Gravity Remote Start -- Another Software Bust

[hmp10]

I think there might be some confusion. This is not “mobile key” as in the Air. This is a separate feature, named remote start, which kicks off a two minute timer so you can drive the car without a key present.

I understand that now, but the email was misleading. It says this feature brings "keyless driving to the Lucid Mobile App." That sounds an awful lot like a mobile key to me. Yes, they call it "Remote Start", but that is immediately followed by a parenthetical definition of Remote Start as "keyless driving".

The Air does not have a “remote start” feature.

Neither does the Gravity if the car is plugged in.

I guess I don't understand why you should need two steps to use this feature if the cable is plugged in. If you want to start the climate control before you approach the car, you could already do that with the app. If you want to stop charging while being away from the car, you could already do that with the app.

The only purpose of this feature is to unlock the car and power it up so you can get in and drive away promptly, meaning you're already near the car . . . hence the boast about "no breaking your stride" in the email. Why not just unlock both the cable port and the doors at once instead of requiring one step first to unlock the cable port, a second step to unplug, and a third step then to unlock the doors?

Take the scenario when you're plugged in at a DC fast charger. You get the charging underway and then decide to go to the bathroom or somewhere to get a snack. This feature won't get you back in the car unless you terminate the charging session. To avoid that you would have to have your key fob or key card on you, the need this feature was meant to alleviate in the first place.

 

[Alex]

This unlock feature requires remote connectivity, as do all the other control buttons in the app. Hopefully with PAAK, we can have all these control buttons also work via Bluetooth. Obviously the walk up unlock and vehicle start will, but it would be nice that the other controls work with Bluetooth.

 

[9point81]

The OP was saying the remote start in the app was not working for him as the icon was grayed out and not selectable and that the original email from Lucid had the wrong version number of the software on Gravity, which Lucid sent out a correction email later to address. Other posters pointed out it was bc the car was charging, which he verified was the case. OP mentioned the time the process takes to unlock via app, then hit remote start seemed excessive, but others, such as myself, are not finding it to take too long. That's about it.

I have a Gravity and I'm still confused!

 

[socktucker]

Everyone else on this thread is also reporting not having issues with the feature, your sarcastic jabs at me aside.

I actually wasn't being sarcastic, nor do i think you would lie about not having issues. I literally meant this guy does not have issues.

You're like the opposite of hmp10 who got all of them

I will say on record the vast majority of Lucid owns don't seem to have big problems.

 

[borski]

I understand that now, but the email was misleading. It says this feature brings "keyless driving to the Lucid Mobile App." That sounds an awful lot like a mobile key to me. Yes, they call it "Remote Start", but that is immediately followed by a parenthetical definition of Remote Start as "keyless driving".

It does bring keyless driving, in that you can press the button and go drive the car, without your key. That is not the same as mobile key, which would be a key and thus not keyless.

You could, hypothetically, hit the button for remote start, leave your phone at home along with every other key and go drive the car somewhere. Of course, you'd need some way to get back, so I'd bring your phone with you, but you get the idea.

The only purpose of this feature is to unlock the car and power it up so you can get in and drive away promptly, meaning you're already near the car . . . hence the boast about "no breaking your stride" in the email. Why not just unlock both the cable port and the doors at once instead of requiring one step first to unlock the cable port, a second step to unplug, and a third step then to unlock the doors?

The purpose of the feature is to allow you to put the car into gear within two minutes of hitting the button. It has absolutely nothing to do with unlocking the doors, which is a separate button. The 'remote start' feature does not unlock the doors.

Incidentally, this is precisely how the feature works on Teslas too.

The reason they don't want you to use remote start while plugged into a charger is because they don't want you putting the car in gear while plugged into a charger. This is also true on the Air, where you cannot put the car into gear while plugged in.

Take the scenario when you're plugged in at a DC fast charger. You get the charging underway and then decide to go to the bathroom or somewhere to get a snack. This feature won't get you back in the car unless you terminate the charging session. To avoid that you would have to have your key fob or key card on you, the need this feature was meant to alleviate in the first place.

That's not true. You can get in just fine, by hitting the unlock doors button, same way as you did before. What this feature won't let you do is start the timer to allow anyone to put the car into gear, which makes sense, since you are still plugged in. As soon as you've unplugged, you can hit the remote start button.

I do see your point, but I suspect DCFC charging wasn't quite the scenario they had in mind. My wife hits remote start before she leaves her office, walks to the car, it unlocks because the fob is nearby, and she just drives away, since that takes less than 2 minutes. What this does is avoid her needing to futz with a fob if it's having issues, wait for the car to wake up (as it's already awake), and gives her an easy way to use the car if she forgot the fob and/or card at home.

But it isn't the same as mobile key.

