Lucid’s opportunity to create brand ambassadors

[TakeDuo]

Some of you in this thread are saying you can’t recommend buying a Lucid to friends because of….. EA’s charging infrastructure? Sounds like you can’t recommend buying an EV maybe? Sure, Tesla has a much more robust and reliable network. But, I wouldn’t tell someone who wanted to make the switch to a non-Tesla EV “don’t buy this yet” simply on your specific EA experience. Download PlugShare and find some EVGo or ChargePoint DCFC and pay for it and give them a try. Don’t shortchange someone and tell them the incredible driving experience that is Lucid isn’t for them solely based off individual experiences with a compnay like EA. They were born out of necessity and left in neglect. Lucid doesn’t deserve that. They have their faults but EA isn’t their product so don’t associate them.

 

[Babyrocko1908]

Seen in this light, Lucid is not doing too badly.
25% is huge in my book, considering the context and all the extenuating circumstances.
But, of course, I'm biased.

I agree with this plus it's a start up only delivering cars for 1 year.

 

[Babyrocko1908]

Lucid is using the luxury EV sport sedan market niche to establish its engineering and manufacturing bona fides. It's future as a carmaker will rest on the wider-market cars that are coming: the Gravity SUV and smaller, less expensive sedans.

Naples, FL is a luxury car market on the order of Beverly Hills. This relatively small town has Rolls, Bentley, Aston, and Ferrari dealerships, all of whose wares are routinely seen on the streets here.

This is highly anecdotal, but we have identified at least seven different Lucid Airs on the roadways here but seen only five Porsche Taycans and three MB EQS'. (We've had more than seven Lucid sightings, but we couldn't be sure some of them weren't cars we'd already seen.) If you define Lucid's marketing niche as luxury EV sedans, I tend to believe Lucid is capturing a fair share of that market.

Once we even parked our red Lucid Air behind another red Lucid Air in a restaurant parking lot:

View attachment 10046

Sit tight, me, @AirDoll, @moytoyx, @LucidNJ, @Ahntilza, @ksn, and @Tenorcnj are on our way!!

 

[EVCar]

Some of you in this thread are saying you can’t recommend buying a Lucid to friends because of….. EA’s charging infrastructure? Sounds like you can’t recommend buying an EV maybe? Sure, Tesla has a much more robust and reliable network. But, I wouldn’t tell someone who wanted to make the switch to a non-Tesla EV “don’t buy this yet” simply on your specific EA experience. Download PlugShare and find some EVGo or ChargePoint DCFC and pay for it and give them a try. Don’t shortchange someone and tell them the incredible driving experience that is Lucid isn’t for them solely based off individual experiences with a compnay like EA. They were born out of necessity and left in neglect. Lucid doesn’t deserve that. They have their faults but EA isn’t their product so don’t associate them.

Just re-stating what's been said or implied a few times on the forum, the issue is squarely on EA.
The fact that the car can receive charge at home or with other DCFC networks means the car is fine, but EA is not.
And remember there are members here, born under a lucky star, who don't have EA problems.
So, two separate considerations: car and EA, intertwined but independent.

 

[hmp10]

Some of you in this thread are saying you can’t recommend buying a Lucid to friends because of….. EA’s charging infrastructure? Sounds like you can’t recommend buying an EV maybe? Sure, Tesla has a much more robust and reliable network. But, I wouldn’t tell someone who wanted to make the switch to a non-Tesla EV “don’t buy this yet” simply on your specific EA experience. Download PlugShare and find some EVGo or ChargePoint DCFC and pay for it and give them a try. Don’t shortchange someone and tell them the incredible driving experience that is Lucid isn’t for them solely based off individual experiences with a compnay like EA. They were born out of necessity and left in neglect. Lucid doesn’t deserve that. They have their faults but EA isn’t their product so don’t associate them.

Unfortunately, these complaints about CCS are not limited just to individual Lucid owners. Three highly-regarded and massively-followed YouTubers -- Kyle Conner, Tom Moloughney, and Marquess Brownlee -- have all reported such widespread problems with CCS charging that they are sounding the alarm. Kyle Conner recently repeated a long EV charging test trip he took four years ago to see how the CCS infrastructure has evolved on that same route. He found that it hasn't. Even though he is a big fan of some CCS EVs (he loves the Air and the EQS, and his father has an Ionig 5), he recently recommended that anyone planning take take frequent road trips in an EV should at present only consider buying a Tesla due to the ubiquity of issues with CCS chargers.

