Air touring configuration

[dawktah LucidGT]

I guess one has to ask the question, what would a test drive do? What type of driving do you do, daily commute, frequent interstate, frequent long trips? The reason I ask in my daily use "performance" although nice really isn't useful. Comfort is important but so far reviewers have said it's good. Not saying you shouldn't buy just trying to see what in modern times a test drive would show?

 

[Lucken]

We are all of different physical statures and tastes and thus what fits one might not fit another. We all have different ‘hot buttons’ that either endear us to a vehicle, turn us off to vehicle or simply leave us feeling, ‘Nice car, but not my cup of tea’.

For me, a test drive tells me about seating comfort, visibility, quietness, ride quality, handling, ease of use or difficulty with often used controls (hello, Tesla) and an overall feeling about quality. You can read 100 reviews, but it’s your perceptions that are unquestionably the only review that counts. There’s a good chance your hot buttons don’t precisely align with that of many reviewers.

Over the years I’ve read many ‘professional’ reviews and upon test driving the same car I’ve either felt reviewers were spot on, overdid a gushing review, were unnecessarily critical or, more commonly, somewhere in between.

At the very least a test drive tells you more about the car than if you had never taken that test drive.

 

[dawktah LucidGT]

I guess I am being too scientific. with the exception of ride, handling and quietness most of these other features can be loosely assessed in Lucid Studio. Tesla have a steep learning curve since so many standards have been removed compared to the those from cars made since the 50's. A lot of what I personally feel is its adaption and muscle memory, that's what makes the inside of a new vehicle feel foreign." I owned a few Porsche and visibility in those cars is awful, wasn't going to be a deterrent not one iota. Their ride was a taunt and wasn't the most comfortable.

Not trying to dissuade anyone, but I think its well worth putting the deposit down hold your space while working out the test drive. Given limited number, I'm sure if you don't like the car it can be sold very quickly! @Sandvinsd @Ovfitbob

 

[hmp10]

Would you consider a color change?

Probably not. As I've said, my agenda is less to get the car as quickly as possible and more to understand what is going on. (See below.)

There is one other concern to consider. If your car is delivered before the end of this year you will receive a $7,500 tax credit.

Yes, and that is one of my reasons for wanting to know what is going on with my delivery. If choosing red puts the tax credit at risk, I at least want to be able to make the decision about whether color is more important that the tax credit. When Rawlinson announced that deliveries would begin in October, I called my Delivery Advisor to see how that squared with her telling me a week earlier that production would not begin for 2-4 months (i. e., late November - late January). She insisted that main production of the Dreams would still not begin until the later dates, but assured me that I was in the early end of deliveries based on my early reservation and order confirmation dates. At that point, knowing the tax credit situation, I asked her whether choosing Zenith Red might push me back, and she said no. Of course, I'm now getting increasingly suspicious about that answer.

There is another reason I'm pressing for an explanation of my delayed production date. More than once in my life I have ordered something and had the order got lost in the bowels of some system. If color, indeed, is not the reason I'm behind someone in the queue who reserved 15 months later than me, I want to know why so that I can be sure my order actually made it into the production scheduling system and didn't disappear down the black hole of some software glitch.

Unfortunately, I've gotten no indication so far from my Delivery Advisor that she actually has access to someone in production scheduling to find out.

 

[Lucken]

I may be wrong, but I thought the change in tax credits for BEVs was still in the proposal stage. If passed, the new tax credits would disqualify us based on the purchase price of the car.

IMO this is absurd. If the motivation of these credits is to get people to switch from ICE to BEVs (regardless of whether they can afford a given car or not), then all BEVs should be treated equally. But I never ascribed the virtue of logic to politicians.

 

[dawktah LucidGT]

I may be wrong, but I thought the change in tax credits for BEVs was still in the proposal stage. If passed, the new tax credits would disqualify us based on the purchase price of the car.

IMO this is absurd. If the motivation of these credits is to get people to switch from ICE to BEVs (regardless of whether they can afford a given car or not), then all BEVs should be treated equally. But I never ascribed the virtue of logic to politicians.

I don't want to derail the conversation but PHEV should NOT qualify and they do. Adoption would be faster putting chargers just about everywhere vs. tax credits.

 

[Ovfitbob]

As I mentioned yesterday, I’m reluctant to put down a deposit on a Touring without knowing the cost of the options and also EDD

 

[dawktah LucidGT]

As I mentioned yesterday, I’m reluctant to put down a deposit on a Touring without knowing the cost of the options and also EDD

I thought they told me it was $300 refundable. Did this change?

 

[Neurio]

All deposits are fully refundable and held in an escrow account (at least they were when I reserved 2 years ago). There's no harm in putting down a deposit and canceling later if you want to hold your spot in line Ofit.

 

[WildRide47]

I may be wrong, but I thought the change in tax credits for BEVs was still in the proposal stage. If passed, the new tax credits would disqualify us based on the purchase price of the car.

IMO this is absurd. If the motivation of these credits is to get people to switch from ICE to BEVs (regardless of whether they can afford a given car or not), then all BEVs should be treated equally. But I never ascribed the virtue of logic to politicians.

More than absurd. It is counterproductive. I even e-mailed my Senator about this. But to no avail.

 

[Ovfitbob]

I’m going to reserve the Touring model today. But do I have to configure in my options, or can I do that at a later date once I get confirmation of my build?

 

[Sandvinsd]

I’m going to reserve the Touring model today. But do I have to configure in my options, or can I do that at a later date once I get confirmation of my build?

You will confirm all the options when it is time to build the car. For now, reserving and putting down the deposit holds your spot in line.

 

[Ovfitbob]

I reserved The Touring model today.
i’m sure it will be sometime before I get confirmation of the build but at least I’m in the queue.

