New Lucid Air update exposes serious hardware problem of used luxury EVs
The rapid pace of EV development is taking its toll. Owners who spent well over $100,000 on a state-of-the-art electric car two years ago are now facing the painful realization that their high-performance computer on wheels is already outdated. US automaker Lucid is offering a stark example of this problem with software-defined vehicles (SDV).
With its new Air UX 3.0 software update, Lucid is bringing a substantially improved digital user interface (UX) to its EVs such as the Lucid Air. The system draws on the larger Lucid Gravity SUV and promises more intuitive controls. Key changes include redesigned home screens with movable cards, smoother access to shortcuts and expanded Apple CarPlay and Android Auto integration on the right-hand cockpit display. Route planning for long trips has also been improved to account more accurately for preferred charging networks.
But this technological progress comes at a steep price. Owners of the latest Lucid Air model years can download the software package to their cars for free over a cellular connection, while early buyers face a trip to a service center. Owners of 2022 and 2023 Lucid Air models, as well as certain 2024 versions, cannot simply install the new operating system. The reason: after just over 2 years, the built-in infotainment processor is already too underpowered to handle the new software architecture.
Lucid is offering these EV owners a hardware upgrade so they can use the new features. Replacing the processor costs exactly $950 in the US. While that price, including labor, is not unreasonable for a luxury car, it exposes a harsh dilemma for modern EVs: their enormously expensive hardware ages just as quickly as an ordinary smartphone's.
Another strategic move by the US automaker makes this issue particularly significant. Alongside the software update, Lucid is launching its official used car program, Lucid Recharged, in Europe. The program will offer certified pre-owned EVs in Germany, Switzerland, the Netherlands and Norway. Before being sold, each car undergoes a rigorous 163-point inspection and comes with extensive warranty coverage.
Buyers of these used luxury cars now face an absurd situation. They are paying substantial sums for a thoroughly inspected premium EV, yet getting a computing architecture that already lacks the processing power to run the latest menu update. Over the coming months, the market will reveal whether this clear hardware obsolescence holds back Lucid's European used car rollout.
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