Air Dream Deliveries?

[mac26mac]

I've had the complete opposite experience with Lucid. They have been responsive, communicative, and prompt.

Granted, I haven't always liked what they have had to say. But I can separate my personal disappointment from my experience.

My VIN was assigned in mid November. I took delivery in late December. I've had my fair share of commonly-discussed software issues, all of which have been promptly addressed by Lucid (I get calls or emails in a lightning-fast speed). Ultimately, we all bought $180k software packages. They will have glitches. But overall, my experience has been favorable.

 

[CLTGT]

My DA is somewhat hit or miss. I have emailed him questions and it usually takes a couple days for him to get back with me. He tends to prefer talking on the phone though to just responding via email. That is a bit of a pain since most of the time I would just prefer an email response since I cannot always answer the call, but at least he tries. The last time was yesterday. He left me a voicemail saying to try him back or he would just respond to my email. Well, almost 24 hours later and no email.

 

[hydbob]

I think it's really summed up by very simple dichotomy.

Pre-Delivery - Definitely needs work
Post-Delivery - Exceptional

 

[CLTGT]

I am predicting an announcement of 4Q21 delivery numbers late tomorrow afternoon after the market closes. Call me a pessimist, but I believe the numbers are not good and you always announce bad results late on a Friday.

 

[Maverick]

I have been on the other side of this as a CFO of a public Company, a multi-billion market cap, highly visible public company. They way they are handling this is just bush-league wrong, not so much from the SEC angle, but from the customer service angle. Customers are generally understanding as long as you tell them what you know and it is the truth. Every single DA should be writing their customers and telling them what caused the delay, what their status is and when they should expect delivery. If the cause of the delay is such that they can't give you a somewhat accurate delivery estimate, they should tell you that as well. They should do this and every one of the impacted customers should have a Lucid golf shirt and hat on their front door the next day. The absolute worst thing they can do is do nothing. That leaves the narrative up to those who do not know the facts, bush-league and irresponsible.

If they are worried that it will negatively impact stock price, that is even worse. They have a duty to report a material adverse event when they are certain of its' condition, not at the end of the quarter. It's a Form 8K and it is there to cover themselves as much as anything. Insider trading is real and they need to worry about it if they have anything they are not reporting. The fact that they will not come out and announce 4Q21 delivery numbers when most everyone else has is just not good. Everyone should assume it's bad or they would have announced already.

Again, their silence is the worst approach. Communication is the key to a happy customer. You cannot have one without the other. I told my DA exactly that Tuesday night.

I'll vote for bush league...new(er) companies do not plan for contingencies when things go wrong with product releases. They're scrambling and to an earlier posters point, the sample size is very small even if it's half the cars they've delivered. I think they just don't have good processes around communications especially when it comes to problems. Likely not a public company conspiracy. My two cents.

 

[CLTGT]

Yea, I do not think it's any sort of "conspiracy", but I do think they need some serious help in communications, what to, how to, when to. There might be some reluctance to announce "bad" news, but that is not the right way to go either. One comment my DA said to me that really bothered me was that "they tried to choose their initial delivery customers based on who would be the most understanding with respect to shortfalls/glitches". All that made me think was that the actual experiences might be worse than what we are actually hearing about. I guess that is to be expected and I might do the same thing in that respect.

 

[Maverick]

Yea, I do not think it's any sort of "conspiracy", but I do think they need some serious help in communications, what to, how to, when to. There might be some reluctance to announce "bad" news, but that is not the right way to go either. One comment my DA said to me that really bothered me was that "they tried to choose their initial delivery customers based on who would be the most understanding with respect to shortfalls/glitches". All that made me think was that the actual experiences might be worse than what we are actually hearing about. I guess that is to be expected and I might do the same thing in that respect.

Yeah, that must be why @hydbob got his early . Just kidding...love all your comments!

 

[hydbob]

Yea, I do not think it's any sort of "conspiracy", but I do think they need some serious help in communications, what to, how to, when to. There might be some reluctance to announce "bad" news, but that is not the right way to go either. One comment my DA said to me that really bothered me was that "they tried to choose their initial delivery customers based on who would be the most understanding with respect to shortfalls/glitches". All that made me think was that the actual experiences might be worse than what we are actually hearing about. I guess that is to be expected and I might do the same thing in that respect.

I don't think that's the case AT ALL. If it were, they never would have delivered a car to Jon Rettinger...

 

[Mountain Man]

I have had my VIN for quite a while. Like others here I was told I would receive my car before year end. My car has completed the production process but is waiting for “fit and finish” like all the other cars. I have not been asked to pay and my Headquarters Assistant has told me she won’t ask for payment until my car is on a truck for delivery to Millbrae. Still no idea when that will happen.

Same here. I figure it's just as well, because we have another 2 months of questionable weather in Denver and I would prefer not to take chances driving the Lucid in bad conditions (or with the gravel they pour all over the roads here).