 

[borski]

I actually wasn't being sarcastic, nor do i think you would lie about not having issues. I literally meant this guy does not have issues.

You're like the opposite of hmp10 who got all of them

I will say on record the vast majority of Lucid owns don't seem to have big problems.

<3 thanks for clarifying; text is hard to read for tone

 

[msaunders9430]

The OP was saying the remote start in the app was not working for him as the icon was grayed out and not selectable and that the original email from Lucid had the wrong version number of the software on Gravity, which Lucid sent out a correction email later to address. Other posters pointed out it was bc the car was charging, which he verified was the case. OP mentioned the time the process takes to unlock via app, then hit remote start seemed excessive, but others, such as myself, are not finding it to take too long. That's about it.

You only have to unlock via the app and then hit remote start if a charging cable is plugged in.
Otherwise, it's remote start and go.

If a charging cable is plugged into an Air and the mobile key feature is activated, is there a single step of unplugging cable and drive?
No need to activate mobile key again?
The mobile key unlocks the charging port and the doors simultaneously like the key fob and key card?

Is that the missing function of the Gravity remote start; doesn't unlock charging port?

 

[borski]

You only have to unlock via the app and then hit remote start if a charging cable is plugged in.
Otherwise, it's remote start and go.

If a charging cable is plugged into an Air and the mobile key feature is activated, is there a single step of unplugging cable and drive?
No need to activate mobile key again?
The mobile key unlocks the charging port and the doors simultaneously like the key fob and key card?

Is that the missing function of the Gravity remote start; doesn't unlock charging port?

Mobile key is a key. Remote start is not.

Mobile key/PaaK allows you to just walk up, your phone is recognized as a key, the car unlocks, drive away. No need to take out your phone at all. It is just like a fob, in that sense.

Remote start allows you to do precisely what it sounds like; initiate a 2-minute timer remotely that allows someone to drive the vehicle without a key of any kind.

 

[hmp10]

The reason they don't want you to use remote start while plugged into a charger is because they don't want you putting the car in gear while plugged into a charger. This is also true on the Air, where you cannot put the car into gear while plugged in.

Neither the Air nor the Gravity can be put in gear while it is plugged in. That lock-out is already present and works separately from either the mobile key or this remote start feature. So I don't see any reason the remote start icon can't unlock the car with the same hit that powers up the car. No thief can drive it off before you get to it.

Part of the reason I'm so exercised about this is the erratic locking/unlocking behavior we've been seeing in our newer Gravity for the past few weeks -- something I hoped this new feature would end-run. An example from dinner this evening since I started this thread:

We went to a restaurant and parked at least 20 yards from the entrance. We ordered dinner. After it arrived my partner looked out the window and noticed the Gravity was unlocked with the mirrors extended. I had to use the mobile app to lock it. Yet when we got home and parked in the garage, the car locked itself while I was walking away from it, as it should have. I now have to start remembering to lock the car with the app or the fob before walking away . . . and just hope it doesn't open itself after I'm gone. (The car had also given me a "key fob not detected" message as we left for dinner, even though the fob was in the front console holder and has a two-week-old battery in it.)

Managing this car and trying to stay mindful of all its idiosyncrasies is utterly exhausting.

 

[borski]

Neither the Air nor the Gravity can be put in gear while it is plugged in. That lock-out is already present and works separately from either the mobile key or this remote start feature. So I don't see any reason the remote start icon can't unlock the car with the same hit that powers up the car. No thief can drive it off before you get to it.

Part of the reason I'm so exercised about this is the erratic locking/unlocking behavior we've been seeing in our newer Gravity for the past few weeks -- something I hoped this new feature would end-run. An example from dinner this evening since I started this thread:

We went to a restaurant and parked at least 20 yards from the entrance. We ordered dinner. After it arrived my partner looked out the window and noticed the Gravity was unlocked with the mirrors extended. I had to use the mobile app to lock it. Yet when we got home and parked in the garage, the car locked itself while I was walking away from it, as it should have. I now have to start remembering to lock the car with the app or the fob before walking away . . . and just hope it doesn't open itself after I'm gone. (The car had also given me a "key fob not detected" message as we left for dinner, even though the fob was in the front console holder and has a two-week-old battery in it.)

Managing this car and trying to stay mindful of all its idiosyncrasies is utterly exhausting.

Both of those issues are from the same issue. There seems to be an issue with some fobs (my wife’s, but not mine, for example) where it will occasionally unlock the car but not be sensed as a “key” to start the vehicle. I believe that has to do with the UWB distance sensing not working, and so the car has no idea the key has “left the vicinity” when that happens.

If I were building this, I would “fail closed” aka default to locking the car if there is no active key nearby, as that is the more secure option. I suspect they left it “fail open” temporarily because that would be extremely annoying if this happened while someone’s fob was inside the car and it couldn’t see the key. In that case, you might not have any way to unlock the car to get your key out.