Besides innumerable EA problems I've personally encountered on two long road trips (and reported on this forum), I recently decided to try out ChargePoint as a potential backup. That experience (which I also recounted here) went no better, as I arrived at a non-working station that required a 15-minute phone call with their customer service to determine the station was not operable.

No one is saying this situation is Lucid's fault. What we are saying is that it is a potential brake on sales of Lucids and any CCS EVs until it is rectified.

Fortunately, at least for us, we have home charging, and the Lucid's real-world range is good enough for the great majority of driving we do -- including coast-to-coast round trips in Florida.

 

[Stevepatek]

Absolutely love my AT (1,000 miles)and look forward to driving it every time I can. The combination of silent power, capable handling, unique style and superb finish make this car one of a kind in my view. My limited mobile service experience has only been positive and the continual ota updates improved my Lucid’s software immensely.

Unfortunately, I have been unable to charge at Charlotte’s only EA station (all ten chargers) This of course makes me leery of using the Lucid on a long trip, but Im hoping the charging infrastructure improves in the next few years.
I was able to charge at an EA with newer Signet chargers elsewhere, so there is hope.

This is my first BEV, but I test drove the Tesla S and MB EQS, neither of which could hold a candle to the AT. On top of that, the looks and attention one gets in this car are a lot of fun if you are a true car person.

I feel a sense of adventure and excitement every time I drive my Lucid and would recommend it to anyone considering a luxury car purchase.

One last suggestion, has Lucid considered a Cars and Coffee sponsorship nationwide? This is where, in every city, you can reach car aficionados each month.

 

[xponents]

Not to brag, but Pop and I are both UX 1.0 veterans and have been known to draw a crowd when we show up. View attachment 10042

You. Stop making me second guess QG.

 

[TakeDuo]

Unfortunately, these complaints about CCS are not limited just to individual Lucid owners. Three highly-regarded and massively-followed YouTubers -- Kyle Conner, Tom Moloughney, and Marquess Brownlee -- have all reported such widespread problems with CCS charging that they are sounding the alarm. Kyle Conner recently repeated a long EV charging test trip he took four years ago to see how the CCS infrastructure has evolved on that same route. He found that it hasn't. Even though he is a big fan of some CCS EVs (he loves the Air and the EQS, and his father has an Ionig 5), he recently recommended that anyone planning take take frequent road trips in an EV should at present only consider buying a Tesla due to the ubiquity of issues with CCS chargers.

Besides innumerable EA problems I've personally encountered on two long road trips (and reported on this forum), I recently decided to try out ChargePoint as a potential backup. That experience (which I also recounted here) went no better, as I arrived at a non-working station that required a 15-minute phone call with their customer service to determine the station was not operable.

No one is saying this situation is Lucid's fault. What we are saying is that it is a potential brake on sales of Lucids and any CCS EVs until it is rectified.

Fortunately, at least for us, we have home charging, and the Lucid's real-world range is good enough for the great majority of driving we do -- including coast-to-coast round trips in Florida.

I agree that there are widespread EV infrastructure problems. However, Lucid has risen the bar for range expectations amongst EV auto makers and has pushed the boundaries of efficiency. That’s the exciting part that gets me geeked out at a Cars and Coffee event when people’s eyes light up at the numbers. The heart of this thread is Lucid Ambassadors. Spreading the word at the lowest level car events, charging stations, rest stops and even gas stations when we take a bio break and still have 50% SoC. My line I like to say to others is that my Lucid, at 50% SoC, has more range than a full Model 3.

I know some speak of the sole EA charger in their neighborhood is broken. But, I would guess that within the range of the Lucid, they would pass dozens of other ample CCS chargers. Including EAs. Range anxiety is dead in this car. Bottom line. It’s hard changing that thinking when the trio you mentioned is spreading some level of FUD. Agree… I grimace a bit each time I plug in with fingers crossed.

However, I wouldn’t tell someone not to buy a forced air induction ICE because their local gas station only had 87 octane that isn’t compatible with their shiny new car. A thought: A Dodge Challenger can burn through a gallon of fuel in 8 mins. In a large portion of this country, you’d run out of fuel before the next fuel station in under an hour….

