New Job ... At a New Car Company

At the end of February my almost 3 year gig with a tech services company ended. And I started down the path of finding something new.

To my surprise and delight, I found an opportunity here: https://lucidmotors.com.  For the first time in my life since I left finished college and moved to California, I am working in the auto industry. I have been here for about month. There are a number of gear-heads and racers here. I have seen more than one GRM T-shirt.

The company is hiring about 200 people this year. Anyone in Northern California or with auto industry experience who would like to relocate to California or Arizona, check it out the website.

In reply to Type Q :

And be sure to PM Type Q so s/he can submit your resume and get the referral bonus when you turn out to be awesome.

Congrats man! 

OK, did nobody else follow the link?

Not my market, I'm sure, but that thing is pretty cool indeed.

In reply to Duke :

I am not the target customer either. But it is still pretty cool to contribute to.

Yeah, looks pretty cool.  Now, flip side, let's look at all the new successful car companies that have cropped up in the past, I dunno, 75 years?  Any?  And don't say "Tesla," as they are this -><- close to bankruptcy. I mean, I hope this job works out for you and I hope they are successful, but, it would probably be a good idea to treat every paycheck like it is the last one coming.  Just sayin'.

Luxury electric car? Tough call. They are either on the cusp of some huge change that will pay off or this will fail spectacularly with little fanfare. Interesting times we live in.

Dr. Hess said:

  And don't say "Tesla," as they are this -><- close to bankruptcy. 

Couldn’t you say that about all the American car makers at about a dozen points in time in the last few decades?

Very cool. It’s a company for folks far outside of my pay grade- but so are all the super yachts that are sold near me. Just because it’s for a very small group of people doesn’t mean it can’t be successful. They just need to set the exclusivity bar very high to start in order to make it desirable I think. I love the roof glass/windscreen design- curious if that’s already passed crash testing. 

Looks like a cool car. I didn't see a estimated MSRP, but I'm guessing it's in the "if you have to ask..." range.

ddavidv said:

Luxury electric car? Tough call. They are either on the cusp of some huge change that will pay off or this will fail spectacularly with little fanfare. Interesting times we live in.

If you were going to start a car company, that’s where you do it. Easily, the highest margins.  Which is helpful when starting out. 

Also, EV saves about a billion not having to develop a new power train. 

Tesla has proven there is a demand for higher end electric cars. How big of a pie slice there is remains to be seen. The company in question here is aiming higher still. There is a segment of monied society that is willing to risk big bucks on an unproven brand to have something different or experience new technology. There is a much larger segment of the income level that expects a ego-enhancing brand name to go with it. A new brand doesn't carry that panache.

With all the major manufacturers jumping into the 'go electric' boat in the upcoming decade nobody really knows what will happen.

I'm not going to predict failure because I've been wrong about Tesla for the most part. They actually sell the cars they manage to produce and have established a good reputation from what I've gathered. That they aren't profitable isn't a surprise though and I question how long they can continue to lose money before becoming another Citicar or (more likely) getting bought by another manufacturer.

Last year when Annie and I were on vacation in Palm Springs we met a guy who works there. I won't divulge his full name here, but a partial hint is "Mark Thor..." and his title is Program Director. He's British, and had spent time at BMW prior to this gig. We had a very enjoyable evening around the firepit at our small hotel drinking wine and discussing the car industry, particularly non-traditional manufacturing techniques (i.e., less costly). I don't know if he's still at Lucid, but if he is and if you meet him, tell him his Palm Springs friends from the small hotel said hi.