This was resolved on her key by removing and reinserting the same battery, power cycling the fob.

I’m not thrilled about that as a workaround, and I suspect another fob software update is coming from Marquardt at some point, but I don’t know that for sure.

I’ve posted my suspicion elsewhere, but essentially that there are two “processes” running on the device; one that handles button clicks to lock/unlock the car, and perhaps the UWB radio (or something) that handles the distance-sensing call/reponse for “is a key nearby”. My suspicion is the latter is crashing on the fob, which is why a power reset of the fob fixes it for a while, but unclear for how long.

And it doesn’t seem that this happens on all fobs; again, it happens on my wife’s but not mine.

 

[hmp10]

And it doesn’t seem that this happens on all fobs; again, it happens on my wife’s but not mine.

Yeah. The key fob issues in our older Gravity were more or less resolved with one of the fob updates. Then the newer Gravity arrived with a relatively problem-free fob. The fob behavior on the older Gravity has been stable recently (knock on wood), but now the newer Gravity fob has gone haywire.

It's just an endless game of whack-a-mole . . . except that with two Gravities, I've got two moles to keep whacking.

 

[msaunders9430]

Mobile key is a key. Remote start is not.

Mobile key/PaaK allows you to just walk up, your phone is recognized as a key, the car unlocks, drive away. No need to take out your phone at all. It is just like a fob, in that sense.

Remote start allows you to do precisely what it sounds like; initiate a 2-minute timer remotely that allows someone to drive the vehicle without a key of any kind.

My question is more around the effect of both features on the charge port. Remote start doesn't unlock it, so the lock icon must be pressed first before the remote start can enable driving.

Is that also the case with mobile key or is the charge port unlocked simultaneously with the doors?

 

[hmp10]

My question is more around the effect of both features on the charge port. Remote start doesn't unlock it, so the lock icon must be pressed first before the remote start can enable driving.

Is that also the case with mobile key or is the charge port unlocked simultaneously with the doors?

With the Air mobile key, the car powers up, everything (including the charge port) unlocks, the lights come on, A/C and music start. You just unplug, get in, and drive off.

It was a little unnerving at first. We park the Air next to one of the Gravities. Every time I approached that Gravity with only the Gravity key on me, the Air powered up and unlocked . . . while the Gravity sometimes just sat there like a lump while I had to dig out the key card because it wasn't responding to the fob.

 

[hmp10]

Another anomaly with this remote start feature . . . ?

I went for a bike ride after dinner. I had my cell phone with me but no key fobs or key cards. As I approached the garage, the Air powered up as usual in response to the approach of the mobile key. However, the newer Gravity (the one I've been having this locking trouble with) also flashed its head- and taillights at the same time the Air powered up, apparently in response to my cell phone. The cell phone was in the basket of the bike and not being used.

This has not happened before with this car, nor did the older Gravity sitting in the garage react at all to the presence of the cell phone. It, too, has version 3.5.1 on it and, presumably, the remote start feature. (I haven't tried it yet on that car.)

Why would the newer Gravity react to the cell phone if I wasn't engaging the remote start? And why not the other Gravity?

 

[hwy17er]

You are correct. But it makes no sense.

I went out to the car, and the app icon was grayed out and would not unlock the car. But you can't release the charge cable until the car is unlocked, so I still had to use the fob to do that.

Once I used the fob buttons to unlock the car (it no longer does so on approach as it did until a few weeks ago), I could release the cable, at which point the icon lit up on the app.

Also, I often open, get in the car, and power it up with the cable plugged in, such as when I'm going to vacuum the interior. The only thing the car won't do with the cable plugged In is to go into gear.

I don't really get the point of the mobile key if you still have to use a fob or key card to unlock the car to release the cable.

I use the mobile key on our Air, and it unlocks and powers up the Air while the cable is still plugged in. If I go into the garage to do something not related to the cars, I have either to leave my phone in the house or turn off its Bluetooth, or the Air will unlock and power up while still plugged in.

But wait.... can't you just skip the fob and A) unlock the car w/ the app, then B) unplug the cable, and then C) use the app mobile start and drive off??
In the screen shot you posted the lock icon isn't greyed out...just the remote start.
It seems like this order of operations is by design so you don't rip your charging cable out of your garage or some Tesla SC cable off the charger.

 

[gaskiller]

You are correct. But it makes no sense.

I went out to the car, and the app icon was grayed out and would not unlock the car. But you can't release the charge cable until the car is unlocked, so I still had to use the fob to do that.

Once I used the fob buttons to unlock the car (it no longer does so on approach as it did until a few weeks ago), I could release the cable, at which point the icon lit up on the app.