 

[manitou202]

My guess is they were confident they were going to deliver the DE's by the end of December until this last minute "fit and finish" issue popped up. At this point they had already assigned VIN numbers and even taken payment from several of you. As they have been scrambling to get new parts, the timing of which could change daily, they don't have a clear answer on when things will be resolved so for better or worse, they have chosen to communicate very little.

I can imagine it's very frustrating and they should be communicating more clearly, especially those who have already paid.

The positive is once delivered it sounds like they are communicating and handling issues as expected. Honestly this has been my biggest fear of buying a new EV from a startup. I don't mind dealing with early adopter issues, but I really don't want to deal with poor service.

 

[Easyrider949]

I have been on the other side of this as a CFO of a public Company, a multi-billion market cap, highly visible public company. They way they are handling this is just bush-league wrong, not so much from the SEC angle, but from the customer service angle. Customers are generally understanding as long as you tell them what you know and it is the truth. Every single DA should be writing their customers and telling them what caused the delay, what their status is and when they should expect delivery. If the cause of the delay is such that they can't give you a somewhat accurate delivery estimate, they should tell you that as well. They should do this and every one of the impacted customers should have a Lucid golf shirt and hat on their front door the next day. The absolute worst thing they can do is do nothing. That leaves the narrative up to those who do not know the facts, bush-league and irresponsible.

If they are worried that it will negatively impact stock price, that is even worse. They have a duty to report a material adverse event when they are certain of its' condition, not at the end of the quarter. It's a Form 8K and it is there to cover themselves as much as anything. Insider trading is real and they need to worry about it if they have anything they are not reporting. The fact that they will not come out and announce 4Q21 delivery numbers when most everyone else has is just not good. Everyone should assume it's bad or they would have announced already.

Again, their silence is the worst approach. Communication is the key to a happy customer. You cannot have one without the other. I told my DA exactly that Tuesday night.

This has inspired me to also write to my DA to let him and Lucid Exectutive management know of yours and my frustration regarding communications to Lucid Customers. I think if everyone would write to their own DA we might get some movement with the lack of transparency.

 

[Paladin732]

This has inspired me to also write to my DA to let him and Lucid Exectutive management know of yours and my frustration regarding communications to Lucid Customers. I think if everyone would write to their own DA we might get some movement with the lack of transparency.

I've been in contact with a fairly Senior leader in sales that sent me a pretty clear email that they know what they are communicating and won't provide any more details.

I won't paste her exact email to me when I pushed, but it was a very clear "smackdown". I've not spoken to her since, except yesterday which was a week from my last update to point out my DA had gone radio-silent again and I would like at least some form of updates.

 

[PhotoEye]

Yea, I do not think it's any sort of "conspiracy", but I do think they need some serious help in communications, what to, how to, when to. There might be some reluctance to announce "bad" news, but that is not the right way to go either. One comment my DA said to me that really bothered me was that "they tried to choose their initial delivery customers based on who would be the most understanding with respect to shortfalls/glitches". All that made me think was that the actual experiences might be worse than what we are actually hearing about. I guess that is to be expected and I might do the same thing in that respect.

Lucid's intention was to build a Brand moreover than selling a particular car. The Dream Edition was to represent that Brand and nurture the beginning of a long-term relationship with buyers.

I suspect many DE buyers have means and tend to buy within and across luxury car brands, as evidence in many posts here. Establishing and sustaining this brand loyalty is based on the credibility of the manufacturer and the respect it shows to its customers.

The initial 500 reservation holders accepted the vision of the Lucid Brand, putting aside their awareness of the SPAC, Saudi PIF, favored institutional investors, and other insiders. We got on board for the launch -- with trust.

Since the original Spring 2021 delivery date shifted to October 31st, that trust has been tested again and again. Credibility has been eroding and respect has proven illusory. Is the Dream morphing into a cold-sweat nightmare?

Maya Angelou put it plainly:
"People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel."

For some of us DE buyers on these threads, the excitement and commitment have been tempered irreversibly. This is an unfortunate reality for me, and it so easily could have been avoided with experienced, timely communications.

Sad.

 

[CLTGT]

The one thing both we and the market would like more clarity on is the number of deliveries and projected timing of future deliveries. As a future customer, I would like to see this as it gives me some insight as when to expect my delivery. I would also like to know when they plan to have certain features loaded into the vehicle. Exactly what will my car be able to do, or not do, when it is delivered and how long will I have to wait to get all the other promised features. It's a fair question. Heck, if the answer to the last question is not favorable, I might not mind waiting a bit longer before I lay out that kind of cash. What is their roadmap for the product?

Sounds like their lack of communication is a thought-out strategy. That, in and of itself, is troublesome to contemplate as a customer. I am really going to have to reconsider this purchase given that bit of enlightenment. They won't care too much as Charlotte is going to be a hard place to deliver/service given their current footprint. That being said, I mentioned my pending purchase in cardiac rehab the other day and one of the ladies there just about jumped out of her recumbent bike with excitement. She really was interested in Lucid, but said she had just ordered a new Tesla S. Her husband wanted to wait until all of the kinks were worked out. There is definitely some excitement and buzz around the car at this point in time.

