Message to Senior Management, Board Members, and Shareholders. The reason why I canceled my order upon delivery

[MixhaelsFL]

I would like to share my experience and urge Lucid Motors to understand the importance of consumer requests and the meaning of nurturing goodwill upon the sale.

I understand that Lucid practices a ‘Direct Consumer Sale’ business model under Zak Edson. My direct experience with Lucid in Florida means the company practices a no-consideration policy, has a take-it-or-leave-it attitude, and is not even interested in handling objections (a core part of any professional sales).

I believe Lucid has taken the Telsa model of direct sales. But Lucid is not Telsa, from what I understand, demand is not as strong as projected, they have produced many more cars than delivered, and many orders have been canceled. Worse is the stock is hovering around the low, and many analysts are bullish.

Furthermore, the Dream Drove Pro is practically still in beta stages, as my auto park attempt failed 6 out 6 attempts on the demo drive.

I sent Lucid Palm Beach this following letter and got back a simple response, ‘no can do’.

I would be curious if anyone else is irked that a car for an invoice value of $110k, with premium audio hardware, would require spending another $4k for the software. And I think it is a turn-off to include audio software for only 1 month.

In the end, I forgo my $1000 deposit, and ordered a Telsa Model S. Put my Lucid Black hat in the charity bin. Yes, I am a bit sad as I wanted to be a Lucid enthusiast. Maybe in the future.
---------------------------------
Thank you for all your team's professional support with my order. Congrats to Lucid for innovating an exceptional car.

At this stage, I am still undecided about taking delivery of the order I placed in Nov 21. As someone who loves new technology, I was impressed with Lucid Dream Drive and understand that it has the hardware capabilities to reach Level 3 autonomous driving. I was also interested in the advanced sound system that was previewed through the online videos that Lucid published.

As a brief background, I am an EV car enthusiast and environmentalist. I owned one of the first Fisker Karma, have a Telsa Y in my family, and installed solar panels on my house. I also own a sizable number of shares in Lucid, Nvidia, as well as Luminar Technologies (Lidar). Further, I am active on the Lucid consumer forums.

Autonomous driving is a technology that I fully embrace, and after driving my son's Telsa Y, it is a technology that I want to further experience 'now'.

I did take a test drive and was impressed with the Highway Assist, and from what I understand Lucid is not ready for Lane keeping assistance (LKA) off highways. I know this will come out in the future, but no dates nor did I receive any indication of when it may be available. The cost of $9000 for DreamDrive Pro hardware puts me in a bit of an uncomfortable position of paying for an upgrade that is strongly desired, and not knowing when it will be a reality.

Also, to be direct, I am a bit surprised that a car at $108k which has superior audio hardware, only comes with a one-month trial on the Pro software. To maintain the software will be another $4k. Personally, to me, it is a turn-off. If I buy a luxury car with high-end audio hardware, I should be able to enjoy it without an added expense of $4k for software. Especially since Dan Neil of WSJ’s review of Lucid, this past weekend stated the “sound reproduction is thin and weirdly wimpy”.

For the reasons above, along with a few other matters, I am still undecided about accepting delivery. I don't need another car right now, and when I do, the Model S would work for me for a few years until Lucid/Nvidia is able to enhance its autonomous driving.

With that all said, if Lucid can include the Surreal Sound Pro in my purchase, I will go ahead with delivery this week. If not, I will probably pass. Please let me know if you have the authority to make this decision, if not, I would appreciate it if you could speak to management that has and let me know your or their feedback.

Thanks for reading,

 

[Bobby]

I would like to share my experience and urge Lucid Motors to understand the importance of consumer requests and the meaning of nurturing goodwill upon the sale.

I understand that Lucid practices a ‘Direct Consumer Sale’ business model under Zak Edson. My direct experience with Lucid in Florida means the company practices a no-consideration policy, has a take-it-or-leave-it attitude, and is not even interested in handling objections (a core part of any professional sales).

I believe Lucid has taken the Telsa model of direct sales. But Lucid is not Telsa, from what I understand, demand is not as strong as projected, they have produced many more cars than delivered, and many orders have been canceled. Worse is the stock is hovering around the low, and many analysts are bullish.

