2 Week Review

[Lucidriver]

I have had my Lucid Air Dream edition for 2 weeks - here are my initial observations

+
the build quality is very good and I like the exterior design very much (everyone comments about it very positively)
the Lucid drives and handles very nicely
the fit and finish of the interior is very nice and the use of materials is very refreshing
the shape of the dash is very nice (although the shape might hinder functionality)
the steering wheel is particularly nice in its feel and design (except for the right volume control knob which you have to keep moving up or down - it doesn’t fully rotate) and the flat bottom is hefty in a very good way
the front headlights provide excellent visibility (but you see 4 “black squares” in the upper part of the illumination which is annoying)

-
the A pillars are extremely think and because of the angle of the windshield create a large visibility problem
the sun visor is right in the middle of the windshield and greatly negates the visibility advantage of such a large piece of glass - it should either fold in 1/2 or be mounted on the side like the Tesla X
the front windshield also appears slightly distorted because of its steep rake and the reflections from the upper dash
the floor mats are too light in color and show dirt almost immediately
the key is too plasticky and light and is not befitting the car
the dash shows the range when you get in or out of the car but when you are driving it only shows the battery %
when you are stopped the car will often roll backwards - this is unacceptable - even if you press on the brake firmly to lock the brake this often lasts for only a second or so and the car will roll backwards
the wireless phone charger will fit an iphone 13 pro max only if it is not in a case
the passenger airbag warning light stays on all the time if no one is in the passenger seat - it is bright orange and basically at eye level as it is by the rear view mirror - this is extremely annoying at night
the multi speaker stereo system sounds slightly above average but once again certainly not befitting a car of this price
the interior of the door pull is plastic and not in keeping with the rest of the interior - it should be alcantara or another substantial and tactile material
when driving sometimes you have to depress the accelerator a lot for the car to get up to speed (it can be very laggy) - it makes you feel like the car is pulling a trailer
because the door is so large and the windshield so sloped it it hard to reach out and close the door upon entry - it could really use the Tesla X door closing mechanism

im going to address the software/infotainment in a subsequent post as I have a lot of comments - and very few of them are positive

 

[Harrison]

To change battery meter from % to mi go to settings -> display -> units

hill hold shoule be an option in settings somewhere but I can’t remember where right now

 

[hydbob]

My biggest concern in your review is the acceleration...you are the first person to comment about accelerating and the need to push down hard to get up to speed. Is that in smooth mode? When I push the acceleration hard down in smooth I'm literally pushed back hard into the seat.

 

[hydbob]

To change battery meter from % to mi go to settings -> display -> units

hill hold shoule be an option in settings somewhere but I can’t remember where right now

It's under drive settings, same place to adjust the creep, traction control, and regen mode.

 

[hellolucid]

when you are stopped the car will often roll backwards - this is unacceptable - even if you press on the brake firmly to lock the brake this often lasts for only a second or so and the car will roll backwards

does that mean the car rolls backwards even when you have the brake depressed?

 

[Lucken]

I can’t begin to imagine the brakes won’t hold at a stop even when depressed. That would be a huge safety issue. I’m sure he’s talking about firmly pressing the brake and then lifting his foot off the pedal. As Harrison mentioned, he must not have activated the hold assist function.

As more reviews are posted, we get a better, more rounded picture of the car. As an example, unless I missed it in other reviews, I don’t recall reading about compromised visibility as the result of the thick A pillars in combination with the slope of the windshield.

 

[manitou202]

I thought the Air offered one pedal driving when full regen is selected?

If you release the accelerator, does the regen bring the car to a complete stop at a reasonable rate? Once it's stopped, does it hold the car on hill?

 

[hmp10]

I've also had my car two weeks today. Here's what I would add:

the front windshield also appears slightly distorted because of its steep rake and the reflections from the upper dash

Although a pre-production reviewer noted windshield distortion, I've seen none in my car.

the floor mats are too light in color and show dirt almost immediately

I've been surprised by how clean they've remained, even after getting into the car with wet shoes from a parking lot. However, I'm in southern Florida where we don't deal with snow and slush.

when you are stopped the car will often roll backwards - this is unacceptable - even if you press on the brake firmly to lock the brake this often lasts for only a second or so and the car will roll backwards

This is addressed with an adjustment in the settings menu.

the wireless phone charger will fit an iphone 13 pro max only if it is not in a case

Yes, this is a problem. I'm mystified why the charger cradle is so tight . . . and why there is wireless charging only for the driver's phone.

the passenger airbag warning light stays on all the time if no one is in the passenger seat - it is bright orange and basically at eye level as it is by the rear view mirror - this is extremely annoying at night

