announced on 25 February 2025 that Rawlinson would step down as the CEO of Lucid, to be replaced by Marc Winterhoff as the interim CEO for Lucid Motors.{{cite web |title=Lucid CEO Peter Rawlinson Steps Down as New Platform Launch Looms |first=Caleb |last=Miller |date=26 February 2025 |publisher=Car and Driver |url=https://www.caranddriver.com/news/a63935679/lucid-ceo-peter-rawlinson-steps-down/}}

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Category:1957 births

Category:Living people

Category:People educated at Cowbridge Grammar School

Category:Alumni of Imperial College London

Category:British automotive engineers

Category:People from Cowbridge

Category:Lucid Motors

Category:20th-century Welsh engineers

Category:21st-century Welsh engineers