 

[Paladin732]

The one thing both we and the market would like more clarity on is the number of deliveries and projected timing of future deliveries. As a future customer, I would like to see this as it gives me some insight as when to expect my delivery. I would also like to know when they plan to have certain features loaded into the vehicle. Exactly what will me car be able to do when it is delivered and how long will I have to wait to get all the other promised features. It's a fair question. Heck, if the answer to the last question is not favorable, I might not mind waiting a bit longer before I lay out that kind of cash. What is their roadmap for the product?

Sounds like their lack of communication is thought-out strategy. That, in and of itself, is troublesome to contemplate as a customer. I am really going to have to reconsider this purchase given that bit of enlightenment. They won't care too much as Charlotte is going to be a hard place to deliver/service given their current footprint. That being said, I mentioned my pending purchase in cardiac rehab the other day and one of the ladies there just about jumped out of her recumbent bike with excitement. She really was interested in Lucid, but said she had just ordered a new Tesla S. Her husband wanted to wait until all of the kinks were worked out. There is definitely some excitement and buzz around the car at this point in time.

It is very clearly their planned strategy.

One thing I will also share is that I was told they will refuse to do the thing other manufacturers have done where they continue to build cars while customers are waiting on parts. While they have spare parts, anything they don't have or that they need in excess will be pulled from production. Their number one priority is existing sold cars over new cars. That is very reassuring. She shared a story of some "very explosive" conversations when one of the cars needed a repair and there was an extended timeframe. The reaction was "we can't wait that long for the customer. Pull it before the next car in the line and just delay the line"

This jives with what we have heard about post-sales. My guess is the leadership teams for post and pre are drastically different and have different priorities.

 

[CLTGT]

So, they prefer not to communicate over controlling the narrative. Not sure I agree with that, but it is their Company to run. At some point, that will cost them customers, but maybe only for a short while and maybe only a subset that have placed orders, but can't get any detail. It's all about managing expectations and lack of communication is not managing expectations. Oh well, I am going to stop beating a dead horse. They told me I should have my GT by "the end of the quarter" and I am fine with that. I would still like to know what the car will and won't do, but I will assume it will do enough.

The post delivery response to issues/concerns is the one thing that makes me bullish as well as the post delivery feedback on non-software attributes. The supply chain issues are very real, but they are only an excuse to a point. We own a company that builds tugs and other airport related equipment and we are having a bear of a time sourcing certain parts. That being said, we get it done and we communicate with our customers, who tend to be very understanding. They don't mind delays as long as we keep them in the loop.

 

[HC_79]

Funnily enough I just got an email from them today regarding my AGT. I laughed at the "To progress your order, XXX would like to confirm some information, including registration and payment preferences".

Payment preferences for me is that I will pay when it's on the truck or at the dealer and not a moment earlier

 

[hydbob]

So, they prefer not to communicate over controlling the narrative. Not sure I agree with that, but it is their Company to run. At some point, that will cost them customers, but maybe only for a short while and maybe only a subset that have placed orders, but can't get any detail. It's all about managing expectations and lack of communication is not managing expectations. Oh well, I am going to stop beating a dead horse. They told me I should have my GT by "the end of the quarter" and I am fine with that. I would still like to know what the car will and won't do, but I will assume it will do enough.

The post delivery response to issues/concerns is the one thing that makes me bullish as well as the post delivery feedback on non-software attributes. The supply chain issues are very real, but they are only an excuse to a point. We own a company that builds tugs and other airport related equipment and we are having a bear of a time sourcing certain parts. That being said, we get it done and we communicate with our customers, who tend to be very understanding. They don't mind delays as long as we keep them in the loop.

Let me see, I have had these parts replaced so far...

Trunk lid seal
Frunk latches both sides
Chmls..whatever the rear light bar plastic bit
Trunk close button
Trunk liner
Front driver checker latch

I got an update on parts arrival pretty much every other day and service guys were very good at communicating about the status of the car and pickup and delivery. They have always been prompt with service appointments and the service has been excellent.

 

[Pete44]

Funnily enough I just got an email from them today regarding my AGT. I laughed at the "To progress your order, XXX would like to confirm some information, including registration and payment preferences".

Payment preferences for me is that I will pay when it's on the truck or at the dealer and not a moment earlier

@HC_79, I had a lightly different exchange with my DA. I confirmed my AGT on 11/30/21 and have confirmed registration information but have had no discussion on payment preferences. And my DA told me he would have clarity on delivery by end of Q1, but was clear I should not expect delivery until next quarter.

 

[manitou202]

I just sent my DA an email asking for an update considering the original 2-4 month window for delivery starts on Friday. He called me within 20 minutes. Said that they are still building Dream Editions and haven't started Grand Tourings. He said I should expect the delivery to be closer to the end of the 2-4 month window (basically mid-March). He also said I'm one of the first Grand Touring orders and should be in the first batch of cars.

So my guess is no Grand Touring deliveries until late February to early March.

This means they probably delivered less than 200 DE's (as stated above), and probably have built around 300 Dream Editions so far.