Furthermore, the Dream Drove Pro is practically still in beta stages, as my auto park attempt failed 6 out 6 attempts on the demo drive.

I sent Lucid Palm Beach this following letter and got back a simple response, ‘no can do’.

I would be curious if anyone else is irked that a car for an invoice value of $110k, with premium audio hardware, would require spending another $4k for the software. And I think it is a turn-off to include audio software for only 1 month.

In the end, I forgo my $1000 deposit, and ordered a Telsa Model S. Put my Lucid Black hat in the charity bin. Yes, I am a bit sad as I wanted to be a Lucid enthusiast. Maybe in the future.
---------------------------------
Thank you for all your team's professional support with my order. Congrats to Lucid for innovating an exceptional car.

At this stage, I am still undecided about taking delivery of the order I placed in Nov 21. As someone who loves new technology, I was impressed with Lucid Dream Drive and understand that it has the hardware capabilities to reach Level 3 autonomous driving. I was also interested in the advanced sound system that was previewed through the online videos that Lucid published.

As a brief background, I am an EV car enthusiast and environmentalist. I owned one of the first Fisker Karma, have a Telsa Y in my family, and installed solar panels on my house. I also own a sizable number of shares in Lucid, Nvidia, as well as Luminar Technologies (Lidar). Further, I am active on the Lucid consumer forums.

Autonomous driving is a technology that I fully embrace, and after driving my son's Telsa Y, it is a technology that I want to further experience 'now'.

I did take a test drive and was impressed with the Highway Assist, and from what I understand Lucid is not ready for Lane keeping assistance (LKA) off highways. I know this will come out in the future, but no dates nor did I receive any indication of when it may be available. The cost of $9000 for DreamDrive Pro hardware puts me in a bit of an uncomfortable position of paying for an upgrade that is strongly desired, and not knowing when it will be a reality.

Also, to be direct, I am a bit surprised that a car at $108k which has superior audio hardware, only comes with a one-month trial on the Pro software. To maintain the software will be another $4k. Personally, to me, it is a turn-off. If I buy a luxury car with high-end audio hardware, I should be able to enjoy it without an added expense of $4k for software. Especially since Dan Neil of WSJ’s review of Lucid, this past weekend stated the “sound reproduction is thin and weirdly wimpy”.

For the reasons above, along with a few other matters, I am still undecided about accepting delivery. I don't need another car right now, and when I do, the Model S would work for me for a few years until Lucid/Nvidia is able to enhance its autonomous driving.

With that all said, if Lucid can include the Surreal Sound Pro in my purchase, I will go ahead with delivery this week. If not, I will probably pass. Please let me know if you have the authority to make this decision, if not, I would appreciate it if you could speak to management that has and let me know your or their feedback.

Thanks for reading,

See ya. Enjoy the Camry.

 

[CraZ8]

I don’t know your current car / lease/ need but if I were you I would wait 6 months to see if most/all the aspects of Dream drive pro have been installed over the air before I made my decision. Also to put so much stock in one reviewers opinion on the stereo system I personally find odd. Many raved about the system. You have driven the car and fiddled with the sound system? That guy may have just had a car that someone set up the sound reproduction oddly. I remember when the dream first came out most of the reviewers loved the space in the rear seat but one guy bitched repeatedly about how high his knees were up. Bottom line you can’t please everyone and you should form your own opinions

 

[level]

Wow! You registered on this forum few days ago just to make 1 and the only post today of saying goodbye?
Well, bye and good luck

 

[Neurio]

And why did you think you could bargain with them? Prices are clearly stated online. There is no haggling with this model, much like with Tesla, Polestar, Rivian, etc. The old way of going back and forth with a dealer on the lot is pretty much dead, so tow expect otherwise is naive. The costs are what they are. They are upgrades to the standard offerings. DDP adds the 360 surround, blind spot cameras, and more hardware to make use of in future ADAS iterations. SSP adds more speakers and the ability for Dolby Atmos. They don't just give those things away for free (at least beyond the trial periods)...

 

[The Hack]

It is unfortunate that you have decided to “cut off your nose to spite your face” so to speak. I placed a reservation on 8/31/2020 for my Touring which took almost 2 1/2 years to arrive. Best car purchase decision that I ever made. As you drive down the road in the future you will no doubt see more and more Airs on the road and I wonder if you will be questioning your decision each time as they pass you by ?

