Lucid on Thursday announced its biggest software update for the Air since the sedan went on sale a year ago.
The update brings Lucid's user interface to version 2.0. What that means is hundreds of small tweaks, like improved menu designs and quicker vehicle start up, as well as added functionality.
“Lucid’s truly innovative user interface becomes easier to use and even more aesthetically beautiful in each iteration, delivered seamlessly over-the-air to the vehicle,” Derek Jenkins, Lucid's senior vice president of design and brand, said in a statement.
The highlight is the long-awaited introduction of Lucid's driver-assist feature for highways, aptly named Highway Assist. Part of Lucid's DreamDrive suite of driver-assist features, Highway Assist blends adaptive cruise control and lane centering control to enable the Air to handle itself in its lane in certain conditions.
The driver still needs to monitor things, ranking Lucid's Highway Assist at Level 2 on the SAE scale of self-driving capability. Level 3 is the first level where the driver is free to take their eyes off the road, albeit still within certain conditions.
Another key update sees the vehicle's displays switch on instantly, so the driver can start driving as soon as they sit down and buckle up. The menu designs have also been updated, in some cases based on customer feedback. Now controls for popular functions like navigation, phone, and media, are easier to reach, for example. The turn-by-turn directions for the navigation also now appear directly ahead of the driver.
Other key changes include a De-Ice Mode that uses the defrost function in combination with wiper fluid to clear ice from the windshield, as well as improved remaining range prediction, and an improved browsing experience when using third-party apps.
Lucid has already begun the rollout of the update to Air owners and will continue over the coming weeks.
