Help!! I Have a Reservation But I Don't know if I should Purchase a Lucid Air Touring!

[LucidPhoenix]

Hi Members, I need your advice!

My situation:

1. I have a reservation for a Lucid Air Touring and have to finalize the specs in 2 weeks. I also have a reservation for a Tesla Model S Long Range, they just assigned my VIN, so I have about 1-2 weeks to decide on it. Otherwise, I forfeit the car at a $5000 lower price (I reserved it before the price increase). I plan to either choose the Lucid or the Tesla.

2. I presently live in an apartment in Central Phoenix with no charging port. I plan to purchase a house in the next year when the inflated house prices go down. That means I'll have to rely on the very few Electrify America chargers in the city for power.

3. I just test drove the Lucid and the Tesla S, I loved the Lucid, it just seems more advanced in terms of drive quality and technology inside the cabin. Plus I prefer the exterior esthetics over the Tesla.

The other night I watched a YouTube video by Kyle with Out of Spec Motoring on a road trip from Palm Springs to Colorado. Basically, the road trip in the Lucid was stressful because the Electrify America Charging network was horrendous. A lot of the times the charge station was malfunctioning and the driver spent so much time sitting and wasting time. At one charge station, he probably would have been towed if he didn't have any connections with the EA engineers.
Most of the commenters were saying that's exactly why they won't get the Lucid, too much of a headache with EA. They said charging is rarely an issue with Tesla, their Superchargers just work.

Would you still go ahead and purchase the Lucid in my situation? It seems like it's going to be a real headache, especially given that I don't have my own charging station at home.

Other questions:

1. Would you get the glass or metal roof in Phoenix? (110+ degree summer heat)
I'm leaning toward the metal roof due to the obvious heat.

2. Would you get the ($2900 upgrade) 21 speaker Surreal Surround Sound System?

3. Would you get ($9000) DreamDrive Pro?

4. Anyone know of the reliability of the EA charge station in Quartzite? (Between Phoenix and Los Angeles)

Any and all advice would be appreciated!!

Thanks!

 

[LucidBrit]

Read all the threads. Lots of people don’t have problems with EA. And you have to expect any problems there are will get better with time.

I’ve ordered a metal roof touring. I don’t need more light in the Coachella Valley even if the glass isnt too bad at letting in heat.

 

[t12g]

Would you still go ahead and purchase the Lucid in my situation? It seems like it's going to be a real headache, especially given that I don't have my own charging station at home.

I wouldn't do it if I were you. Not being able to charge at home is a major PITA. It's not worth the hassle to charge it at a public charging station every single time, especially with the current inadequate infrastructure.

Most of the commenters were saying that's exactly why they won't get the Lucid, too much of a headache with EA. They said charging is rarely an issue with Tesla, their Superchargers just work.

Yeah I think that's the biggest issue with Lucid today. They have an amazing product, but whenever you're going on a road trip, you're at the mercy of a 3rd party supplier whose track record is spotty at best. There are other vendors; none of them has the coverage that's comparable to Tesla's supercharger.

This is the price for being an early adopter. The road trip charging situation will suck for a while before it gets better.

 

[Coltonw011]

I have a home charger and rarely use it I prefer to take advantage of my free charging. It doesn’t hurt that I live 5 miles from a station that has been 98% hassle free.
As someone who has owned a recent MS, I now own an AGT, yes teslas charging network is far and away better, that’s the only thing I miss from my Tesla.

 

[invalidname]

1. Metal roof due to heat/light. Regardless of tint, heat/light still seeps through to bother me at least. Then if you're choosing a very dark tint, what's the point of the glass canopy at that point?
2. If you appreciate life, splurge on the speaker upgrade.
3. DDP comes with additional hardware upgrades that makes standard DD potentially undesirable especially if they plan to focus more on developing the ADAS on the additional hardwire rather than the ADAS on the standard hardware. If you want lane keeping capabilities, get the DDP. If you don't care about ADAS and potential resale drop, get DD.
4. Although you do get the three years of free EA charging with the pre-price increase reservation of a Air, you're not locked to only charge at EA. There are many 350kw EVgo chargers near me.