 

[Tim-in-CA]

As a brief background, I am an EV car enthusiast and environmentalist. I owned one of the first Fisker Karma, have a Telsa Y in my family, and installed solar panels on my house. I also own a sizable number of shares in Lucid, Nvidia, as well as Luminar Technologies (Lidar). Further, I am active on the Lucid consumer forums.

Since when does one post mean "active on the Lucid consumer forums"? I also wonder what freebies he got Tesla to provide him? Free FSD BETA? Free upgrade on rims? Free upgrade on color?

 

[ProdigalTrader]

Don’t let the door hit you where the good lord split you.

This letter should be the basis for a Masterclass on entitlement.

 

[hydbob]

Since when does one post mean "active on the Lucid consumer forums"? I also wonder what freebies he got Tesla to provide him? Free FSD BETA? Free upgrade on rims? Free upgrade on color?

the "other" forum

 

[Tim-in-CA]

the "other" forum

I only found one post on the "other" forum from them as well ... I don't participate there, this forum is much more active!!

 

[Drendino]

I’m actually proud of Lucid because agreeing to this request would have thrown everyone who paid the price of admission under the bus.

I do hope that the OP enjoys the Tesla. It’s a good car with cool bells and whistles. There is a good reason why every other car on the road is a Tesla, even though I can’t tell the difference between the high end and entry level models. Yes, I know the fit and finish issues are frustrating, especially since you can’t speak to a live person. That is the cost of massive automation and the more homogenous Teslas there are on the road, the faster we will reduce carbon omissions. The Super Charger network is also awesome, but I don’t need it because Lucid is the king of range. It can be frustrating on those long trips when I need to take a break because my car is done charging in 20 minutes and I feel bad taking up space at the 350kwh chargers. Tesla drivers get a lot more time to rest.

Even though Teslas are great, I feel a bit sorry because the Lucid is as close to automotive bliss as I’ve ever experienced. I’ve given up trying to find the correct words to describe the experience. If you know, you know. If you don’t know, then $4k for software may seem like a big deal.

 

[CraZ8]

I only found one post on the "other" forum from them as well ... I don't participate there, this forum is much more active!!

I’m glad I made the switch about a year ago

 

[MMBINN]

This car, hands-down, is the best car I have ever driven or owned. Drives like a dream, I absolutely love it. I am sorry you did not have the patience or fortitude to have the experience.

 

[MixhaelsFL]

It is unfortunate that you have decided to “cut off your nose to spite your face” so to speak. I placed a reservation on 8/31/2020 for my Touring which took almost 2 1/2 years to arrive. Best car purchase decision that I ever made. As you drive down the road in the future you will no doubt see more and more Airs on the road and I wonder if you will be questioning your decision each time as they pass you by ?

Thanks, yes I understand. As I stated in my post I want to enjoy auto pilot and have no idea when Lucid will be up to Level 2 or 3. I will wait until the software is more advanced.

And why did you think you could bargain with them? Prices are clearly stated online. There is no haggling with this model, much like with Tesla, Polestar, Rivian, etc. The old way of going back and forth with a dealer on the lot is pretty much dead, so tow expect otherwise is naive. The costs are what they are. They are upgrades to the standard offerings. DDP adds the 360 surround, blind spot cameras, and more hardware to make use of in future ADAS iterations. SSP adds more speakers and the ability for Dolby Atmos. They don't just give those things away for free (at least beyond the trial periods)...

Thanks for your comments. Yes your right, I didn't expect them to haggle. I was undecided, a bit turned off because a $100k+ car had high-end audio hardware, and you have to pay $4k for the software. At the end of the day, I own a few companies and always try to give a customer what they want, whether I agree or not, as long as it is reasonable. My core focus is for people/customers to be happy.

As a shareholder, Lucid needs to ramp up their deliveries and close sales. I just thought it was poor sales management. There are too many examples of how companies thrive focused on goodwill, and others die by being inflexible. Take a look at Apple, it is one of the most valuable companies in the world, when you go to their store with an issue, you are greeted with a smile, and the tech team usually helps you out whether you are under warranty or not. I think it is an interesting business case. My bet is that companies with flexibility have far greater consumer support, profitability, and longevity than others who don't.

