Introducing Laurence Cutts, Head of Vehicle Design at Charge Cars.
Our Head of Vehicle Design, Laurence Cutts, joined Charge in April of 2020, at the beginning of the Covid pandemic. Laurence came in as an Independent Designer from McLaren and brings a wealth of knowledge to Charge Cars. We dive deeper in our latest Medium Article.
I joined Charge Cars in 2020. It was a great decision as the prospect of joining a dynamic start-up and being part of its development was really appealing.
Charge was doing something completely unique, it also felt like the right moment to be immersed in an EV programme to learn more about the challenges that brings. I think that wherever one is in their career, it’s healthy to shake things up with a fresh challenge. Taking a ’60s Automotive icon and integrating contemporary technology, raising the quality and respectfully making the whole package relevant in the 21st century has been a great test. Charge is an intimate and focused environment where we can work across the whole car and get involved beyond our usual boundaries, solving issues together. One of the most attractive things about Charge was the prospect of working with Mark Roberts again. We’ve known each other for a long time, have a great relationship and it’s always more fun to get into trouble with friends!
I work predominantly with the wider design team which includes Mark, the CCO, Ben Brown (Lead Studio Engineer), Tim Duncan Booth (Head of Digital Surfacing) and Laura Gostling (Head of Colour, Materials and Finish). But it is important to recognise that the Design and development process is a protracted negotiation with the whole organisation.
I am responsible for the appearance of most of the visible parts in the car, while those surfaces are crafted by Tim Duncan Booth and his team. Our outputs must respect the technical hardpoints (components that can’t be changed), regulatory prerequisites, budgetary requirements, component packaging, quality aspirations, timing constraints, and available manufacturing processes. We balance those inputs and produce a design that is fit for purpose, appealing, coherent and functional.
We now have tools and technology available the original designers could only dream of. With the exterior of the car, we were able to model the original intent in a cleaner way. Since we are moulding carbon fibre body panels, we are not limited by metal stamping constraints. This means that, as well as reducing the overall mass of the car, which is beneficial for performance, we can also reduce the number of split lines in the panels. The new jewel-like LED headlamps and tail lamps look great on the car. The interior has a more comprehensive update. Battery packaging led to dedicating the rear cabin as a stowage area, the front cabin allowed a very clean development as we no longer required a transmission tunnel or fussy driver interfaces. Instead, we have a minimalist user interface by way of the high-quality cluster and central touch screen, clean air outlets and an open footwell. Of course, we kept key elements of the original character in the instrument panel upper and steering wheel. Everything is finished or wrapped in the best quality materials.
Spending so much time re-creating a design made by different people a long time ago is quite a self-indulgent and fascinating process; deciding which elements to clean up and which to leave alone has been a delicate balancing act. For example, we have developed flush front and rear screens which I think are a huge improvement, but we left the door shut line character unchanged, even though it was quirky, for packaging reasons that no longer exist. It would have detracted from the character of the design if we had changed it. I hope our customers find the outcome appealing.
One of the key challenges has been growing the teams and maturing our processes to match the growing scope of work throughout the programme. We must work constructively, challenging and being challenged by other departments. Sometimes jobs have to be expedited or re-prioritised to support other function groups to meet their schedules. We must collaborate to succeed.
I love all of what I do, the variety, the fresh challenges that arise every day and working amongst capable people. That is the reason why I came here and although some of the challenges are unexpected, and often frustrating I love working towards a solution.
My proudest achievement anywhere is getting things done. I can’t wait to get this job finished and on to the next.
