Derek Jenkins: “Our mission at Lucid remains very pure”

It’s been such a dynamic time for the car industry these past few years. There’s been so much change – the rise of the Chinese brands, companies trying to address electrification in their own ways, and the challenges for some manufacturers in maintaining a heritage brand together with an electrified sub-brand.

Right now, we’re seeing a pushback against EVs, prompting some brands to backpedal a bit. But anytime there’s a significant shift in technology that affects a wide swath of the population, there’s always a counter movement.

There are plenty of ways to have a great experience in an automobile. You can have a hardcore, analogue supercar experience – which is totally awesome – or a completely digital experience at the other end of the spectrum which still serves a wide group of people. And there are shades of grey in-between. Our mission at Lucid remains very pure: finding the right balance between the digital and analogue experience.

The Gravity, our SUV unveiled last year at the 2023 LA Auto Show, is now in pre-production build. We believe it’s the right product in the marketplace and will be a big boost for us. There is pressure to get it out there as soon as possible, but I don’t see us cutting corners to do that. The company’s matured a lot since the launch of the Air and Gravity is going through even more refinement.

Our team has been focused on preparing an entirely new UX for the Gravity and we’re working on ways to expand that experience for the Air too, so current customers’ vehicles continue to evolve and improve. That’s been a big challenge, because design UX/UI is the one area that’s moving much faster than the rest of the development process. We have an amazing software team that collaborates with the UX/UI team, but it is always a push to keep it moving forward.

About 90% of my work right now is on three vehicles that share one mid-size platform. One of the main new products is an on-road, urban-focused, driver-oriented CUV with Lucid’s core DNA of space, efficiency and range, and the pure joy of driving. The second is more of a rugged crossover with a capable, weekend/outdoor focus and the third is in the SUV category. That’s where we’ll have the biggest departure from what you know today as Lucid.

For the Air and Gravity, it was important to have a strong sibling aesthetic. Both products share similar form and graphic language. Their silhouettes are low and sleek, and they’re wide, horizontal, elongated and elegant. That’s what I view as first-generation Lucid design.

For the mid-size platform, we’ve taken a bigger step. Certain things will be somewhat unexpected, and the vehicles will have more of a youthful character, more sporty, agile and dynamic, and appealing to a larger demographic. You’re going to see a distinct evolution in the design language, but still definable as Lucid.

With respect to interiors, we’re taking an even bigger step, from an architectural standpoint in terms of layout and form language, plus also colour, material and finishes. They will still be very sophisticated, but more approachable. We’ve been working hard to further define each of these three vehicles, because, like any diligent car company, there needs to be a strong synergy with the platform to get as much as we can out of each product and address as wide a market as possible.

On the brand side, our focus has been on the Gravity launch. Lucid has so many amazing technologies – and we love to talk about them – but we also need to talk about the ‘reward’ of the technology, the actual reason for it. We’ve created a programme called ‘Road to Gravity’, which highlights the diligence that’s gone into the development and testing of the Gravity, to explain that journey to consumers, as well as those in the automotive community.

The showrooms are ever- evolving as well. We’ve done a big rotation with technology displays and communication inside the stores, trying to make them more relatable. We’ve also had a big push on photography styles, with more representation around lifestyle engagement.

In the bigger picture, we have to differentiate ourselves in this new era. The industry is still operating in a monolithic way where everyone latches on to a trend, and right now, we’re getting into a homogenised state. Oftentimes, I suspect brands don’t even know why they’re moving; they just feel the pressure.

We spend a ton of time within our own design group talking about this. I don’t think there’s any one way an electric car has to look. That’s absurd. What I would say to other designers is: find your own path for your brand. It’s up to the designers, design leadership and the entire team to identify these things early enough and develop strategies. That’s a designer’s responsibility.