Here is a copy of the complete sentence taken from the buyers legal contract signed by buyer and seller.
“Lucid will provide over-the-air software updates for your Vehicle during the term of your Warranty, which may add new features or functionality.”
It does also say that some software or hardware updates may not be available because of issues of incompatibility or missing necessary hardware, I completely agree. It only makes sense that they may not be able to add some features that are technologically incompatible with brand new cars years from now, I have no problem with that it’s fine. That Lucid will supply over the air updates for my vehicle during the term of the warranty is a standalone, complete sentence that means exactly what it says, it doesn’t say they will charge for them after, but it doesn’t say they will not, compatible or not , and that simply means it’s at Lucid‘s discretion, and the cost will be at Lucid ‘s discretion, that’s how contracts work.
Okay. Mine is slightly different. But similar wording. I think it may indeed vary from state to state.
“Lucid may provide Updates containing Software and/or Service enhancements, changes to functionality, corrections, or other modifications that we may make generally available to our customers during the term of your Warranty. After the Warranty expires, future Updates may not be available depending upon the age, model, configuration, or data storage capacity of your Vehicle.”
I totally agree with you on the “at their discretion” part. We’ll get back to that in a minute.
I included the second sentence there because it’s inextricably linked to the first. We may provide updates during the warranty period. AFTER the warranty period, here’s what happens…
And that second statement implies updates are not guaranteed due to age, model, configuration, or data storage. They are outlining the reasons why you would stop getting updates, in other words. And “because we feel like charging you money” isn’t included.
But fair is fair, they absolutely
could use this language and “get away” with charging for regular software updates.
The question I and others on this thread have been asking is “Why on Earth would they be dumb enough to do that?”
Operating system updates have been free as an industry standard for many years now. I remember paying for Mac OS System 7, System 8, and so on.
I can’t think of one example of anyone who charges for operating system updates anymore. Android, iOS, watchOS—they are all free at this point. And to provide an automotive example, Tesla, even, has yet to charge for out-of-warranty software updates. And Tesla is notorious for not giving a flying crap about its customers.
Free updates are the expectation. Lucid would be just begging to get destroyed in the press if they began charging.
If anything, I’d be more afraid of not getting updates because Lucid declares the hardware “obsolete” at their discretion. At that point, no amount of money is going to get you the latest update. But most companies still provide security and other small enhancements moving forward, even if the hardware is no longer supported. And Lucid goes out of its way later in the statement to suggest hardware upgrades may be available for a fee. So if you want to keep your car, you can upgrade your computer hardware and keep going.
Doesn’t sound to me like the intention is to force anyone into buying something they don’t want.
I think it would be incredibly unwise for Lucid to cut off support for older hardware unless they really had to. But if they did it for frivolous reasons, I would go buy a car from someone else next time. The power of capitalism.
They are writing the software, regardless. It costs them nothing to give it to customers who bought four years ago. Conversely, it would cost them millions in lost sales if they were dumb enough to charge $15, or whatever, to everyone who is out of warranty.
We’ll see in three years, when the dreamers start coming off their warranties. None of them is being charged yet for the cellular data connection that Lucid told them would only be free for a year, though. So I wouldn’t hold my breath.