 

[TCGT]

Hi Members, I need your advice!

My situation:

1. I have a reservation for a Lucid Air Touring and have to finalize the specs in 2 weeks. I also have a reservation for a Tesla Model S Long Range, they just assigned my VIN, so I have about 1-2 weeks to decide on it. Otherwise, I forfeit the car at a $5000 lower price (I reserved it before the price increase). I plan to either choose the Lucid or the Tesla.

2. I presently live in an apartment in Central Phoenix with no charging port. I plan to purchase a house in the next year when the inflated house prices go down. That means I'll have to rely on the very few Electrify America chargers in the city for power.

3. I just test drove the Lucid and the Tesla S, I loved the Lucid, it just seems more advanced in terms of drive quality and technology inside the cabin. Plus I prefer the exterior esthetics over the Tesla.

The other night I watched a YouTube video by Kyle with Out of Spec Motoring on a road trip from Palm Springs to Colorado. Basically, the road trip in the Lucid was stressful because the Electrify America Charging network was horrendous. A lot of the times the charge station was malfunctioning and the driver spent so much time sitting and wasting time. At one charge station, he probably would have been towed if he didn't have any connections with the EA engineers.
Most of the commenters were saying that's exactly why they won't get the Lucid, too much of a headache with EA. They said charging is rarely an issue with Tesla, their Superchargers just work.

Would you still go ahead and purchase the Lucid in my situation? It seems like it's going to be a real headache, especially given that I don't have my own charging station at home.

Other questions:

1. Would you get the glass or metal roof in Phoenix? (110+ degree summer heat)
I'm leaning toward the metal roof due to the obvious heat.

2. Would you get the ($2900 upgrade) 21 speaker Surreal Surround Sound System?

3. Would you get ($9000) DreamDrive Pro?

4. Anyone know of the reliability of the EA charge station in Quartzite? (Between Phoenix and Los Angeles)

Any and all advice would be appreciated!!

Thanks!

I can’t comment on the Phoenix heat (except that Minnesotans like it in winter), but as far as EA goes, my experience has actually been without issue. I did a major 3200 mile road trip using only EA chargers (Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia North Carolina, Kentucky, Tennessee, and had only 1 or 2 times when I had to switch pumps…pretty flawless for me, but of course, like anything, some have problems.

 

[Ksa23]

Regarding not having a home charger -- we just relocated to Seattle in June during the height of the housing mania, so we decided to rent for 6-12 months to let the market cool down. Glad we did.

We dont have a home charger either and we've put about 600 miles on the car in a week. Ive charged four times now, both about 20-30% when running into the store, and three different locations. No issues yet. I wouldn't be concerned at all with not having a home charger. Our first long haul trip will be this week, and I'm just a tiny bit nervous but still confident in EA in our region.

It wont be as convenient as a home charger, but it's close to a non-issue when you consider how quickly the car can charge, even at a 150kwh charger. Keep in mind that very few cars capable of 150kwh charge can maintain that for long. Lucid's cooling overhead is so high at 350kwh that it can maintain 150kwh much longer.

Edit: The Touring cant hit 350kw, I think it caps at 300kw but same principal applies.

If your living situation is temporary like ours, I wouldn't worry about it at all.

 

[Janger]

Hi Members, I need your advice!

My situation:

1. I have a reservation for a Lucid Air Touring and have to finalize the specs in 2 weeks. I also have a reservation for a Tesla Model S Long Range, they just assigned my VIN, so I have about 1-2 weeks to decide on it. Otherwise, I forfeit the car at a $5000 lower price (I reserved it before the price increase). I plan to either choose the Lucid or the Tesla.

2. I presently live in an apartment in Central Phoenix with no charging port. I plan to purchase a house in the next year when the inflated house prices go down. That means I'll have to rely on the very few Electrify America chargers in the city for power.