 

[Adnillien]

Awesome choice. I debated a long time between the Touring and the Grand Touring since the Grand Touring has a fairly hefty price premium over the Touring.

 

[Ovfitbob]

I had also considered the Taycan Cross Turismo, but there are many options that simply should be standard. Still a nice car though!

 

[Sandvinsd]

My delivery advisor told me that option pricing would be available in early to mid 2022. I told her that is a wide range, from January to June. She said in Q1 or Q2, but from my conversation, I doubt if anything would be available on option pricing until late Q2

 

[Lucken]

My delivery advisor told me that option pricing would be available in early to mid 2022. I told her that is a wide range, from January to June. She said in Q1 or Q2, but from my conversation, I doubt if anything would be available on option pricing until late Q2

Bizarre. You can order a new model like the BMW i4 today, and even though you might not get the car for 6-9 months, every option is priced to the penny. It’s hard to believe at this late date Lucid doesn’t know what options cost, especially when those same options have already been bought from suppliers for cars they’re producing today and are included as standard.

There are some reasons that we can all theorize, but it won’t change things.

 

[Dortreo]

Bizarre. You can order a new model like the BMW i4 today, and even though you might not get the car for 6-9 months, every option is priced to the penny. It’s hard to believe at this late date Lucid doesn’t know what options cost, especially when those same options have already been bought from suppliers for cars they’re producing today and are included as standard.

There are some reasons that we can all theorize, but it won’t change things.

While it's still possible that Lucid doesn't know the cost of options are because it doesn't yet know the cost of the "base" items in terms of impact on manufacturing (e.g., non-glass roof), it's more likely (and I'm theorizing ) that Lucid doesn't know yet what the optimal price of the options should be.

If Mr. Rawlinson is serious about lowering the cost of EVs, he would try to price the options as low as possible to foster sales of the lower spec models. Or if Lucid wants to encourage people to buy AGTs, it would price the options so that the gap between AT and AGTs is narrower. Somewhere, there's a point (or points) where profits are maximized, and that's dynamic and not always easy to find.

It's also possible that Lucid is having supply chain issues like every other manufacturer. Unlike Tesla, it doesn't have the luxury of raising prices weekly, so it may be trying to figure out whether it can use options to lessen the impact of increasing costs. Rivian, I believe, is facing the same issues and recently said that the price of its options is subject to change. Lucid may be waiting to see what the supply situation is before setting prices for its options.

BMW benefits from years of experience and probably from better supply chain management so it knows exactly how to price options to maximize profits. (Of course, it's had its challenges and is now delivering cars missing features from options packages.) I've decided to go with Lucid over the BMW iX. With the options package I wanted, the iX would have been a $100K SUV with little storage capacity and decent though not earth shattering range.

 

[Lucken]

While it's still possible that Lucid doesn't know the cost of options are because it doesn't yet know the cost of the "base" items in terms of impact on manufacturing (e.g., non-glass roof), it's more likely (and I'm theorizing ) that Lucid doesn't know yet what the optimal price of the options should be.

In terms of their long term survival, I sincerely hope they would have already figured out that part of the equation. Winging it is not a particularly effective path forward to longevity.

If Mr. Rawlinson is serious about lowering the cost of EVs, he would try to price the options as low as possible to foster sales of the lower spec models. Or if Lucid wants to encourage people to buy AGTs, it would price the options so that the gap between AT and AGTs is narrower. Somewhere, there's a point (or points) where profits are maximized, and that's dynamic and not always easy to find.

Agreed. Although I've never mentioned it on this forum, I've always found it very odd to see the price disparity between the highest and lowest trims of this car. I understand he's taking the same approach as did Tesla by releasing the priciest cars first, but the disparity, if you look at the car itself, has never made a lot of sense to me. Sure, the Dream has more 'stuff' in it, but more than double the price? Hmmm. I'm probably alone on this forum in those thoughts, but that's my viewpoint.

It's also possible that Lucid is having supply chain issues like every other manufacturer. Unlike Tesla, it doesn't have the luxury of raising prices weekly, so it may be trying to figure out whether it can use options to lessen the impact of increasing costs. Rivian, I believe, is facing the same issues and recently said that the price of its options is subject to change. Lucid may be waiting to see what the supply situation is before setting prices for its options.

Which is why I mentioned a manufacturer I'm familiar with and just placed an order with. Somehow, even though a brand new electric model for BMW ordered today might not be seen for 6-9 months or more, they have all their options pricing figured out. Further, according to BMW, they have secured enough parts to ensure their upcoming electric cars are not subject to supply chain issues. They're making these cars their priority. Of course the proof is in the pudding and we'll see if they make good on it. However one does know precisely what a fully spec'd out BMW electric will cost today. Lucid? Who knows? Maybe in 6 months. Just odd IMO.

BMW benefits from years of experience and probably from better supply chain management so it knows exactly how to price options to maximize profits. (Of course, it's had its challenges and is now delivering cars missing features from options packages.) I've decided to go with Lucid over the BMW iX. With the options package I wanted, the iX would have been a $100K SUV with little storage capacity and decent though not earth shattering range.

Yes, you're probably right in terms of BMW's experience. Personally I'm not a fan of the iX looks, so at least on that basis, IMO the Lucid is a clear winner. However, as far as pricing is concerned, I still can't fathom that they 'really' don't know what the same parts they're putting in cars now would cost if they were offered as options. It defies my imagination that a start up, that's gotten this far, wouldn't know that. Again, maybe I'm naive and just plain wrong.

 

[Rob Stark]

If BMW prices the iX wrongly and margins crater it won't materially affect financials.

If Lucid prices Air wrongly it could make quarterly results look atrocious vs projections. That wouldn't put Lucid in immediate danger of insolvency but could hinder a return to capital markets to raise more funds.