In any event, I just wanted to share my opinion and hear others.

 

[MixhaelsFL]

I’m actually proud of Lucid because agreeing to this request would have thrown everyone who paid the price of admission under the bus.

I do hope that the OP enjoys the Tesla. It’s a good car with cool bells and whistles. There is a good reason why every other car on the road is a Tesla, even though I can’t tell the difference between the high end and entry level models. Yes, I know the fit and finish issues are frustrating, especially since you can’t speak to a live person. That is the cost of massive automation and the more homogenous Teslas there are on the road, the faster we will reduce carbon omissions. The Super Charger network is also awesome, but I don’t need it because Lucid is the king of range. It can be frustrating on those long trips when I need to take a break because my car is done charging in 20 minutes and I feel bad taking up space at the 350kwh chargers. Tesla drivers get a lot more time to rest.

Even though Teslas are great, I feel a bit sorry because the Lucid is as close to automotive bliss as I’ve ever experienced. I’ve given up trying to find the correct words to describe the experience. If you know, you know. If you don’t know, then $4k for software may seem like a big deal.

Thanks, I appreciate your comments. I was undecided and hoped they would try to close the deal. I wonder how many orders have been canceled, I believe a very high position. One of the main reasons for my order was the Dream Drive Pro reaching Level 3 and it is far from being a reality.

I fully understand that I will not be as proud driving an S as opposed to an Air, but I will enjoy Tesla's technology much more, which is important to me.

 

[MixhaelsFL]

This car, hands-down, is the best car I have ever driven or owned. Drives like a dream, I absolutely love it. I am sorry you did not have the patience or fortitude to have the experience.

Thanks for your response, Out of interest, how much patience or fortitude do you think is fair for the Dream Drive Pro to reach level 2 or 3. My understanding is that it will not be ready until late '24 or '25. Being that it is an unknown, I did not want to wait.

 

[MixhaelsFL]

Since when does one post mean "active on the Lucid consumer forums"? I also wonder what freebies he got Tesla to provide him? Free FSD BETA? Free upgrade on rims? Free upgrade on color?

Thanks, More on the Facebook Forums.

Lucid is not Tesla, Lucid is struggling for deliveries, a high % of orders have been canceled, the stock is at near lows. There is a massive demand for Telsa's. Telsa does not spend much on marketing because of all the goodwill and happy customers out there. Telsa also does not charge $4k for upgraded audio software. So in retrospect, most of my comment is for a luxury car offering $4k for advanced audio, was a turn-off for me. The hardware was already included in the price. Being undecided, I passed on the car.

Of interest what do you think the upgraded audio software is worth and do you think it is reasonable for Lucid to charge $4k for the software.

 

[MixhaelsFL]

Don’t let the door hit you where the good lord split you.

This letter should be the basis for a Masterclass on entitlement.

Thanks for your comments. So you don't think it is reasonable for a company to try to close a deal with an undecided purchaser. As a shareholder Lucid is struggling to create demand, deliveries are far from projected and many orders have been cancelled. What would a Masterclass say about that? As a business owner, I would encourage them to focus on consumer goodwill and close sales.

But your and the other comments do resonate with me. Maybe I should have just passed on the car without hoping Lucid would have tried to close the sale.

 

[Impatient7536]

jesus, some people in these tax brackets are truly built different...i think you and the "i drove 100 miles and deserve a CEO meet and greet" would get along nicely

 

[Bobby]

Thanks, More on the Facebook Forums.

Lucid is not Tesla, Lucid is struggling for deliveries, a high % of orders have been canceled, the stock is at near lows. There is a massive demand for Telsa's. Telsa does not spend much on marketing because of all the goodwill and happy customers out there. Telsa also does not charge $4k for upgraded audio software. So in retrospect, most of my comment is for a luxury car offering $4k for advanced audio, was a turn-off for me. The hardware was already included in the price. Being undecided, I passed on the car.

Of interest what do you think the upgraded audio software is worth and do you think it is reasonable for Lucid to charge $4k for the software.

still here?