3. I just test drove the Lucid and the Tesla S, I loved the Lucid, it just seems more advanced in terms of drive quality and technology inside the cabin. Plus I prefer the exterior esthetics over the Tesla.

The other night I watched a YouTube video by Kyle with Out of Spec Motoring on a road trip from Palm Springs to Colorado. Basically, the road trip in the Lucid was stressful because the Electrify America Charging network was horrendous. A lot of the times the charge station was malfunctioning and the driver spent so much time sitting and wasting time. At one charge station, he probably would have been towed if he didn't have any connections with the EA engineers.
Most of the commenters were saying that's exactly why they won't get the Lucid, too much of a headache with EA. They said charging is rarely an issue with Tesla, their Superchargers just work.

Would you still go ahead and purchase the Lucid in my situation? It seems like it's going to be a real headache, especially given that I don't have my own charging station at home.

Other questions:

1. Would you get the glass or metal roof in Phoenix? (110+ degree summer heat)
I'm leaning toward the metal roof due to the obvious heat.

2. Would you get the ($2900 upgrade) 21 speaker Surreal Surround Sound System?

3. Would you get ($9000) DreamDrive Pro?

4. Anyone know of the reliability of the EA charge station in Quartzite? (Between Phoenix and Los Angeles)

Any and all advice would be appreciated!!

1. I feel like lucid air was meant to be glass roof. Have you seen any $100k car with metal roof that doesn’t have a sunroof? However, pure with metal roof looked very nice.
2. I ordered with surreal pro because nobody has a car without it and not sure how good it will be.
3. I didn’t want to, but lucid is making it difficult to go without it. The surround view and HA are only included with the DDP

 

[Adnillien]

Hi Members, I need your advice!

My situation:

1. I have a reservation for a Lucid Air Touring and have to finalize the specs in 2 weeks. I also have a reservation for a Tesla Model S Long Range, they just assigned my VIN, so I have about 1-2 weeks to decide on it. Otherwise, I forfeit the car at a $5000 lower price (I reserved it before the price increase). I plan to either choose the Lucid or the Tesla.

2. I presently live in an apartment in Central Phoenix with no charging port. I plan to purchase a house in the next year when the inflated house prices go down. That means I'll have to rely on the very few Electrify America chargers in the city for power.

3. I just test drove the Lucid and the Tesla S, I loved the Lucid, it just seems more advanced in terms of drive quality and technology inside the cabin. Plus I prefer the exterior esthetics over the Tesla.

The other night I watched a YouTube video by Kyle with Out of Spec Motoring on a road trip from Palm Springs to Colorado. Basically, the road trip in the Lucid was stressful because the Electrify America Charging network was horrendous. A lot of the times the charge station was malfunctioning and the driver spent so much time sitting and wasting time. At one charge station, he probably would have been towed if he didn't have any connections with the EA engineers.
Most of the commenters were saying that's exactly why they won't get the Lucid, too much of a headache with EA. They said charging is rarely an issue with Tesla, their Superchargers just work.

Would you still go ahead and purchase the Lucid in my situation? It seems like it's going to be a real headache, especially given that I don't have my own charging station at home.

Other questions:

1. Would you get the glass or metal roof in Phoenix? (110+ degree summer heat)
I'm leaning toward the metal roof due to the obvious heat.

2. Would you get the ($2900 upgrade) 21 speaker Surreal Surround Sound System?

3. Would you get ($9000) DreamDrive Pro?

4. Anyone know of the reliability of the EA charge station in Quartzite? (Between Phoenix and Los Angeles)

Any and all advice would be appreciated!!

Thanks!

You should get the Lucid. While I usually level 2 charge at work, I have never had a problem at EA in Phoenix the four or five times that I have used them. I would get the glass roof. It is fine in Phoenix and I have not tinted the windshield or ceiling. I have tinted the side and rear windows. Get the sound upgrade it is well worth it, especially in the Lucid. The DD Pro is really a question for you and how much you like those features, it seems everyone is different. That said, I really like it. Quartzite is not a mandatory stop just a convenient one, there are other options that are good. Check out the PlugShare rating for all of the chargers that you are interested in.

