Ex-Tesla Eng'r Raps Musk For Belittling His Works On Model S

Former top Tesla engineer Peter Rawlinson — now CEO of rival Lucid Motors — tells "Axios on HBO" that Elon Musk is guilty of "historical revisionism" for downplaying his role in developing the Tesla Model S, Axios reported.

Photo Insert: The Tesla Model S

Why it matters: The rivalry between the two companies is intense. Tesla has dominated the global market for electric vehicles for a decade. But Lucid's debut model, with an unprecedented 520-mile driving range, represents a real threat.

Rawlinson tells "Axios on HBO" that Musk asked him to be chief engineer for the Model S and "I took that from a clean sheet with just about six engineers to the car that you know and love today."

He left Tesla in 2012, he said, because his elderly mom needed him "and I had a boss that wasn't treating me too well" — refusing to elaborate.

In a May 3 tweet, Musk downplayed Rawlinson's role, saying he was never Tesla’s chief engineer and that when he came in, the Model S was already ready to roll. Worse, Musk insisted, Rawlinson did not work on the engine and other parts of the Tesla electric car.

Rawlinson says he's got the business cards and the Securities and Exchange Commission documents to prove his role. "I think it's sort of historical revisionism, isn't it?" Rawlinson criticism came as Time magazine named Musk as its Person of the Year.

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