Future-Proofed for a Future That Never Came

[DBV]

I don't know how much of a consolation this is, but recently I went back to review Tesla's stock history (very roughly).
Elon came on the scene about 2005 and the stock was sitting $1.57 in 2012 (seven years later) during the Model S era.
After the release of the Model 3 in 2016 the stock hung in the teens until 2020 or 15 years of Elon before it became profitable.

Lucid kicked off in 2013 so we are at Year 12, somewhat similar to the Model S times. Growth of the Gravity and mid-size is
almost in line with the Tesla trajectory.

I had just forgotten how dismal things looked for Tesla in 2012.

Just can’t compare to Tesla, as they were the only game in town then. I just don’t those types of comparison anymore. Lots of competition now and the legacy automakers are really stepping it up like BMW, Porsche, Mercedes, etc and now have Rivian too. Totally different times and can’t afford missteps in this very competitive market.

 

[BS8899]

I think Rivian did Gen 1 owners more dirty than what Lucid has done with Air. Rivian seemed to look at the Gen 1 and just say "this isn't sustainable" pivoted to Gen 2 so quickly and removed a bunch of promises they made to Gen 1 owners like you mentioned. They're also doing the same thing with R2, the LiDAR isn't ready for the launch models and is coming later but they've told the early adopters this isn't a big deal. Based on past history those owners could simply be told "you can't have this upcoming feature because you don't have the LiDAR"

Again, it really does point back to these companies (not just Lucid) being held accountable for the promises they make, especially when people have handed over cash.

I am curious. I have a Gen1 R1S (2023 model). Now, I haven't studied the list of features in detail. To a first order, I love my R1S and thought Rivian delivered what they promised. You seem to imply that Rivian didn't deliver a bunch of things on Gen AS PROMISE.

Can you please educate me?

 

[AirBo]

"Abandoned" is a strong word, especially considering my car just got the 2.9 upgrade over the weekend. I never said Lucid is abandoning the Air, they're obviously not doing that. If they weren't making strides towards promised features then it would be a different story.

And not to quabble but I certainly didn't pay anywhere close to $150k. I doubt anyone did unless they have a Sapphire.

Check the prices in 2022 for Air GT - take home price (out of your pocket). They reduced the prices later on e.g 2025 . Why I am wondering?

"Abandoned" is a strong word, especially considering my car just got the 2.9 upgrade over the weekend. I never said Lucid is abandoning the Air, they're obviously not doing that. If they weren't making strides towards promised features then it would be a different story.

And not to quabble but I certainly didn't pay anywhere close to $150k. I doubt anyone did unless they have a Sapphire.

 

[skomarla]

V2H, no idea

10k was a deal back when FSD was 12k, but it isn't as good as competitors I agree

Drive Assist is a better name especially if they intend to have it work on more places than the Highway

I believe that Lucid believed the things they said when they said it, but some of them failed. Some is their fault, some is nobodys fault.

10K would be a "deal" if it delivered 10/12th or more of what FSD does. Even when FSD was 6K (or back when it was 4k or 3k), it has delivered more than what we got for 10K. Granted, FSD may not fully live up to its own hype, given that hardware upgrades were needed, but I would argue that 10K is not a good cost for what was delivered with DDPro

 

[borski]

You bought a $150K software platform with a promised upgrade path, not a car that gets abandoned the moment the next model ships. If you really own Air if they do that you will also feel the pain, Correct? If it was a gift it is a different story.

It has hardly been abandoned. They just released a software revision literally days ago, with new features.

You are being hyperbolic, and there is no need for that; the facts alone make your case, and the hyperbole weakens it.

 

[knewman]

Check the prices in 2022 for Air GT - take home price (out of your pocket). They reduced the prices later on e.g 2025 . Why I am wondering?

Fair enough, I was only looking at current inventory. But my point still stands.

 

[drb3333]

And not to quabble but I certainly didn't pay anywhere close to $150k. I doubt anyone did unless they have a Sapphire.

Dream Edition had a fixed price, so you know what those owners paid.

 

[Tim-in-CA]

Yea, I was bamboozled as well into getting DD Pro with the promise of good things to come for $10K. Now 3.5 years later we now match performance of a Hyundai/Kia (in this area only). I was rushed to close by end of 22 to get the final EV tax credit (I suppose that helps cushion the blow) and options were limited (I had to also settle for Santa Cruz interior … beige carpets!! .. full coverage floor mats were put down ASAP).

I should have learned my lesson about FSD promises on my 2017 Model S. Fortunately, I managed to get FSD for $1500, so it wasn’t a significant expense. However, by the time I sold my Model S when I bought the Air at the end of 2022, FSD had improved its performance on the freeway but was still quite scary/erratic on surface streets when using turn-by-turn FSD. On the other hand, adaptive cruise control and lane keep worked well on surface streets.

I’m not being fooled again to spend another $1K on CCCV2 to get UX 3.0. I’ll stay on the sidelines for several releases to see how much the UX improves and hopefully doesn’t regress before I pull the trigger.

I still have my fingers crossed that all the fancy HW (LiDAR and beaucoup sensors/cameras) pay off and we get some meaningful improvements for DDpro

 

[Unmutual]

"Abandoned" is a strong word, especially considering my car just got the 2.9 upgrade over the weekend. I never said Lucid is abandoning the Air, they're obviously not doing that. If they weren't making strides towards promised features then it would be a different story.

And not to quabble but I certainly didn't pay anywhere close to $150k. I doubt anyone did unless they have a Sapphire.

If you bought one of the '22 AGTs at the original price point of $139,000 plus destination charge of $1500 plus sales tax, you certainly paid close to (or, in my case, more than) $150,000. I, for one, still expect Lucid deliver on their original marketing statement that the Air with Dream Drive Pro had all the hardware necessary for Level III autonomy. So, yeah, I expect Level III.

