DreamConnect Premium

[Ozzie118]

I was reviewing my order agreement and it states "DreamConnect Premium is included for the first 90 days of ownership on all Lucid vehicles'. What is DreamConnect Premium? I can't find information online about it.

 

[dhruv]

Sounds like car WiFi connection to me which will likely be a monthly subscription after trial

 

[Ozzie118]

As per my Lucid Sales Rep, "The Dream Connect Premium is specific to Gravity at the moment - They just have the verbiage in the order agreement already."

 

[pyle112]

As per my Lucid Sales Rep, "The Dream Connect Premium is specific to Gravity at the moment - They just have the verbiage in the order agreement already."

I'm reading that new air owners have dream connect language in their contracts

 

[Ozzie118]

I'm reading that new air owners have dream connect language in their contracts

Correct. I ordered the Air Touring and this is the exact verbiage taken from my order agreement. Don’t see how they can say it is only applicable to Gravity orders if it is a the order agreement.

 

[tonybot]

Wondering if there are plans to introduce driver assistance features that can be subscribed like Tesla does. I have heard nothing about it and have no insider knowledge. I am just speculating.

 

[hmp10]

Wondering if there are plans to introduce driver assistance features that can be subscribed like Tesla does. I have heard nothing about it and have no insider knowledge. I am just speculating.

I think a lot of such questions will be on the table when a new CEO takes over. I get the impression (and it's only that) that Rawlinson was so focused on design and engineering that he didn't give a lot of attention to revenue streams outside of car sales and licensing (with the latter having produced no big hits thus far).

Other carmakers are certainly playing with the notion of subscription features on cars. Tesla has gone further with it thus far on the strength of what has been, until recently at least, a remarkably tolerant fan base. (We pay a subscription fee for connectivity in our 2021 Model S Plaid.) But other carmakers seem to be poking around the edges to find their entry points into such practices. Mercedes. toyed with a plan to make 10º rear-wheel-steering a subscription feature over the base 4º until they got pushback. BMW tried the same thing with making seat and steering wheel heating a subscription feature. I don't now remember what came of that foray.

If Lucid goes in that direction, I think cellular connectivity will be their entry point. In fact, these sales agreements seem to suggest they're already standing at the door.

 

[borski]

I think a lot of such questions will be on the table when a new CEO takes over. I get the impression (and it's only that) that Rawlinson was so focused on design and engineering that he didn't give a lot of attention to revenue streams outside of car sales and licensing (with the latter having produced no big hits thus far).

Other carmakers are certainly playing with the notion of subscription features on cars. Tesla has gone further with it thus far on the strength of what has been, until recently at least, a remarkably tolerant fan base. (We pay a subscription fee for connectivity in our 2021 Model S Plaid.) But other carmakers seem to be poking around the edges to find their entry points into such practices. Mercedes. toyed with a plan to make 10º rear-wheel-steering a subscription feature over the base 4º until they got pushback. BMW tried the same thing with making seat and steering wheel heating a subscription feature. I don't now remember what came of that foray.

If Lucid goes in that direction, I think cellular connectivity will be their entry point. In fact, these sales agreements seem to suggest they're already standing at the door.

I think you’re looking too far into it. Lucid has always said they’ll eventually charge for connectivity. My car included free connectivity “for a year.”

They just never got around to charging for it.

But I don’t think this portends subscription fees for various features. If they tried to charge me monthly for steering wheel heating, I’d sell my car.

 

[hmp10]

I think you’re looking too far into it. Lucid has always said they’ll eventually charge for connectivity. My car included free connectivity “for a year.”

They just never got around to charging for it.

But I don’t think this portends subscription fees for various features. If they tried to charge me monthly for steering wheel heating, I’d sell my car.

Yeah, I knew connectivity fees were in the cards for Lucid. I've actually been surprised by how long it took and don't really object to it.

But I have seen so many things become wedges that bring more questionable things in their train that I do worry. Perhaps the best example was how paying cable subscriptions once promised that moving from network broadcast to fee-based narrowcasting would free us from the intrusions of advertising. Yet fee-based cable and streaming services are now as loaded with advertising as broadcasting ever was -- and then fee-based extra features were piled in on top of fee-based basic services, once again promising to free us from advertising at the new tier . . . and with in-product advertising now even being loaded into that new tier of fees. It's an endless cycle that will continue until consumers finally start saying "no" in large enough numbers.

I hope you're right that connectivity fees don't portend more at Lucid. But if that is the case, it will probably make them an eventual outlier in the industry. I hope the next CEO will be comfortable with that.

