In anticipation of the imminent, yet cloudy delivery date of the Air sedan, Lucid Motors has shared video footage and new details of its User Experience, or UX. This in-depth look at Lucid UX offers a first look at several unique technologies implemented within a sleek design to match the rest of the Air… whenever it becomes available.
If you’re new to Electrek, welcome! We’re glad you’re here. If not, you’ve probably read about the Lucid Air sedan and its perennial journey toward first deliveries since its prototype was unveiled in 2016. After making headlines on race tracks like Laguna Seca, the Lucid Air has gained hype as a premium luxury EV and the flagship model from Lucid Motors.
Last year, the automaker unveiled the four upcoming trims of the Lucid Air, scheduled to begin with the sold-out Dream Edition this spring sometime in the second half of 2021. While Lucid Motors remains mum regarding when you patient consumers might see an Air in your driveway, it continues to fitfully share new details to keep the zero-emission wolves at bay.
Lucid Motors continues its modus operandi today by unveiling extensive details surrounding its User Experience (UX), including a full press release and a video.
Lucid UX: The User Experience for the Lucid Air
After teasing the debut on social media, Lucid Motors has released extensive details of its new UX along with a nine-minute introduction video led by Senior VP of Design and Brand, Derek Jenkins:
In much the same way that a holistic, clean-sheet approach to design and engineering has made possible the revolutionary packaging and efficiency of Lucid Air, this built-from-the-ground-up strategy has also enabled the creation of Lucid UX, a truly innovative human-machine interface that is easy-to-use and aesthetically beautiful. Lucid UX retains specific aspects of a traditional physical interface and pairs those with an innovative digital form factor that’s highly advanced and ergonomic, providing intuitive access to all vehicle systems.
From what we’ve seen so far, Jenkins uses the appropriate adjectives to describe the UX on Lucid Air. Here are some key takeaways.
Glass Cockpit and Pilot Panel
The Lucid Air sedan will feature two main touchscreen displays — a 34-inch 5K display across the dash, called the Glass Cockpit, and a lower console display centered below, called the Pilot Panel. Both displays are curved toward the driver for added visibility but offer clean views of information for the entire front seat.
An interesting feature is the interconnected displays of both screens that allow passengers to more clearly view specific information. For example, you will be able to swipe down off the Glass Cockpit and seamlessly see information like navigation displayed larger below on the Pilot Panel.
Under the Glass Cockpit sits dedicated physical touchpoints like climate and window controls. Not new technology at first glance, but these physical controls are actually unified digitally, so as you physically toggle them, you will see the setting change on screen. This feature is also present on the Air’s 21-speaker Surreal Sound system designed by Dolby Atmos.
Third party partnerships and OTA updates in Lucid UX
As part of Lucid UX, drivers of the Air sedan will be able to control much of the vehicle settings through voice commands with Alexa built-in. Other popular services like Spotify and iHeartRadio can be controlled directly from the dashboard displays, so you better freshen up that 11-hour Creed playlist!
Furthermore, Apple owners will be able to utilize CarPlay via a wireless connection in the center console. If you’re an Android user, Android audio will also be offered, although it will require a cord to connect… at least for now.
We say that because Lucid Motors has integrated mobile and Wi-Fi technology into the Air to enable over-the-air (OTA) software updates. According to the press release, these OTA capabilities will bring “new features and even changes to pre-existing features that reflect real-world user preferences and feedback. This capability will also be fully leveraged to expand and enhance the DreamDrive advanced driver assistance system, powered by a whopping 32 on-board sensors including the world’s first high-resolution LIDAR in an EV.”
There are many more details to see on Lucid UX, too. You can view the full video here:
Electrek‘s take
Lucid UX is going to be cool… really cool, but when are the Dream Editions coming? I’ve pried and pried but haven’t been able to get anything more narrow than “the second half of 2021,” sorry.
I digress. In true Lucid fashion, the User Experience coming on the Air appears to be a holistic hybrid of style, function, and cutting-edge tech. The sheer design is beautiful and intuitive, but you’d expect nothing less from a premium luxury brand… especially for the money Lucid is asking for the Air.
A feature that stood out to me personally was the wireless Apple CarPlay. Adios USB cable! Secondly, the potential for OTA updates could be tremendous, too. I’ve grilled Lucid reps for specific details of these capabilities in the past and have gotten vague (but safe) responses, but it seems like Lucid will have the capacity to upgrade its vehicle functions moving forward.
Their OTA capabilities may not be on the level of Tesla or NIO, but the potential to expand into ADAS and DreamDrive is at least promising, especially since so many other automakers can barely update their infotainment systems over the air. We will have to see how truly capable Lucid’s OTA capacity is when they start delivering vehicles.
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