 

[LucidPhoenix]

Regarding not having a home charger -- we just relocated to Seattle in June during the height of the housing mania, so we decided to rent for 6-12 months to let the market cool down. Glad we did.

We dont have a home charger either and we've put about 600 miles on the car in a week. Ive charged four times now, both about 20-30% when running into the store, and three different locations. No issues yet. I wouldn't be concerned at all with not having a home charger. Our first long haul trip will be this week, and I'm just a tiny bit nervous but still confident in EA in our region.

It wont be as convenient as a home charger, but it's close to a non-issue when you consider how quickly the car can charge, even at a 150kwh charger. Keep in mind that very few cars capable of 150kwh charge can maintain that for long. Lucid's cooling overhead is so high at 350kwh that it can maintain 150kwh much longer.

Edit: The Touring cant hit 350kw, I think it caps at 300kw but same principal applies.

If your living situation is temporary like ours, I wouldn't worry about it at all.

Great advice and a little piece of mind with you being in the same temporary living situation. Thanks!

 

[lsbuffs]

I too am in Central Phoenix (North Central), and while I will have home charging (being installed today), as a first-time EV owner, I have some of the same concerns re: charger availability. I don't take a lot of road trips, but, like seemingly half of Arizona, enjoy the annual summer trek to Mission Beach. At 364 miles, seems I could top up locally, and then just hit Dateland, where PlugShare shows some well-rated chargers. I'll spend sometime checking out chargers en route to Cottonwood/Jerome and Flagstaff too. Playing around with PlugShare, as was suggested earlier, has helped ease some of my range anxiety.

I'm sure you'll find some regular, reliable locations in Central Phoenix.

Edit: Oh, and I forgot to mention, I also have a reservation for a Model S. It's showing December availability. I have current pricing on that, and original pricing on the Lucid Air Touring, so in the end they're roughly the same price. I'll eat that $250 Tesla reservation fee.

 

[RichMalden]

I wouldn't do it if I were you. Not being able to charge at home is a major PITA. It's not worth the hassle to charge it at a public charging station every single time, especially with the current inadequate infrastructure.

This can be variable depending on EA stations near you. I am in a condo and do not have a home charger. I knew this going in but there are 2 EA stations within 15 minutes of me. Every 1-2 weeks I go and charge to 80% and do my food shopping.

However, the primary place I go has 3 stations. 1 has been down since I got my car in May. Another has been out since September. The 3rd has been spotty at times but generally reliable. If this were my only option I would be much more frustrated. I report the outages through their app but nothing ever gets done. This is my biggest pet peeve with EA.

The second EA location has been super reliable but I cannot food shop or do much anything worth doing there. The charging is so fast that I truly don't mind being on my phone, exploring the car, or just wandering around.

A 3rd EA location opened a month ago about 15 minutes away. It has been solid the couple of times I tested it out so now I really feel lucky having so many options.

I am a morning person so I almost always do these early when the EA locations are empty.

I have done 5 road trips of about 1,000 miles each and, knock on wood, I have had very good luck on all of them except for 1 isolated instance that caused me to spend an hour plus to finally get charged.

If I were you, I would hang out at your local EA station and talk to people that use it. Check the plug-share app for people checking in and reporting their experiences there.

 

[DTA]

Hi Members, I need your advice!

My situation:

1. I have a reservation for a Lucid Air Touring and have to finalize the specs in 2 weeks. I also have a reservation for a Tesla Model S Long Range, they just assigned my VIN, so I have about 1-2 weeks to decide on it. Otherwise, I forfeit the car at a $5000 lower price (I reserved it before the price increase). I plan to either choose the Lucid or the Tesla.

2. I presently live in an apartment in Central Phoenix with no charging port. I plan to purchase a house in the next year when the inflated house prices go down. That means I'll have to rely on the very few Electrify America chargers in the city for power.

