October 25, 2024 – According to a report by Benzinga on Wednesday, Peter Rawlinson, the CEO of American electric vehicle startup Lucid, has expressed doubts about the immediate future of self-driving cars. He believes that some critical obstacles will only be overcome in the next decade, specifically from 2030 to 2040.
In an interview, Rawlinson stated that the widespread adoption of autonomous vehicles is not expected until the 2030s. He also suggested that people have “severely underestimated” the challenges involved in achieving full autonomy. “It’s like refining gold to 99.9999% purity – the first few percentage points are relatively easy, but the final 0.01% is extremely tricky. I predict this will only be possible in the 2030s,” he said.
Rawlinson also emphasized the superior battery technology of the Lucid Air, claiming that it has surpassed Tesla and other automotive companies. In August of this year, he stated that Lucid’s electric vehicles have “taken over from Tesla,” suggesting that Tesla is now distracted by other matters. “We undoubtedly have the world’s leading technology, we have taken over Tesla’s position, and our technical strength has also been widely recognized… Nowadays, everyone is pursuing ‘how to go further with a smaller battery’,” he added.
The 2025 Lucid Air, launched this year, was rated as the “most efficient electric vehicle in the world” by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in July. It can travel 5 miles (approximately 8.05 kilometers) on 1 kWh of electricity. The Lucid Air Grand Touring model, priced from $110,900, boasts an EPA-estimated range of 512 miles (approximately 823.98 kilometers).
