A Tesla Founder Wants to Give You Some Advice: Most EVs ‘Suck.’ This Is the Most Common Mistake in the Industry

There are two distinct approaches to maximizing the range of electric cars. The first focuses on adding larger batteries or improving their energy density to achieve greater range. The second approach emphasizes better aerodynamics and engine efficiency.

Companies like Mazda advocate for better engines and oppose larger batteries. The Japanese manufacturer believes that increased battery size leads to excess weight, which negatively impacts vehicle dynamics.

While some of its cars feature large batteries, Mercedes has previously said that it also prioritizes enhancing the efficiency of its engines and aerodynamics. In fact, the upcoming electric Mercedes CLA is expected to exemplify this strategy.

More recently, Peter Rawlinson, the Lucid Air CEO and one of the creators of the Tesla Model S, has echoed this sentiment. Lucid Air aims to compete with Tesla by offering the most efficient electric car on the market. Rawlinson has been blunt in his assessment, saying that many electric vehicles “suck.”

A Clear Commitment to Consuming Less

Rawlinson shared his perspective on the concept of electric cars in a recent interview with Autocar. He pointed out that, until now, manufacturers have primarily focused on creating electric vehicles as a means to reduce carbon dioxide emissions. This focus has led them to incorporate large batteries in order to achieve maximum range with minimal effort.

However, Rawlinson believes this approach is misguided. He advocates for viewing electric cars as an opportunity to create “a better car” rather than simply an electric alternative to existing models. Achieving this vision inevitably requires a focus on efficiency.

“Not only by making a car more efficient is it using less of the world’s energy, it’s also using less battery resources and minerals,” he told the outlet. “The Lucid Air Pure [saloon] is literally the world’s most energy-efficient car. It uses less fuel to go from A to B, whatever your fuel is, than any mass-production car ever in the 130-year history of the car,” he added.

To support his claim, Rawlinson cited the MPGe, which compares the energy consumption of electric vehicles to gasoline cars. It measures how many miles an electric vehicle can travel using the energy equivalent of one gallon of gasoline. According to experts at Car and Driver, the Lucid Air Pure has the longest range of all cars they’ve tested.

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For Rawlinson, focusing on efficiency offers significant advantages. “If you’ve got twice the efficiency, you’re going to have half the battery. That means less mines for lithium, less cobalt mining, less nickel,” he said in the interview. This isn’t just about reducing carbon dioxide emissions. It also means that needing less electricity results in a smaller carbon footprint.

The Lucid Air CEO also aligns with Mazda’s philosophy that lighter cars are more agile, comfortable, and enjoyable to drive. He emphasizes that this represents a clear advancement over gasoline-powered vehicles. While Rawlinson acknowledges that a more efficient car typically results in worse performance, he claims that this isn’t true for electric vehicles. By incorporating smaller batteries, EVs can enhance their dynamism while maintaining performance that surpasses fossil fuel vehicles.

However, Rawlinson also says that many electric cars currently “suck.” Many have “very poor range” because manufacturers have focused excessively on cutting costs, including reducing battery size. Without the right technology, these smaller batteries aren’t providing optimal performance. Improving engine efficiency could allow these vehicles to travel significantly farther on the same energy.

Rawlinson believes this underperformance is a key reason for stagnant electric car sales in the U.S. He told Autocar, “Right now, we haven’t got reliable infrastructure and we haven’t got sufficient cars with much range. And so it’s a horrible experience.”

Image | Jp Valery

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