Speculation Gravity Features

[Adnillien]

I think I remember either Derek Jenkins or Erich Bach on some video mentioning that the height adjustment range was near 6 inches, but whoever said it did not give the maximum and minimum ground clearances.

I remember hearing 9" total in height adjustment at the LA Auto Show but no mention of ground clearance. I could be mistaken though. I also remember hearing something about a HUD that shows as not available in this review.

 

[hmp10]

I also remember hearing something about a HUD that shows as not available in this review.

I also heard a HUD mentioned in one of the interviews with Lucid personnel, but nothing since. In fact, another Lucid staff member mentioned that the combination of the squircle and the raised Glass Cockpit put all the relevant information in the driver's line of sight -- a point I took to imply that a HUD would be superfluous. I've driven a couple of cars with HUDs, and the only feature that ever appealed to me was the overlay on NAV directional signals on the actual turns ahead. But for that feature not to be more confusing than helpful, you'd have to be using more precise mapping than HERE currently offers.

P.S. I did not get an autocorrect alert when I typed "squircle". I guess that term has taken root in our vocabulary . . . sigh. I just hope when I finally try it, I don't feel compelled to name it a "squeel". (We're getting the yoke on our Model S swapped for a wheel on the 18th, at which point I might not mind occasionally driving that car again.)

 

[hydbob]

I also heard a HUD mentioned in one of the interviews with Lucid personnel, but nothing since. In fact, another Lucid staff member mentioned that the combination of the squircle and the raised Glass Cockpit put all the relevant information in the driver's line of sight -- a point I took to imply that a HUD would be superfluous. I've driven a couple of cars with HUDs, and the only feature that ever appealed to me was the overlay on NAV directional signals on the actual turns ahead. But for that feature not to be more confusing than helpful, you'd have to be using more precise mapping than HERE currently offers.

P.S. I did not get an autocorrect alert when I typed "squircle". I guess that term has taken root in our vocabulary . . . sigh. I just hope when I finally try it, I don't feel compelled to name it a "squeel". (We're getting the yoke on our Model S swapped for a wheel on the 18th, at which point I might not mind occasionally driving that car again.)

Let's put it this way, Peter REALLY wants a HUD in the Gravity. Source: my ears.

 

[Lucken]

(We're getting the yoke on our Model S swapped for a wheel on the 18th, at which point I might not mind occasionally driving that car again.)

I had mentioned early on, when Tesla first showed the yoke, what a huge mistake that would be. They didn’t listen to me and are now in good company with my wife.

 

[AirDoll]

I also heard a HUD mentioned in one of the interviews with Lucid personnel, but nothing since. In fact, another Lucid staff member mentioned that the combination of the squircle and the raised Glass Cockpit put all the relevant information in the driver's line of sight -- a point I took to imply that a HUD would be superfluous. I've driven a couple of cars with HUDs, and the only feature that ever appealed to me was the overlay on NAV directional signals on the actual turns ahead. But for that feature not to be more confusing than helpful, you'd have to be using more precise mapping than HERE currently offers.

P.S. I did not get an autocorrect alert when I typed "squircle". I guess that term has taken root in our vocabulary . . . sigh. I just hope when I finally try it, I don't feel compelled to name it a "squeel". (We're getting the yoke on our Model S swapped for a wheel on the 18th, at which point I might not mind occasionally driving that car again.)

https://twitter.com/x/status/1740900898627588468

 

[hmp10]

I remember hearing 9" total in height adjustment at the LA Auto Show but no mention of ground clearance.

I did a little digging this morning and found an interview with Derek Jenkins. He was discussing airflow management of the Gravity and said that at 45mph the car drops "about 40mm" to lower drag. He did not specify from what height.

I cannot believe that's the limit of height adjustment that will be available for this vehicle. There has been mention of an air suspension option called "Zero Gravity", claiming four ride height levels that can be set automatically or manually. Maybe the 6" or 9" figures we think we remember hearing about referred to the adjustment range with this optional suspension, and Jenkins was referring to the air flow adjustment of the base suspension?