 

[HariK]

They'll be shipping globally, so they aren't intending to take 25% market share in the US.

I think the 2.5k cars sitting in AZ are for shipping abroad plus 14k more max target in 23.

 

[ebr]

Unfortunately, I have been unable to charge at Charlotte’s only EA station (all ten chargers)

Hmm... I guess that was the one in University area? I've only had my GT for about a month but I've put over 1,000 miles on it - mostly by just making up excuses to drive somewhere. Most of my driving is local but I did want to test out the public chargers to see how they worked.

I drove down to the University EA station a couple weeks ago and, while the 350 one did not work, I moved over to a 150 and charged with no problem. I got up to 80% while I had a sub at the subway just across the drive.

Yesterday, I took a drive up to the EA chargers at the Crossroads in Statesville (right at the 77/40 interchange). That 350 charger worked just fine on first plug-in and I added 300 miles of range in the time it took me to down a big mac.

Only longish trip I've made was a round trip to Cherokee. Only about 180 miles there and I plugged into one of their L2 chargers in the garage which topped me off overnight for the ride back home.

So, I guess I've been lucky - with the charging and the car as I've had no issues at all [knock][knock] and CS was fantastic during the 16-update process I had to go through when I first bought the car. I'd happily be a brand ambassador but the price-point really does limit the potential sales. Also, in this area, the lack of any close service center will become a concern the moment I do need something.

This car is incredible and is on par (actually better) than others in that same price point but that market will never be big enough to make Lucid a going concern long-term. Therefore, it will be the Gravity (people all want SUVs now) and lower trim models that can finally make them profitable and that is going to take a while. So, the 10-14k production announcement really shouldn't have been much of a surprise to anyone.

 

[NoseyReporter]

I think the 2.5k cars sitting in AZ are for shipping abroad plus 14k more max target in 23.

I pray to God they are sandbagging their numbers.

If shares drop back down to the 6-7 range I'll load back up what I sold. I need to buy myself a Lucid vehicle, after I make some Lucid money.

 

[Bobby]

Unfortunately, these complaints about CCS are not limited just to individual Lucid owners. Three highly-regarded and massively-followed YouTubers -- Kyle Conner, Tom Moloughney, and Marquess Brownlee -- have all reported such widespread problems with CCS charging that they are sounding the alarm. Kyle Conner recently repeated a long EV charging test trip he took four years ago to see how the CCS infrastructure has evolved on that same route. He found that it hasn't. Even though he is a big fan of some CCS EVs (he loves the Air and the EQS, and his father has an Ionig 5), he recently recommended that anyone planning take take frequent road trips in an EV should at present only consider buying a Tesla due to the ubiquity of issues with CCS chargers.

Besides innumerable EA problems I've personally encountered on two long road trips (and reported on this forum), I recently decided to try out ChargePoint as a potential backup. That experience (which I also recounted here) went no better, as I arrived at a non-working station that required a 15-minute phone call with their customer service to determine the station was not operable.

No one is saying this situation is Lucid's fault. What we are saying is that it is a potential brake on sales of Lucids and any CCS EVs until it is rectified.

Fortunately, at least for us, we have home charging, and the Lucid's real-world range is good enough for the great majority of driving we do -- including coast-to-coast round trips in Florida.

Exactly. Great post. This is why each individual car buyer must consider a vehicle not by its own merits and capabilities, but by the individual use case of the buyer. I am amazed how many people buy an EV based on the idea that they plan to take massively long road trips without researching charging infrastructure.

I can only use myself as an example. I make fairly frequent trips to Los Angeles, 320 miles round-trip, to visit a sick family member. My Lucid is absolutely perfect for this usage. My goal was to have a luxury car that can easily make this trip. I have a level two charger at home and solar to provide the electricity. There is no other EV that fits this exact scenario, except perhaps the EQS but it was just too ugly for me. People may argue that other EVs can go 320 miles, but I am not willing to suffer the stress of nearly completely draining the battery or worrying about taking side trips while I am at my destination. My YouTube video of a 310 mile round-trip where I return home and have 27% of battery remaining is the proof of this statement.

