Peter Rawlinson, the CEO of Lucid Motors, a rival electric vehicle (EV) maker, remains skeptical about the dominance of Tesla’s charging technology. Rawlinson finds the hype around Tesla’s charger “rather bizarre,” comparing it to a screw cap versus a cork on a bottle instead of evaluating the quality of the wine. While many automakers have adopted Tesla’s well-regarded charging technology, Rawlinson isn’t entirely convinced.
In an interview with Bloomberg, Rawlinson echoed Gabriel Daoud, an analyst at Cowen, who had referred to Tesla’s charger as “just a plug.” Rawlinson believes that the industry should focus on standardization, as other automakers have been using the Combined Charging System (CCS) for their electric vehicles. Despite acknowledging the reliability of Tesla’s Supercharger network, Rawlinson remains cautious about adopting Tesla’s plug before it becomes standardized.
Rawlinson expressed concern about one company having control over extensive consumer charging data. He emphasized the importance of an open and impartial standard to avoid data ownership issues. Rawlinson’s reservations stem from his firsthand experience with Tesla’s charging connector during his previous role as chief engineer of the Model S.
While Lucid Motors may eventually transition to Tesla’s North American Charging Standard (NACS), Rawlinson believes in maintaining caution when risking the adoption of the most advanced technology, especially considering data privacy implications.