3. I just test drove the Lucid and the Tesla S, I loved the Lucid, it just seems more advanced in terms of drive quality and technology inside the cabin. Plus I prefer the exterior esthetics over the Tesla.

The other night I watched a YouTube video by Kyle with Out of Spec Motoring on a road trip from Palm Springs to Colorado. Basically, the road trip in the Lucid was stressful because the Electrify America Charging network was horrendous. A lot of the times the charge station was malfunctioning and the driver spent so much time sitting and wasting time. At one charge station, he probably would have been towed if he didn't have any connections with the EA engineers.
Most of the commenters were saying that's exactly why they won't get the Lucid, too much of a headache with EA. They said charging is rarely an issue with Tesla, their Superchargers just work.

Would you still go ahead and purchase the Lucid in my situation? It seems like it's going to be a real headache, especially given that I don't have my own charging station at home.

Other questions:

1. Would you get the glass or metal roof in Phoenix? (110+ degree summer heat)
I'm leaning toward the metal roof due to the obvious heat.

2. Would you get the ($2900 upgrade) 21 speaker Surreal Surround Sound System?

3. Would you get ($9000) DreamDrive Pro?

4. Anyone know of the reliability of the EA charge station in Quartzite? (Between Phoenix and Los Angeles)

Any and all advice would be appreciated!!

Thanks!

As is typical of my LUCID forum cohorts everyone has provided great information and you have hopefully been able to [begin] forming a decision on which vehicle you will purchase.
As a local neighbor to you ..I reside in N Peoria, someone who frequently travels to SoCal ..I'm a native and have an elderly parent & family that have yet to leave, and first time EV owner, I would add the following:
1. similar to purchasing your home [in the next year] base your EV purchase on the maturity of the infrastructure over time.. as it will continue to improve.
2. there are ~(6) commercial EV charging companies today that are building networks ..EA is only one. As you learn of the others in and around the Valley of the Sun you're outlook on charging will influence which vehicle is best for you.
3. as you address the concerns of charging many in this forum [and other EV auto forums] would encourage you to research the build quality of both vehicles and base your decision on your driving behaviors.

Although the features and options you select should dictate personal comfort in how you drive I would encourage you to "go for it" and opt for those features that not only improve your local & long distance driving experience, remember you're purchasing the first production run of a car that will [at some point in time] have a unique value {forward thinking here} and having all the bells & whistles are good for you in the short run and great investment value in the long run.

Finally, that family I spoke of earlier does tend to take advantage of our home & pool throughout the year here and when they come they advise the EV charging station at the Love's fueling station across the I-10 from the bank of Tesla chargers at Carl's Jr in Quartzite was one of the best stations they've used. I look forward to reading what you decide. Cheers & happy Thanksgiving [to all]!

 

[Steveinarizona]

My problem with the glass roof is not just heat in greater Phoenix. I simply like the look of the metal same color roof much better. I think it makes the car sleeker.

There are many posts in this forum where folks say "if they don't have x, which I can get on a (fill in the blank) I don't want the car". We are all different and want different things and what is crucial to me may be unimportant to you. What each of us needs to do is decide what is crucial to us (i.e., a deal breaker), what is important, what is nice to have, what we are agnostic about, what we don't like but can stomach, and what we absolutely don't want (a deal breaker in the other direction).

If there are no deal breakers, then it is a matter of what comes closest to what we want at a price point we are willing to pay. Using my test, the glass roof would be in the category of "what we don't want but can stomach".

 

[DeaneG]

Of note is that the recent $7.5B federally allocated for EV charging infrastructure should more than double the amount of CCS charging currently available. And EA is busy replacing their most problematic charging stations with new second generation units (called "350kW balanced"). I'm expecting CCS charging reliability will improve considerably over the next 2-3 years, though stations will be crowded at peak travel times, as are Superchargers.

I've had a Tesla, and now have an Air GT, and the Air is an incomparably better car.