At this point I cannot recommend that anybody buy an EV other than a Tesla if they will be dependent on public infrastructure for charging. Even Tesla stations are plagued by overcrowding. My local EA station has actually been very reliable. But there are only eight chargers there, and as more EVs hit the road, it will become overcrowded quickly. I sometimes use it because it is free… And I imagine once we get rid of this free charging paradigm, the crowds will ease a little bit. I often see Teslas charging there because the electricity is cheaper at an EA station than at a supercharger.

It is certainly fun to take test drives and compare vehicles, one to the other. In the end, they are all dependent on the same infrastructure. Consider your own use case before you buy into this emerging technology. I’ve said before, I imagine in five or 10 years this will not even be a topic of discussion anymore because it will have been solved.

TL;DR if your purpose in buying a new vehicle is to take long road trips, no EV is good for you at this time. However, if you will not be dependent on current public charging infrastructure, an EV, especially a Lucid, is an excellent choice.

 

[HariK]

I pray to God they are sandbagging their numbers.

If shares drop back down to the 6-7 range I'll load back up what I sold. I need to buy myself a Lucid vehicle, after I make some Lucid money.

If they maintain the same production rate as q4 22, they will hit the 14k target in 23. Not a stretch. They said that the issue is demand and not supply. I hope that they can ship some Base Pure RWD at least in Q4. I think they have enough of the Pure AWD reservations to meet the 23 target but I think some of the base Pure RWD will cancel and look at ioniq 6 sedan for example if they have to wait till 24.

 

[NoseyReporter]

If they maintain the same production rate as q4 22, they will hit the 14k target in 23. Not a stretch. They said that the issue is demand and not supply. I hope that they can ship some Base Pure RWD at least in Q4. I think they have enough of the Pure AWD reservations to meet the 23 target but I think some of the base Pure RWD will cancel and look at ioniq 6 sedan for example if they have to wait till 24.

Agreed. I think the Stealth will be a big hit. Personally it's what I'd go for.

The widebody on the Sapphire is amazing too. I know it's blasphemy to say this but if they offered that widebody as an option on the other trims, I bet you'd see people chomp at the bit to add it.

 

[joec]

Exactly. Great post. This is why each individual car buyer must consider a vehicle not by its own merits and capabilities, but by the individual use case of the buyer. I am amazed how many people buy an EV based on the idea that they plan to take massively long road trips without researching charging infrastructure.

I can only use myself as an example. I make fairly frequent trips to Los Angeles, 320 miles round-trip, to visit a sick family member. My Lucid is absolutely perfect for this usage. My goal was to have a luxury car that can easily make this trip. I have a level two charger at home and solar to provide the electricity. There is no other EV that fits this exact scenario, except perhaps the EQS but it was just too ugly for me. People may argue that other EVs can go 320 miles, but I am not willing to suffer the stress of nearly completely draining the battery or worrying about taking side trips while I am at my destination. My YouTube video of a 310 mile round-trip where I return home and have 27% of battery remaining is the proof of this statement.

At this point I cannot recommend that anybody buy an EV other than a Tesla if they will be dependent on public infrastructure for charging. Even Tesla stations are plagued by overcrowding. My local EA station has actually been very reliable. But there are only eight chargers there, and as more EVs hit the road, it will become overcrowded quickly. I sometimes use it because it is free… And I imagine once we get rid of this free charging paradigm, the crowds will ease a little bit. I often see Teslas charging there because the electricity is cheaper at an EA station than at a supercharger.

It is certainly fun to take test drives and compare vehicles, one to the other. In the end, they are all dependent on the same infrastructure. Consider your own use case before you buy into this emerging technology. I’ve said before, I imagine in five or 10 years this will not even be a topic of discussion anymore because it will have been solved.

TL;DR if your purpose in buying a new vehicle is to take long road trips, no EV is good for you at this time. However, if you will not be dependent on current public charging infrastructure, an EV, especially a Lucid, is an excellent choice.

Absolutely. If long road trips are a very frequent thing for you (more than the once or twice per year most Americans actually take a trip of over 300 miles) then an EV in general might not yet be a good choice. There are absolutely still folks out there for whom it makes sense to keep their ICE vehicles. But I'd argue these folks are far from the average car owner.

If it really is just the occasional road trip you take, what I often tell people is in a worst-case scenario, you rent an ICE vehicle for those one or two longer trips. That will still be cheaper than buying gas and maintaining all the moving parts on an ICE vehicle all year. Especially for someone like me who gets $0.12 electricity rates 24/7.

