Bricked Lucid Air Exposes One Weak Point Of High-Tech EVs

Electric vehicles have evolved into high-tech luxury machines, often resembling smartphones on wheels more than traditional automobiles. With features like app-based keys, remote diagnostics, and over-the-air updates, EVs such as the Lucid Air promise cutting-edge convenience wrapped in premium performance. But when these digital systems fail, owners are often left helpless – locked out of their own six-figure machines.

That’s exactly what happened to one Lucid Air Grand Touring owner, revealing how a simple weak link – the humble 12-volt battery – can bring an entire tech-laden and expensive EV to its knees. It’s a similar issue to the one Ford faced with the Mustang Mach-E, resulting in a lawsuit from disgruntled owners. With the Lucid, the owner voiced the frustration through the Lucid Owners Club on Facebook.

Locked Out Of A $110,000 Lucid Air Grand Touring

The trouble began earlier this week when the Minneapolis-based owner found himself locked out of his $110,000 Lucid Air Grand Touring – the top-spec trim before the Air Sapphire flagship. Neither the smartphone app, the key fob, nor the key card would unlock the vehicle. Lucid’s customer service team tried to remotely access the car but failed. The car wouldn’t wake up despite having an 85% battery charge when the incident happened.

As it turns out, without a functioning 12-volt battery – the same kind used in conventional gas-powered cars – the Lucid Air becomes completely unresponsive. And with no mechanical key slot or emergency override, there was simply no way in. To make matters worse, Lucid’s local mobile service technician was on vacation, leaving the owner with no immediate support. That meant the car would have to be towed to a partner facility just to attempt something as basic as a jump-start.

There Was A Fix, But It Appears To Be Temporary

Eventually, the car was towed and the team on site managed to jump the 12-volt battery. That was enough to unlock the vehicle and retrieve personal belongings, including golf clubs the owner needed for the weekend. But the fix was short-lived. As soon as the car doors were closed, the system shut back down. The Lucid Air “went back to sleep” and refused to wake up, according to the owner.

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At the time, the vehicle was still awaiting a technician to investigate further. We’re unsure if the issue has already been resolved at this time, but it seems like the 12-volt battery issue was just a way for a temporary fix.

Source: Lucid Owners Club via Carscoops