* Lucid Motors CEO Peter Rawlinson worked for Tesla CEO Elon Musk from 2009 to 2012.
* Rawlinson said the biggest lesson he learned from Musk is the importance of relentless optimism.
* "Sometimes you have to put all your chips in," Rawlinson said.
* Are you a current or former Lucid employee? Do you have an opinion about what it's like to work there? Contact this reporter at mmatousek@businessinsider.com, on Signal at 646-768-4712, or via his encrypted email address mmatousek@protonmail.com.
* Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.
Peter Rawlinson worked for Tesla CEO Elon Musk from 2009-2012 as he led the development of the electric-car maker's groundbreaking Model S sedan. Now the chief executive of the electric-vehicle startup Lucid Motors, Rawlinson learned from Musk the importance of relentless optimism.
"I really believe that success can beget success," Rawlinson said in an interview with Business Insider. "It can be a self-fulfilling prophecy if you're really committed and you're all in, and everyone at Lucid knows I am. And that's the leadership I hope I provide."
If you focus too much on what might go wrong, it can decrease your odds of achieving your goals, he added.
"Sometimes you have to put all your chips in," he said.
Musk, Rawlinson said, demonstrated his commitment to success "on an hour-by-hour basis." Rawlinson has taken that attitude to Lucid, which he joined in 2013 (he became the company's CEO in 2019). His confidence in the company and its debut vehicle, the Air luxury sedan, is driven by Lucid's in-house engineering and design efforts. According to the company, the Air will be able to drive over 400 miles between charges and accelerate from 0-60 mph in under 2.5 seconds. Those specs would make the Air competitive with the Model S, which, depending on the trim, has a maximum range of 402 miles and a 2.3-second 0-60 mph time.
"We're creating a car which is going to be the best car in the world," Rawlinson said. "People are going to want it."
Lucid will unveil the production version of the Air in September before beginning production next year. The vehicle's price will start "well north" of $100,000, Rawlinson said.
Are you a current or former Lucid employee? Do you have an opinion about what it's like to work there? Contact this reporter at mmatousek@businessinsider.com, on Signal at 646-768-4712, or via his encrypted email address mmatousek@protonmail.com.
* Read more:
* Electric pickups are on the way, promising everything from bulletproofing to drinking fountains. Here are some of the wildest features to expect from Tesla, Rivian, and others.
* Tesla is transforming how cars are sold. But 27 insiders say the company's methods mean slashed pay and living in constant fear of getting laid off.
* Elon Musk predicts Tesla will complete the 'basic functionality' needed for fully autonomous driving this year — 4 years after the company started selling 'full self driving' software
* Hydrogen vs. electric: Nikola's CEO reveals why businesses should buy the Nikola Two hydrogen-fueled truck instead of the battery-powered Tesla Semi
SEE ALSO: A Ford Focus driver wound up with a nearly $1,000 ticket after being clocked at 437 mph by a faulty speed camera
Join the conversation about this story »
NOW WATCH: We tested a machine that brews beer at the push of a button
https://bit.ly/3flor6l