Yes, this is highly distracting. When I get around to it, I"m going to cover it with a piece of black electrical tape. Another poster has done the same with a tinted tape.

the multi speaker stereo system sounds slightly above average but once again certainly not befitting a car of this price

I find the audio system to be the best I've ever experienced in a car . . . when it is working properly. I've had several episodes of the bass disappearing, leaving a shallow, tinny sound spectrum on material I know to have deep bass in it.

when driving sometimes you have to depress the accelerator a lot for the car to get up to speed (it can be very laggy) - it makes you feel like the car is pulling a trailer

You must be keeping the car set in "Smooth" mode (which is the default setting upon starting the car), which deliberately retards throttle response to tame the huge, immediate torque thrust of the car. Changing the setting to "Swift" mode will noticeably increase throttle response. And setting it to "Sprint" mode will throw you (and passengers) against the headrests with an immediate rush of brutal acceleration, on a par with our Tesla Model S Plaid.

because the door is so large and the windshield so sloped it it hard to reach out and close the door upon entry - it could really use the Tesla X door closing mechanism

So true. One of our mobile service techs said the Dreams were delivered with the pistons installed so that a later software update can activate power door operation. However, someone at HQ told me the Dreams don't have the hardware for the power-operated doors that are planned for later production. I have been unable to resolve this conflicting information.

im going to address the software/infotainment in a subsequent post as I have a lot of comments - and very few of them are positive

Same here. My constant screen freezes have returned, along with other issues. Lucid has, however, decided to replace the main computer module, and we are just waiting for the part to arrive at the Service Center, where the car must be taken for this repair.

 

[hmp10]

Another surprise yesterday . . . .

My permanent license plate arrived. To remove the license plate frame holding the temporary plate with which the car was delivered, I started by popping off the four caps over the mounting screws. I then started with the lower left screw but found it just rotated freely without backing out. I eased my finger under that corner of the frame to feel what was going on, and the upper left corner pulled away from the trunk without seeming to be attached to anything. Only the right two screws were actually holding the frame in place.

When I got the frame off, I found a truly bizarre mounting method. There is a backplate bolted to the trunk panel. On top of that backplate are four rubber spacers, apparently meant to float the frame away from the car so that it does not damage the paint. The screws for the frame go into threaded brass inserts in the rubber spacers but do not reach into the backplate. AND . . . the rubber spacers are mounted to the backplate only by tiny circles of double stick tape. That is all that is holding the plate on the car.

I tried to jerry-rig things by using some double-stick tape I had on hand to reattach the rubber spacers to the backplate, but the tape did not take a firm grip on the textured plastic backplate. Also, a couple of the brass inserts had pushed partway out of the rubber spacers from my attempts to remove the screws.

I called Customer Service to see if they could send me a new backplate assembly. Instead, they said that a Service Center will contact me today. Meanwhile, every time I get out of the car, I check to see if the plate is still hanging on with only two small pieces of adhesive tape keeping the right-side spacers attached to the backplate.

 

[hydbob]

Another surprise yesterday . . . .

My permanent license plate arrived. To remove the license plate frame holding the temporary plate with which the car was delivered, I started by popping off the four caps over the mounting screws. I then started with the lower left screw but found it just rotated freely without backing out. I eased my finger under that corner of the frame to feel what was going on, and the upper left corner pulled away from the trunk without seeming to be attached to anything. Only the right two screws were actually holding the frame in place.

When I got the frame off, I found a truly bizarre mounting method. There is a backplate bolted to the trunk panel. On top of that backplate are four rubber spacers, apparently meant to float the frame away from the car so that it does not damage the paint. The screws for the frame go into threaded brass inserts in the rubber spacers but do not reach into the backplate. AND . . . the rubber spacers are mounted to the backplate only by tiny circles of double stick tape. That is all that is holding the plate on the car.

I tried to jerry-rig things by using some double-stick tape I had on hand to reattach the rubber spacers to the backplate, but the tape did not take a firm grip on the textured plastic backplate. Also, a couple of the brass inserts had pushed partway out of the rubber spacers from my attempts to remove the screws.

I called Customer Service to see if they could send me a new backplate assembly. Instead, they said that a Service Center will contact me today. Meanwhile, every time I get out of the car, I check to see if the plate is still hanging on with only two small pieces of adhesive tape keeping the right-side spacers attached to the backplate.

That's weird? The backplate that's bolted on has screw holes as well from what I remember?

 

[hydbob]

I thought the Air offered one pedal driving when full regen is selected?

If you release the accelerator, does the regen bring the car to a complete stop at a reasonable rate? Once it's stopped, does it hold the car on hill?

