Almost four months later, I finally got to 1k miles (a review)

[hmp10]

That said, I wouldn't hesitate to recommend to most people as their first electric. It just requires a bit of re-training for most people (as do ALL electrics).

I've been driving EVs for almost seven years. This post made me think back to my first experiences driving an EV -- a 2015 Tesla Model S P90D. The thing I remember most clearly is how struck I was that it drove like any other high-powered sedan, except for quicker acceleration and no transmission shifting. You just put it in gear, put your hands on the steering wheel, press the accelerator, and drive off. The only thing that struck me as odd was the regenerative braking, which took me all of a half hour to embrace with gusto. (The Tesla used Mercedes switchgear and, with my having owned recent Mercedes' cars, I admit that might have eased the transition in terms of operating the car.)

Over the years I have let friends and family test drive our Teslas and now our Lucid Air, all of which we keep set on the highest brake regen setting. They, too, have found that to be the only feature that required any adaptation. Two friends who went on to buy their own EV's (a Mustang Mach-E and VW ID.4) also became huge regen fans but otherwise found driving their EVs to be little different from their ICE vehicles except for drivetrain responsiveness and smoothness.

I really think the only thing about driving an EV that requires any substantive training is trying to maximize range and coming to understand the relationship between indicated range and real-world range for each car. However, if you ever met my miserly, eccentric uncle who obsessed over stratagems to squeeze every last mile out of a tank of gas and who used to put moth balls in his gas tank because he heard that allowed the use of lower-octane gas than was recommended for the car . . . .

 

[hydbob]

I don’t know yet, and haven’t reversed the API… yet.

Will play!

So we are way off topic but you can definitely setup a routine to get the car to heat itself up. Only issue is that through Google Assistant, it will not respond to the car unless it's awake. Right now, the only thing stopping it from being automatic is a way to wake the car up from sleep to activate the routine.

 

[copper]

I don’t know yet, and haven’t reversed the API… yet.

Will play!

Slacker!

 

[Maverick]

So… I knew full dreamdrive pro was not available before my car even shipped so my expectations were set

I have loved the adaptive cruise control - though still learning the art of coming off ACC onto manual control - I tend to still jerk the passengers 30% of the time

The distracted driver was an issue for me the day I picked up my car. I registered my face without glasses/sunglasses, and then proceeded to drive 30miles with very good sunglasses on. Oh boy that got tiring.

Since then, changing out my sunglasses I want to say I have been notified 3-5 times in 1000miles.
but that first day was 3-5 times a minute.

You know, it's funny. When I picked up the car, the SA said we had to adjust the steering wheel after the facial profile mapping didn't work. I figured I would just do it later. Granted only a week in, but I'm not sure I see a reason for the facial recognition. Let me know what I'm missing.

Also on the first EV thing, I've been surprised by how quickly I've adapted. The re-learning hasn't been bad at all. It's already to the point that driving my truck today, I expected the car to slow down more quickly when another car slowed in front of me. Not sure I'd want to go back.

 

[borski]

You know, it's funny. When I picked up the car, the SA said we had to adjust the steering wheel after the facial profile mapping didn't work. I figured I would just do it later. Granted only a week in, but I'm not sure I see a reason for the facial recognition. Let me know what I'm missing.

Also on the first EV thing, I've been surprised by how quickly I've adapted. The re-learning hasn't been bad at all. It's already to the point that driving my truck today, I expected the car to slow down more quickly when another car slowed in front of me. Not sure I'd want to go back.

Facial recognition is used for the seat adjustment if you aren’t carrying the fob.

 

[mac26mac]

Really helpful feedback...I'm far down the queue for a Touring and continues to flirt with eTron and eTron GT. I've had may Audis and remain a big fam

The two cars (Etron SUV and Air) couldn't be more diametrically opposed. The Etron (and I would suspect the Etron GT) is first and foremost a car. It is Audi through and through. It drives like a car. Feels like a car. (Curiously, my wife drives a 2018 Q5. Going from the Etron to a Q5 makes her Q5 feel like a cargo van. Seriously). The Air is a different beast. And range on the Etron is dismal (mine charged to 170 miles this morning at 100%). I have enough confidence now in the range for the Air to ditch the ICE Q5. But I wouldn't want to make an Etron my daily driver (range really sucks! I saw a list that showed the Etron sportback as the least efficient EV on the mkt...but that's the price you pay for a "car").

 

[hmp10]

The Etron . . . drives like a car. Feels like a car . . . . The Air is a different beast.

So you don't feel that the Air drives and feels like a car?