 

[BS8899]

If you bought one of the '22 AGTs at the original price point of $139,000 plus destination charge of $1500 plus sales tax, you certainly paid close to (or, in my case, more than) $150,000. I, for one, still expect Lucid deliver on their original marketing statement that the Air with Dream Drive Pro had all the hardware necessary for Level III autonomy. So, yeah, I expect Level III.

I am in the same boat as you....I am very doubtful about L3!

 

[AirBo]

It has hardly been abandoned. They just released a software revision literally days ago, with new features.

You are being hyperbolic, and there is no need for that; the facts alone make your case, and the hyperbole weakens it.

Test drive Gravity and compare the interface which at least is better than Ait GT. Gravity starts from 3.0 and upgraded. We are chasing 3.0 for years and again promise for 3.0 (when?). Not that Gravity software of Gravity is flawles. I bought mine in2022 and improvements were so so slow compared to if you bought the car recently. Go to 1.0 software which was worse than a car that cost 11k at that time. I am sorry but I have been very very polite. I do not want to go as to how many days I have been in service. I am glad you are happy. Go read all posts on this forum 82% negative.

 

[The_Don]

I definitely understand the frustration with DDPro. When I leased the Air I assumed that it would eventually be able to do more than just highway driving. When they advertise something as "future proof", that feels like a fair expectation! Given what I know now, I understand why that was unrealistic.

That being said, there is certainly a world where current Airs could get much better ADAS capabilities. Right now they are limited by compute and memory when it comes to anything more than highway driving, but with this technology advancing so rapidly, we have no idea what compute/memory requirements will be even two years from now.

We do know that Air DDPro can improve with current hardware, as evidenced by the most recent update. I don't see why it couldn't match R1S capabilities by the end of this year if Lucid actually makes an effort to improve it. However, I wouldn't expect much more than that!

 

[borski]

Test drive Gravity and compare the interface which at least is better than Ait GT. Gravity starts from 3.0 and upgraded. We are chasing 3.0 for years and again promise for 3.0 (when?). Not that Gravity software of Gravity is flawles. I bought mine in2022 and improvements were so so slow compared to if you bought the car recently. Go to 1.0 software which was worse than a car that cost 11k at that time. I am sorry but I have been very very polite. I do not want to go as to how many days I have been in service. I am glad you are happy. Go read all posts on this forum 82% negative.

I own both an Air Dream Edition and a Gravity Dream Edition. I was among the earliest deliveries for both. Please do not lecture me about experience.

 

[AirBo]

I own both an Air Dream Edition and a Gravity Dream Edition. I was among the earliest deliveries for both. Please do not lecture me about experience.

I did not intend to lecture. DId you have any issues with any of them? What is the infotainment and software like for both? Are they comparable? Which one is your favorite and why?

 

[borski]

I did not intend to lecture. DId you have any issues with any of them? What is the infotainment and software like for both? Are they comparable? Which one is your favorite and why?

I have posted this, specifically, a lot. I’d spend some time reading the forum a bit. As a moderator, I actually have read all posts on this forum, which is why I found your particular admonishment to “read the forum” simultaneously amusing and patronizing.

To make a long story short: the air is the best car I’ve ever driven. My wife prefers her Gravity, which is the best car she’s ever driven. I prefer smaller cars.

Infotainment on the Air, for me, with CCCv2, is totally fine. I had to reboot once last week because CarPlay wouldn’t load and both my wife and I remarked that it had been well over a month or two since the last reboot.

Gravity is getting there; what’s there works well, for us, but is still missing a few features I have no doubt are coming.

 

[McGriddle]

I agree with the OP in general as well. The marketing overhyped the end product which is a shame. I also fault myself for believing the marketing to be a realistic expectation for DDPro and V2H.

I am more practical now in my expectations. Like someone said, only buy what you’re getting now and not what’s promised in the future. With our Hummer EV, I didn’t expected much, but we were sure to get the 2025 model year to have AirPlay connectivity rather than the 2026 model with V2H, but no AirPlay. I had only mild expectations for Super Cruise (which came standard) and was surprised with how well it excels at what it does, even with autonomous lane changes (with no input) on highways.

I just wish Lucid would’ve been more careful in their marketing since I now feel like it fell short of my expectations despite being a great car.

That said, I still love my AT! The handling and performance are unmatched for a large sedan and it lives completely up to its promise in that regard. Surreal Sound Pro was also definitely worth it. Using Tidal for Atmos is simply fantastic and worth every penny.

 

[socktucker]

It has hardly been abandoned. They just released a software revision literally days ago, with new features.

in obvious preparation for UX 3.0

 

[socktucker]

I agree with the OP in general as well. The marketing overhyped the end product which is a shame

if it helps, that guy doesn't work there anymore

 

[socktucker]

I’m not being fooled again to spend another $1K on CCCV2 to get UX 3.0.

I would tho, have you used UX 3.0? Its so much better. But I understand why you'd wait until its launched

 

[BS8899]

I would tho, have you used UX 3.0? Its so much better. But I understand why you'd wait until its launched

When you say, "so much better", that's Gravity, correct? Air owners will have to cough up $1k for CCCV2..

I think the Air/UX3.0 schedule is still murky. It would be good if Lucid come out with a plan/schedule for Air/UX3 and detail what bug-fix/improvements Air/UX3.0 will provide. Without a "POR (Plan-of-Record), it is a shot-in-the-dark for existing Air owners. I think many Air owners, like me, are gun-shy about Lucid's promises and timelines.

Regardless, it might be late '26 or early '27 landing right on top of Gravity ramp and Cosmo?! Will the SCs be able to handle all the Air CCCV2 upgrades and Gravity and Cosmo?