His comments are at 20:46 in this video:

 

[OCDC]

P.S. I did not get an autocorrect alert when I typed "squircle". I guess that term has taken root in our vocabulary . . . sigh.

I first remember seeing that term to describe the new taillights specific to the C4 Corvette ZR1. It was controversial then too.

 

[Alex]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1740900898627588468

The HUD “slide show" displays:

EXTENDED VISION​

–––––––––––––––​

See beyond the Vehicle​

​

And the general scope of the presentation is in line whith what Derek mentioned in an interview.

 

[Tesla2.0]

(We're getting the yoke on our Model S swapped for a wheel on the 18th, at which point I might not mind occasionally driving that car again.)

Been driving this MS from Turo last 10 days. You can see the wear and tear on the corners of yoke wheel in merely 2.5 years old car. Turo owner told me Tesla said will replace these as there was manufacturing issue. I don’t know…

My muscle memory already adapted to this yoke wheel, but what is really bad design is that honk horn button floating around whoever you turn the wheel. That is stupidity! It should always stay in center of wheel. At the moment of emergency, there is no time to look where the horn button moved to.

 

[hmp10]

Been driving this MS from Turo last 10 days. You can see the wear and tear on the corners of yoke wheel in merely 2.5 years old car. Turo owner told me Tesla said will replace these as there was manufacturing issue. I don’t know…
View attachment 19145
My muscle memory already adapted to this yoke wheel, but what is really bad design is that honk horn button floating around whoever you turn the wheel. That is stupidity! It should always stay in center of wheel. At the moment of emergency, there is no time to look where the horn button moved to.

The yoke on our Tesla has also shed three plugs of its covering. We were given a choice of having it replaced with a wheel at no charge or waiting until new yokes become available with this problem corrected. We are opting for the wheel, which will be installed on March 18.

Not only the horn button, but the inept placement of the turn signal buttons also plagues me. They are not intuitive in the best of circumstances, but trying to find the correct button to press if you want to engage the signal while going around a curve is a downright challenge.

Other companies have done a yoke much better. In Ferraris the button for each turn signal is located on that respective side of the wheel. The Ferrari also has variable ratio steering which makes it much easier to use the yoke at low speeds.

 

[hmp10]

I just rewatched the EV Pulse video in which Zen Coughenour, the head of Lucid interior design, takes us on a tour of Lucid design. I noticed a lot of wear on the sliding glass cover of the center console:

I had assumed the striping was either etched on the glass or was sandwiched between two layers of glass, but this appears to be an appliqué that doesn't hold up well. I'm assuming (hoping?) this will be addressed in the production version. However, having to have the illuminated Lucid logo in the chrome blade on the front of the Air hood replaced for similar chipping issues, I do wonder if it will get overlooked.

 

[MorganB]

I just rewatched the EV Pulse video in which Zen Coughenour, the head of Lucid interior design, takes us on a tour of Lucid design. I noticed a lot of wear on the sliding glass cover of the center console:

View attachment 20591

I had assumed the striping was either etched on the glass or was sandwiched between two layers of glass, but this appears to be an appliqué that doesn't hold up well. I'm assuming (hoping?) this will be addressed in the production version. However, having to have the illuminated Lucid logo in the chrome blade on the front of the Air hood replaced for similar chipping issues, I do wonder if it will get overlooked.

These are hand built prototypes so beyond the design it's really hard to get an idea of how production parts will wear from these early examples. Just like when the Gravity was wrapped you couldn't really tell exactly what it would look like. I wouldn't be concerned personally.

 

[DeaneG]

...I had assumed the striping was either etched on the glass or was sandwiched between two layers of glass, but this appears to be an appliqué that doesn't hold up well. I'm assuming (hoping?) this will be addressed in the production version.

I wouldn't worry. You'd make a few pieces with a decal or paint to test the overall design. Production parts would likely be etched.

 

[hmp10]

I noticed something interesting in the new episode of "The Road to Gravity" that Lucid just posted. The Gravity is wearing Hankook tires for cold weather testing. It's the Evo Ion, one of the EV-specific tires that Hankook has developed. Is Hankook going to be a supplier to production Lucids?

