Michael van der Sande takes managing director position as luxury EV manufacturer kicks off European expansion
Michael van der Sande, former managing director of Jaguar Land Rover’s Special Operations division, has taken a new role as MD of Lucid Europe.
He joins as the luxury electric car maker begins its push into European markets; currently operating in Germany, Switzerland, Norway and the Netherlands.
The Californian manufacturer headed up by former Tesla engineer Peter Rawlinson currently produces the Air saloon: a Mercedes-Benz EQS rival with the longest WLTP range of any production car, at 548 miles per charge in ‘Range’ trim.
Autocar previously reported that the model is understood to be arriving in the UK later this year, pending development of a right-hand drive model.
The Air will be followed by the new Lucid Gravity SUV, a high-performance seven-seater expected to use much of the saloon’s technology but with more practical packaging.
It is likely to receive a top-rung ‘Dream Edition’ variant (as offered on the Air), featuring a 1065bhp twin-motor, four-wheel drive powertrain and a 113kWh battery.
Given Rawlinson’s claim that the Gravity will be a “luxury performance SUV like none other”, it could also be offered with the tri-motor powertrain – thought to output around 1600bhp – from the Air Sapphire (pictured below).
That should see the two models easily outdo their Tesla rivals, the Model S and Model X Plaid; of which the former is claimed to dispatch the 0-60mph sprint in 1.9sec.
Van der Sande’s extensive history marketing low-volume luxury and performance products should place him well to find success with Lucid in the coming years.
During his four and a half years with JLR SVO, he oversaw the development and launches of several bespoke products including the Jaguar C-Type Continuation, the Range Rover SV and the Bowler Defender rally car.
In a March 2022 interview with Autocar Business, he said he was “very excited about the electric future”, discussing the next generation of SVO models.
Joining Lucid provides Van der Sande with a rare opportunity to establish his brand as a leader in an emergent market; that for high-end luxury EVs.
He previously held senior positions at Alpine, Renault, Aston Martin, Tesla, Harley-Davidson, Bentley and Nissan.