Also, I often open, get in the car, and power it up with the cable plugged in, such as when I'm going to vacuum the interior. The only thing the car won't do with the cable plugged In is to go into gear.

I don't really get the point of the mobile key if you still have to use a fob or key card to unlock the car to release the cable.

I use the mobile key on our Air, and it unlocks and powers up the Air while the cable is still plugged in. If I go into the garage to do something not related to the cars, I have either to leave my phone in the house or turn off its Bluetooth, or the Air will unlock and power up while still plugged in.

It helps when you are not at home and out an about. Still better than not having it at all.

 

[hmp10]

But wait.... can't you just skip the fob and A) unlock the car w/ the app, then B) unplug the cable, and then C) use the app mobile start and drive off??
In the screen shot you posted the lock icon isn't greyed out...just the remote start.
It seems like this order of operations is by design so you don't rip your charging cable out of your garage or some Tesla SC cable off the charger.

Both the Air and the Gravity prevent you from putting the car into gear while a charge cable is attached. This safety feature has been in both models from the outset, long before remote start (or the Air mobile key) came along.

I think the reason the remote start feature doesn't unlock the car is because it is intended for use before you go out to the car and may not want to leave it unlocked before you get there. However, that makes the 2-minute limit seem a bit tight.

But this raises another question. If you still have to use the app (or a key fob or card) to unlock the car once you get to it, what is the point of a remote start feature to power it up beforehand? If it's to start climatizing the interior before you arrive, you could turn the A/C on from the app from its inception. If it's to warm the engine up, that's not an issue with electric cars as it was with ICE cars.

In short, without unlocking the car or the charge cable, I don't see anything this new "feature" does that you couldn't already do remotely with the app. All it does is power up the car, which an EV does instantly, anyway, as soon as you open the doors. . . assuming the screens aren't frozen, which they sometimes are in a Lucid and which the remote start doesn't cure.

Really, folks. The mobile key I get. The remote start I don't. What useful function does this feature provide that wasn't already there?

 

[tmichael]

Both the Air and the Gravity prevent you from putting the car into gear while a charge cable is attached. This safety feature has been in both models from the outset, long before remote start (or the Air mobile key) came along.

I think the reason the remote start feature doesn't unlock the car is because it is intended for use before you go out to the car and may not want to leave it unlocked before you get there. However, that makes the 2-minute limit seem a bit tight.

But this raises another question. If you still have to use the app (or a key fob or card) to unlock the car once you get to it, what is the point of a remote start feature to power it up beforehand? If it's to start climatizing the interior before you arrive, you could turn the A/C on from the app from its inception. If it's to warm the engine up, that's not an issue with electric cars as it was with ICE cars.

In short, without unlocking the car or the charge cable, I don't see anything this new "feature" does that you couldn't already do remotely with the app. All it does is power up the car, which an EV does instantly, anyway, as soon as you open the doors. . . assuming the screens aren't frozen, which they sometimes are in a Lucid and which the remote start doesn't cure.

Really, folks. The mobile key I get. The remote start I don't. What useful function does this feature provide that wasn't already there?

My limited use case is:

I'm in the garage and find I need to back the car out to access something in the garage. Instead of going back in my house to get the fob or key card, I can use my phone to unlock the car, get in and back it out. It's useful. But, I think it was issued to be a stop-gap measure to use your phone to drive your car, without touchless, wireless PAAK.

It does that. OK, fine, but still waiting for true wireless, no touch PAAK. "Remote Drive Off" might have been more descriptive, but then people might have thought it was more than it was...

 

[tmichael]

Another anomaly with this remote start feature . . . ?

I went for a bike ride after dinner. I had my cell phone with me but no key fobs or key cards. As I approached the garage, the Air powered up as usual in response to the approach of the mobile key. However, the newer Gravity (the one I've been having this locking trouble with) also flashed its head- and taillights at the same time the Air powered up, apparently in response to my cell phone. The cell phone was in the basket of the bike and not being used.

This has not happened before with this car, nor did the older Gravity sitting in the garage react at all to the presence of the cell phone. It, too, has version 3.5.1 on it and, presumably, the remote start feature. (I haven't tried it yet on that car.)

Why would the newer Gravity react to the cell phone if I wasn't engaging the remote start? And why not the other Gravity?

The Gravity sensing your arrival - now THAT is a little spooky! Unless it is a security system notification, my Gravity doesn't care if my phone is near. I'm happy it knows when my fob is near!!

 

[tmichael]

You could, hypothetically, hit the button for remote start, leave your phone at home along with every other key and go drive the car somewhere. Of course, you'd need some way to get back, so I'd bring your phone with you, but you get the idea.

"Consult your doctor if these symptoms continue to occur... "