In reply to ddavidv :

The name thing, in my opinion, is what killed off the Excelsior Motorcycle company reboot in the 80's, I think. They spent a hundred million dollars developing a bike. Built 100 of them, put them up for sale at a price that was significantly higher than a new Harley.  I think people looked at them and said, "Well, for that much I can get a really nice Harley, and this one doesn't say 'Harley' on it anywhere."  The company went bankrupt shortly after.  There is one of the bikes at the museum on Main Street in Sturgis.  Billed as "The Million Dollar Motorcycle" or something.  Same thing with the previous versions of the Indian motorcycle reboots.  That is, pre-Polaris.  They built the bikes and the price point was over what a new Harley sold for and it didn't say "Harley" on it. And there was a company making bikes from the front 2 cylinders of a SBC.  Same problem. So if someone wants to make an EV that's like a Tesla and doesn't say "Tesla" on it, they are going to have an uphill battle.  All the rich liberals want a Tesla because, Tesla, and the company only exists because of the Democrat party.  I'm not making that up, that is flat out fact.  Their primary cash cow today is not cars, but "carbon credits," which they are selling to the other car companies, as one example.  The only actual product they sold that was profitable was the flame thrower.

Anyway, for Lucid, uphill battle and they are going to need some very sharp top level management and financing.  Wish them the best, but if you're working for them, keep all that in mind.  If they are publicly traded, look over their financials very closely.  Especially the Cash Flow statement, as those are hardest to fudge.  Read all the notes at the end of the statements first.  That's where they had stuff.

In reply to Type Q :

Congrats!

Of course I had to follow the careers link, but unfortunately the bit about CA/AZ kills it for me.

Well, if there is one place you could sell high end electric cars, it’s the San Francisco area.  I suspect there are a lot there looking for the next cool thing because their Tesla is “yawn” got to be at 3 or 4 years old now!

Also, great potential for tech company company executive cars.  My only question would be autonomous driving, but I am sure they are on that path.

Either way, cool job, it is likely to be a very interesting time for you, congratulations!

P.S. looks like the company is in Newark. RIGHT next to the Tesla factory!  I suspect that is entirely to poach talent from there. 

Some googling suggests that as of 2017, MSRP for the base car was rumored around $60k. We'll see where that lands in the end, but it's mid-range Tesla territory (I guess either a stripper S or a thoroughly-optioned 3).

I think the established brand thing isn't universal, in terms of what pumps the ego. For someone in the tech industry (where you'll find a goodly chunk of folks with means for a $60k+ sedan) the bleeding edge newness may be more prestigious than all the hidebound pedigree an old brand can muster.

Congrats!

I clicked through their website with one goal in mind; seeing how the trunk/hatch opens. For some reason, I have an affinity for hatchbacks.

I'm still in suspense! LOL

So they are actually in Newark? Bummer - the wrong side of the Bay for me.  

Even Tesla has their engineering offices in Palo Alto where all the cool kids are. 

I’m in the auto industry, and looking to relocate to AZ. I’m interested in shooting off a resume, but unsure because of the track record of all start-ups in the last, uh, my lifetime. 

But, Casa Grande is one if the places on my list.....

As long as the company lasts 5 years or so, it doesn’t seem like a bad place to be, given the tech industry. They seem to have Saudi backing..

Lifetime employment is a thing of the past & around SF Bay it seems folks give you the side eye for staying anywhere more than 6 years unless you’re running the place, or it’s Google/MSFT. 

I’m currently in aerospace but even still people hop back and forth between companies constantly.  It’s the best way to get a raise and keep on your toes. 

cdeforrest said:

As long as they hang around 5 years or so, it doesn’t seem like a bad place to be, given the tech industry.

Lifetime employment is a thing of the past & around SF Bay it seems folks give you the side eye for staying anywhere more than 6 years unless you’re running the place, or it’s Google/MSFT

That’s what I figured. If I get a few years out of it, it’s good experience and I’m in AZ. 

Ah I missed the AZ part! Guess we won’t be cube buddies lol

cdeforrest said:

Ah I missed the AZ part! Guess we won’t be cube buddies lol

Dang!

That's awesome about the job and company! If it wasn't a cross country move, I'd definitely shoot off my resume to see if I fit into any of those positions. I'm also a little worried about the longevity of the company given it's a startup.