 

[borski]

But I have seen so many things become wedges that bring more questionable things in their train that I do worry. Perhaps the best example was how paying cable subscriptions once promised that moving from network broadcast to fee-based narrowcasting would free us from the intrusions of advertising. Yet fee-based cable and streaming services are now as loaded with advertising as broadcasting ever was -- and then fee-based extra features were piled in on top of fee-based basic services, once again promising to free us from advertising at the new tier . . . and with in-product advertising now even being loaded into that new tier of fees. It's an endless cycle that will continue until consumers finally start saying "no" in large enough numbers.

There’s one very important difference: cable companies have a monopoly. You cannot just switch cable companies, because they don’t have the coax run to you. Same goes for internet access.

OTOH, you can just buy a different car.

Cable companies can piss people off and still get paid.

 

[hmp10]

There’s one very important difference: cable companies have a monopoly. You cannot just switch cable companies, because they don’t have the coax run to you. Same goes for internet access.

OTOH, you can just buy a different car.

Cable companies can piss people off and still get paid.

Much of this comes from the streaming services themselves, not the carriers.

 

[Pragmatic]

Toyota had remote start for the first year (two years maybe) of township. Then the feature was disabled unless you wanted the subscription.
Not sure they were able to make it stick.

 

[momo3605]

Connectivity fees suck, but unfortunately it’s understandable. Luckily for Lucid, you can always use Apple CarPlay if you want to use streaming services without a subscription. With Rivian and Tesla you don’t have any backup option.

I would probably just stop using the built-in apps and switch to Carplay if they started charging for data

 

[msaunders9430]

Even though DreamConnect is not mentioned in an order agreement, I would think a basic level of DreamConnect will be free of charge (standard), similar to Dream Drive and Dream Drive 2.

The use of "premium" in the title suggests DreamConnect Premium is the level above a basic DreamConnect level. No?
Basic features would continue to be free through DreamConnect.

Basic DreamDrive used to be free on all levels of an Air.
That basic level is now replaced with DreamDrive Premium, at no cost.

DreamDrive2 is standard on a Gravity, while DreamDrive2 Premium costs.

Perhaps DreamConnect Premium offers access to various streaming services
Basic DC doesn't or offers less content access.

 

[msaunders9430]

Even though DreamConnect is not mentioned in an order agreement, I would think a basic level of DreamConnect will be free of charge (standard), similar to Dream Drive and Dream Drive 2.

The use of "premium" in the title suggests DreamConnect Premium is the level above a basic DreamConnect level. No?
Basic features would continue to be free through DreamConnect.

Basic DreamDrive used to be free on all levels of an Air.
That basic level is now replaced with DreamDrive Premium, at no cost.

DreamDrive2 is standard on a Gravity, while DreamDrive2 Premium costs.

Perhaps DreamConnect Premium offers access to various streaming services
Basic DC doesn't or offers less content access.

Perhaps like Rivian offers Connect+?

 

[Ozzie118]

Even though DreamConnect is not mentioned in an order agreement, I would think a basic level of DreamConnect will be free of charge (standard), similar to Dream Drive and Dream Drive 2.

The use of "premium" in the title suggests DreamConnect Premium is the level above a basic DreamConnect level. No?
Basic features would continue to be free through DreamConnect.

Basic DreamDrive used to be free on all levels of an Air.
That basic level is now replaced with DreamDrive Premium, at no cost.

DreamDrive2 is standard on a Gravity, while DreamDrive2 Premium costs.

Perhaps DreamConnect Premium offers access to various streaming services
Basic DC doesn't or offers less content access.

DreamConnect is mentioned on recent order agreements: “DreamConnect Premium is included for the first 90 days of ownership on all Lucid vehicles”

 

[msaunders9430]

DreamConnect is mentioned on recent order agreements: “DreamConnect Premium is included for the first 90 days of ownership on all Lucid vehicles”

I see that.
I'm talking about DreamConnect, as referencing a basic level.
Like DreamDrive 2 is the basic level below DreamDrive 2 Premium.

It is possible it's not referenced in the agreement because the use of the term "premium" implies the existence of a basic level.
However, that's no longer the case with DreamDrive Premium.

 

[borski]

Much of this comes from the streaming services themselves, not the carriers.

Right, but they still have a monopoly. If I want to watch Ted Lasso, I can only do it on Apple TV+. That means I do not have a choice to switch to something else to watch it.

A car is not the same. I can drive any car to where I need to go. If a manufacturer decides to start doing this, I will simply buy a different car. I cannot simply watch Ted Lasso elsewhere (legally).

 

[hmp10]

I cannot simply watch Ted Lasso elsewhere (legally).

I have a computer programmer friend who sometimes says something similar.

 

[msaunders9430]

Perhaps like Rivian offers Connect+?

View attachment 27102

Thinking about it more, Rivian doesn't mention a "Connect" service anywhere on their website (don't know what's in their customer agreement).

I only see Connect+ along with the note about "standard connectivity features".

Perhaps Lucid will eventually have a similar note on web or in agreement.