I had my Tesla for three years, and the only money I spent on it outside of about $20 in electricity per month was one set of new tires and windshield washer fluid. There's almost no parts that could go bad on that car that wouldn't be covered under warranty. The same is true for most EVs.

 

[hydbob]

Stop talking about charging, production and trims on the ambassador thread!

 

[HariK]

Agreed. I think the Stealth will be a big hit. Personally it's what I'd go for.

The widebody on the Sapphire is amazing too. I know it's blasphemy to say this but if they offered that widebody as an option on the other trims, I bet you'd see people chomp at the bit to add it.

Lucid Air is already too wide for my garage and some parking spaces here at wholefoods Fremont for example. For sure it will be a challenge in Washington DC area.

 

[Lucken]

Absolutely love my AT (1,000 miles)and look forward to driving it every time I can. The combination of silent power, capable handling, unique style and superb finish make this car one of a kind in my view. My limited mobile service experience has only been positive and the continual ota updates improved my Lucid’s software immensely.

Unfortunately, I have been unable to charge at Charlotte’s only EA station (all ten chargers) This of course makes me leery of using the Lucid on a long trip, but Im hoping the charging infrastructure improves in the next few years.
I was able to charge at an EA with newer Signet chargers elsewhere, so there is hope.

This is my first BEV, but I test drove the Tesla S and MB EQS, neither of which could hold a candle to the AT. On top of that, the looks and attention one gets in this car are a lot of fun if you are a true car person.

I feel a sense of adventure and excitement every time I drive my Lucid and would recommend it to anyone considering a luxury car purchase.

One last suggestion, has Lucid considered a Cars and Coffee sponsorship nationwide? This is where, in every city, you can reach car aficionados each month.

This causes me some concern as I've seen other reports where Lucids can't charge while others EVs can. I've never personally encountered an issue like this with any of my 3 EVs (I'm eliminating my 2017 MS from this mix for obvious reasons). If I couldn't charge with either my I-Pace, e-Tron or i4, nobody else could either. So with many EA chargers in already questionable condition, a further restriction on those that are working is a bummer.

I hope Lucid & EA get this sorted out sooner than later.

 

[Lucken]

I agree that there are widespread EV infrastructure problems. However, Lucid has risen the bar for range expectations amongst EV auto makers and has pushed the boundaries of efficiency. That’s the exciting part that gets me geeked out at a Cars and Coffee event when people’s eyes light up at the numbers. The heart of this thread is Lucid Ambassadors. Spreading the word at the lowest level car events, charging stations, rest stops and even gas stations when we take a bio break and still have 50% SoC. My line I like to say to others is that my Lucid, at 50% SoC, has more range than a full Model 3.

I know some speak of the sole EA charger in their neighborhood is broken. But, I would guess that within the range of the Lucid, they would pass dozens of other ample CCS chargers. Including EAs. Range anxiety is dead in this car. Bottom line. It’s hard changing that thinking when the trio you mentioned is spreading some level of FUD. Agree… I grimace a bit each time I plug in with fingers crossed.

However, I wouldn’t tell someone not to buy a forced air induction ICE because their local gas station only had 87 octane that isn’t compatible with their shiny new car. A thought: A Dodge Challenger can burn through a gallon of fuel in 8 mins. In a large portion of this country, you’d run out of fuel before the next fuel station in under an hour….

Why is it FUD? That implies a level of dishonesty or embellishment and given the current state of EA, I don't see where their reports can be categorized as FUD. I just went to the EA charger near me and, for the first time, there were no available slots. Of the 4 stalls, one was broken and the other 3 were occupied. There was a blue Rivian and a VW waiting, so I left.

 

[Lucken]

If they maintain the same production rate as q4 22, they will hit the 14k target in 23. Not a stretch. They said that the issue is demand and not supply. I hope that they can ship some Base Pure RWD at least in Q4. I think they have enough of the Pure AWD reservations to meet the 23 target but I think some of the base Pure RWD will cancel and look at ioniq 6 sedan for example if they have to wait till 24.

I'd be willing to bet the wait for the Ioniq 6 will be long and the markups above MSRP will be huge. This is a real problem for some EVs, especially Hyundais & Kias. I had to wait 9 months for my BMW i4. I'm waiting over 2 years now for my Pure. Not many would have the patience to wait this long for EVs.