It does, you have to have regen set to high and have the car on hold instead of creep

 

[hmp10]

That's weird? The backplate that's bolted on has screw holes as well from what I remember?

It does have holes over which the rubber spacers sit. But, between the plastic washers that sit atop the frame, the frame, the license plate, and the rubber spacers, the screws are not long enough to reach those holes. I tried to dry fit a screw directly into one of those holes, and the hole did not seem to be threaded. The threading is in the brass inserts in the rubber spacers.

I've been mounting license plates on cars for 50 years with no problems. I've never seen a mounting system that is this both this elaborate and insubstantial at the same time.

 

[hydbob]

It does have holes over which the rubber spacers sit. But, between the plastic washers that sit atop the frame, the frame, the license plate, and the rubber spacers, the screws are not long enough to reach those holes. I tried to dry fit a screw directly into one of those holes, and the hole did not seem to be threaded. The threading is in the brass inserts in the rubber spacers.

That's odd, my plate had the threading with just plain rubber washers for spacing. But I also had to ask service for a longer set of screws, I initially just screwed the plate directly to the black plate holder and then when service came with longer screws they put it on themselves. I just my front mounting plate and that one is threaded also.

 

[hmp10]

Did you notice any threaded brass inserts? If so, were they in the backplate holes or the rubber spacers?

When I first got the temporary plate off, I noticed that the inserts were precisely seated in a couple of the spacers but pushed through the spacers partly into the backplate holes in two others. I was just assuming the inserts were meant to be in the spacers, as the screws were not long enough to reach the inserts if they were in the backplate holes. And I don't really see the need for threaded inserts in the backplate, as the backplate itself could have been threaded to take screws.

I'm assuming that Lucid is going to send a mobile tech to deal with this, as they seemed befuddled by my request just to send me a new backplate assembly and instead said I would be contacted by a Service Center.

 

[hydbob]

Did you notice any threaded brass inserts? If so, were they in the backplate holes or the rubber spacers?

When I first got the temporary plate off, I noticed that the inserts were precisely seated in a couple of the spacers but pushed through the spacers partly into the backplate holes in two others. I was just assuming the inserts were meant to be in the spacers, as the screws were not long enough to reach the inserts if they were in the backplate holes. And I don't really see the need for threaded inserts in the backplate, as the backplate itself could have been threaded to take screws.

I'm assuming that Lucid is going to send a mobile tech to deal with this, as they seemed befuddled by my request just to send me a new backplate assembly and instead said I would be contacted by a Service Center.

Yea the mounting plate itself has the threaded brass inserts. My car came with the temp plate and frame screwed into the mounting plate. But when my permanent plate came and I tried mounting it, the screws they left for me were too short with the washers themselves, so I just screwed the permanent plate directly to the mounting plates threaded brass holes without the rubber washer spacers.

 

[hmp10]

I just my front mounting plate and that one is threaded also.

I just looked at my front mounting plate, too, which I had never taken out of its wrapping. It has threaded brass inserts in its holes.

 

[hmp10]

But when my permanent plate came and I tried mounting it, the screws they left for me were too short with the washers themselves, so I just screwed the permanent plate directly to the mounting plates threaded brass holes without the rubber washer spacers.

I just got a call from Lucid. They are air shipping me an "adapter kit" they are sending out to customers who are having this problem. The kit includes longer screws that will reach the backplate. They told me to take the inserts out of the rubber spacers and press fit them into the backplate. Apparently someone had placed the inserts into the spacers because the original screws were only long enough to penetrate the spacers. That left only the tiny circles of adhesive tape on the back of the spacers holding the license plate and frame to the car.

 

[Alex]

I started by popping off the four caps over the mounting screws.

I tried that and had a hard time. Then I realized those caps are actually screwed in.

 

[Alex]

I just got a call from Lucid. They are air shipping me an "adapter kit" they are sending out to customers who are having this problem. The kit includes longer screws that will reach the backplate. They told me to take the inserts out of the rubber spacers and press fit them into the backplate. Apparently someone had placed the inserts into the spacers because the original screws were only long enough to penetrate the spacers. That left only the tiny circles of adhesive tape on the back of the spacers holding the license plate and frame to the car.

I didn't have much trouble with the permanent license plate, other than I didn't realize that the caps unscrew. When putting the screws back on, one of them went in but then didn't tighten - it just spins. The rest will tighten fully and stop spinning. Maybe I need one of these kits too, because from the sound of all this rubber spacer/backplate/press fit/adhesive tape stuff maybe my plate will fall off?

 

[hydbob]

If your mounting plate had the threaded brass, you are probably okay