 

[xponents]

I noticed something interesting in the new episode of "The Road to Gravity" that Lucid just posted. The Gravity is wearing Hankook tires for cold weather testing. It's the Evo Ion, one of the EV-specific tires that Hankook has developed. Is Hankook going to be a supplier to production Lucids?

View attachment 20683

Our EV9 has these same tires, and from what I could tell from my research (I wanted to see if there were more efficient tires), they have some of the lowest rolling resistances in the segment. So yes, Lucid may be using Hankook as the "range-optimized" tire and it seems like a common choice for these EV SUVS.

One thing I'm confused about.. what is the purpose of the old Pirelli LM1 then? We've seen Gravity with Michelin, Pirelli, AND Hankook tires at this point. That's a lot of tire manufacturers for just one car.

 

[hmp10]

Our EV9 has these same tires, and from what I can tell they have some of the lowest rolling resistances in the segment. So yes, Lucid may be using Hankook as the "range-optimized" tire.

One thing I'm confused about.. what is the purpose of the old Pirelli LM1 then? We've seen Gravity with Michelin, Pirelli, AND Hankook tires at this point. That's a lot of manufacturers for just one car.

I've put Hankook tires on a couple of cars before and found them just fine in the handling and wear departments for a given application.

It's common for automakers to source tires from different companies. I think Pirelli and Lucid worked together early on to develop the LM1 to handle the weight and extreme torque challenges the upper-trim Lucid Airs were going to present. Although most tire manufacturers are now producing EV-specific tires, Pirelli was one of the early players in the field. As products for EV applications expand, it would be normal -- and prudent -- for Lucid to broaden its supply conduit.

 

[Bus Driver]

I've put Hankook tires on a couple of cars before and found them just fine in the handling and wear departments for a given application.

It's common for automakers to source tires from different companies. I think Pirelli and Lucid worked together early on to develop the LM1 to handle the weight and extreme torque challenges the upper-trim Lucid Airs were going to present. Although most tire manufacturers are now producing EV-specific tires, Pirelli was one of the early players in the field. As products for EV applications expand, it would be normal -- and prudent -- for Lucid to broaden its supply conduit.

How are Hankooks generally, with regards to tyre noise? More than handling capability and durability, I prize low road noise over anything.

I’m due to change out my OEMs within the next month or two. By then they’ll have close to 40,000 miles. So, I’m starting to shop around.

 

[hmp10]

How are Hankooks generally, with regards to tyre noise? More than handling capability and durability, I prize low road noise over anything.

Sorry, but I don't remember. I'm not that sensitive to tire noise unless it reaches extreme levels, and I certainly don't remember that.

In any case, they are a new tire line and might differ in noise level from earlier Hankook tires. There aren't any tests of them yet on Tire Rack, my "go to" place for tire information. However, of the three user reviews that have been posted there, two specifically commented on how quiet they were. There were also references to their getting strong reviews on the Tesla forums.

https://www.tirerack.com/tires/hankook-ion-evo-as-suv

 

[xponents]

Sorry, but I don't remember. I'm not that sensitive to tire noise unless it reaches extreme levels, and I certainly don't remember that.

In any case, they are a new tire line and might differ in noise level from earlier Hankook tires. There aren't any tests of them yet on Tire Rack, my "go to" place for tire information. However, of the three user reviews that have been posted there, two specifically commented on how quiet they were. There were also references to their getting strong reviews on the Tesla forums.

https://www.tirerack.com/tires/hankook-ion-evo-as-suv

Yes, they are indeed very quiet on the road (which shocked me; I thought they would be loud based on my previous experiences with the brand). I have a moderate hearing loss, but even with hearing aids, it is a very quiet SUV. The Michelins we also "tried out" (no recollection of model, but they were EV optimized) were slightly louder than the Hankooks, if that gives a point of reference.

 

[DeaneG]

I remember hearing 9" total in height adjustment at the LA Auto Show but no mention of ground clearance. I could be mistaken though. I also remember hearing something about a HUD that shows as not available in this review.

I imagine that should have been a maximum of 9" ground clearance. Typically, SUVs with air suspension have a height adjustment range of four inches or less. Maybe 5-9" ground clearance range for the Gravity.