Lucid loses longtime Apple and Intel exec who steered software division

Lucid Motors’ senior vice president of digital Mike Bell has resigned from his position. The company said in a filing Monday that the longtime Apple and Intel executive’s resignation is “effective immediately, in order to pursue other opportunities.”

Lucid says Bell will serve in an advisory role through mid-August to help “transition” his duties at the company, and has agreed to provide him with severance benefits and a $125,000 consulting fee. Bell, who was in charge of the company’s software development, is leaving as the company struggles to find consistent demand for its luxury Air while also pushing forward with production of its next vehicle, the Gravity SUV.

Bell joined Lucid in 2021 after about six months consulting with the EV startup. Before that, Bell had a brief stint as Rivian’s first chief technology officer. He has a long history in the mobile tech world. He previously ran Intel’s mobile division, helped launch the Palm Pre and spent nearly two decades at Apple where he helped bring the iPhone into the world. Lucid says Bell will be replaced on an interim basis by Derrick Carty, Lucid’s vice president of platform software and an Apple veteran.

Lucid announced the news of Bell’s departure alongside its earnings results for the first quarter of 2024, where the company lost $680 million on 1,967 deliveries of its luxury electric sedan.