 

[Pete44]

You can set two looks for facial recognition; I have set one with my polarized sunglasses and one without, and it’s been fine.

And yes, you can turn off the warning.

I also set up my second look for sunglasses on and still find the facial recognition feature annoying at times. Will likely turn it off. Wonder how the drowsy alert works. I do like the concept behind that feature.

 

[mac26mac]

So you don't feel that the Air drives and feels like a car?

No. Not in the same way an A8 or S class drives. Or even my Etron (air suspension). The Air certainly drives like a heavy sedan. But it doesn't evoke that riding on air feel that others in the segment and pricepoint do. (Same can be said of any Tesla, but for different reasons).

 

[hmp10]

2002 was the last time I owned an ICE sedan. After that I met my transport needs by forking off in two directions: SUVs and minivans on the one hand and sports cars on the other (Mercedes SL55, three Audi R8s, Mercedes McLaren SLR).

One of the things I like about the Air is that it doesn't have that "riding on air" feeling, but instead offers precise handling and instant dynamic response coupled to a remarkably compliant ride.

A coil spring suspension can be tuned more precisely than an air suspension, which is subject to hysteresis lag. At the same time, it can be made as compliant (or more so) than an air suspension. About the only thing you need an air suspension for in a car is for ride height adjustment.

Our coil-sprung Air handles more precisely and provides more compliance than the air suspensions confer on either our 2015 Tesla Model S or our new Model S Plaid. These things have more to do with suspension calibration choices than the type of suspension.

To me, the Air is the best of both worlds: the space, comfort, and ride quality of a premium sedan with the handling and power (and then some) of an exotic sports car.

I just worry about generalized claims that the Air doesn't "feel like a car". A lot of people who read these forums are trying to decide whether to make the move to an EV, and such an assertion makes the Air seem like a challenge to motoring pleasure. The only things I find different about driving the Air compared to any well-engineered ICE vehicle are:

- it will accelerate more quickly
- the drivetrain is smoother and quieter
- you can do one-pedal driving (which I now sorely miss every time I get into our ICE minivan).

 

[Sandvinsd]

- you can do one-pedal driving (which I now sorely miss evert time I get into our ICE minivan).

Absolutely! Every time I get in our ICE minivan, I miss that too, and the adaptive cruise control but that is not specific to EVs.

 

[Bbq9]

Really, does just putting on sunglasses throws it for a loop? That is a major problem. Can you turn distracted driver off? I would say I have sunglasses on around 75% of the time. Is it a specific type of sunglasses?

Actually it was ONE pair of sunglasses that are extremely polarised and tinted. I’ve had no problem with other sunglasses (even though I registered my face with none)

 

[copper]

Actually it was ONE pair of sunglasses that are extremely polarised and tinted. I’ve had no problem with other sunglasses (even though I registered my face with none)

I’ll make sure to test this when I take delivery. I used polarized sunglasses almost all the time when driving.

 

[CLTGT]

Same here. I have had many pairs of the same Maui Jim's for years.

 

[Bbq9]

Same here. I have had many pairs of the same Maui Jim's for years.

It might be - as I think @borski mentioned - you need to add a second ”face” to the profile recognition.
I’ve not done this yet.
but current sunnies seem to work fine. YMMV, but at least adding the second face is an option

 

[borski]

Same here. I have had many pairs of the same Maui Jim's for years.

I use Maui Jim’s as well. Huge fan. They work totally fine with the second face added.

 

[F1_watches]

As much as Tesla customer service and build quality experience leaves way too much to be desired, they do have some really useful everyday features that Lucid should quickly add, such as preheating the cabin on a set schedule. Just last night, Tesla did an OTA that now enables you to add more everyday icons to the home screen; icons that used to be in submenus such as seat heating, window defroster. Another really cool and simple feature is just swiping down from the nav search window will automatically set the nav to your home (or office if you are already home). I bet Lucid has some similar cool easy software enhancements up its sleeve.

 

[hydbob]

As much as Tesla customer service and build quality experience leaves way too much to be desired, they do have some really useful everyday features that Lucid should quickly add, such as preheating the cabin on a set schedule. Just last night, Tesla did an OTA that now enables you to add more everyday icons to the home screen; icons that used to be in submenus such as seat heating, window defroster. Another really cool and simple feature is just swiping down from the nav search window will automatically set the nav to your home (or office if you are already home). I bet Lucid has some similar cool easy software enhancements up its sleeve.

Just to touch on the nav home thing, that is actually something that stays on the driver panel anytime you hit the home button, home and work shortcuts for nav.