[Update: Lucid told EV later on Wednesday that the third-quarter timeline for hands-free driving on the Gravity SUV, which appeared on the company’s 2027 model-year configurator was a mistake. It has been adjusted to Q2 2026.]
California-based EV maker Lucid Motors continues to struggle with software across its two models, specifically affecting the Gravity SUV — which has had software problems since customer deliveries began a year ago.
In early February, Senior VP of Engineering and Digital Emad Dlala said Lucid‘s 3.4 software update — pushed in the final days of January — had resolved the bulk of complaints flagged by Gravity owners and reviewers.
Gravity deliveries began in the final days of 2024 — first going out to employees and family — with software the company itself later admitted was not ready for production.
Owners reported key fob recognition failures, frozen screens, navigation malfunctions, and climate control glitches in the months that followed.
Software Updates
Version 3.4.1 introduced a see-through vehicle display, enhanced audio controls, and improved key fob recognition — one of the most persistent complaints among early owners. (See: .)
A follow-up minor patch, version 3.4.4, was released in early March with two fixes targeting AC charging behaviour and Drive Assist availability.
Dlala was promoted in November to oversee all product development functions including vehicle engineering, digital systems, and software, following the departure of Senior VP of Product and Chief Engineer Eric Bach, as first reported by EV.
Interim CEO Marc Winterhoff said at CES in January that he had “replaced the whole software leadership team” with a spokesperson clarifying later that “more than a handful” software workers had been dismissed.
Earlier this year, Dlala told a Lucid owner — who documented extensive software problems with the Air sedan — that the company was planning for a complete user experience overhaul by early fall.
Last month, Lucid began rolling out Apple CarPlay and Android Auto to the Gravity through an over-the-air update contained in Lucid UX 3.5, closing a gap that had left the SUV without two of the most-requested features since launch.
The feature had been delayed repeatedly.
Hands-Free Driving
Days later, speaking at Bank of America’s 2026 Global Automotive Summit on March 17, Marc Winterhoff said hands-free highway driving for the Gravity was “a few weeks” from deployment — the most specific timeline yet for a feature first promised for 2025.
“We are right now at what we call L2+, which basically means hands-free driving in the Air, and in a few weeks from now, also in the Gravity,” the interim CEO stated.
The Air received Hands-Free Drive Assist and Hands-Free Lane Change Assist in mid-2025, with Lucid promising at the time that Gravity owners would get the same capability later that year.
In January, VP of Communications Nick Twork acknowledged on X that the company had prioritised other software updates.
The hands-free system uses Lucid‘s DreamDrive Pro sensor suite — 32 sensors in total, including LiDAR, radar, cameras, and ultrasonics — and enables driver-initiated lane changes via the turn signal stalk on compatible divided highways.
It requires the optional DreamDrive Pro upgrade, available to purchase from the Touring trim upward in the Air sedan and for both trims of the Gravity.
Lucid offers its driver-assistance technology in two tiers.
The standard DreamDrive 2 and DreamDrive 2 Premium packages include Hands-on Drive Assist, automatic emergency braking, blind spot and lane departure protection, traffic sign recognition, 3D surround view monitoring, and automated parking.
Q3 Rollout
However, based on the configurator of the recently announced 2027 Gravity, the feature is now scheduled to roll out in the third quarter of the year, with the company not specifying a concrete date.
The update was first published by user ‘HC_79’ in the LucidOwners forum, replying in a thread that mentioned the “few weeks” timeline previously set by the CEO.
Other features slated to launch in the third quarter include Traffic Light Detection, and Automated Lane Change.
The DreamDrive 2 Pro is an add-on feature, priced at $6,750.
Besides the upcoming features, Lucid notes on its website that the upgrade brings “future-capable ADAS hardware for driving and parking with one of the most comprehensive sensor suites available,” including Enhanced Automated Park In/Out.
All the other features mentioned are available with the Standard and Premium ADAS.
At its first Investor Day on March 12, the company said it would launch tiered DreamDrive Pro subscriptions in the first half of 2027, priced between $69 and $199 per month depending on the autonomy level.
The company’s roadmap targets Level 3 autonomy — permitting eyes-off driving under certain conditions — in 2028, with Level 4 in 2029.
Lucid said it expects roughly $1 billion in annual non-vehicle revenue by the end of the decade, with software services accounting for the majority.
2027 Gravity
Lucid announced its 2027 model-year Gravity lineup on April 2, adding standard equipment across both trims, introducing a new Prestige Package for the Grand Touring — and discontinuing the range-topping Dream Edition.
The Touring carries over at $79,900 before destination, unchanged from the 2026 model year, while the Grand Touring rises to $98,900, a $4,000 increase.
The destination fee for both trims has climbed to $1,850, up $200.
The 2027 Gravity does not currently qualify for the $7,500 Lucid Credit or the $2,000 Conquest Offer available on 2026 models, and is offered at 4.99% APR — compared to 0% for up to 60 months on the outgoing version.
Phyisical Recall
The delayed features come amid a major physical recall, which affected nearly all the Gravity vehicles produced until February 14.
It was the second physical recall issued since deliveries began last year.
The notice calls back more than 4,000 SUVs over improperly welded second-row seat belt anchors that could fail in a collision.
The NHTSA filing covers all customer vehicles manufactured before February 14, 2026 — a population of 4,476 units — with Lucid attributing the defect to seat supplier Camaco Automotive.
The EV maker stated that the supplier changed its manufacturing process without notifying or receiving approval from the company.
Interim CEO Marc Winterhoff publicly praised Gravity’s market trajectory at Lucid‘s March 12 Investor Day — while the company was already deep into the undisclosed safety recall process covering the entire Gravity fleet.
The recall notice — published on March 26 — chronology shows Lucid discovered the improperly welded second-row seat belt anchors during an unrelated FMVSS test on January 22 and issued a stop sale on January 28.
The stop sale overlapped with the separate middle seat component delivery halt reported on February 12, effectively freezing deliveries of the Gravity model for nearly a month.
Lucid said last week that deliveries of the SUV were suspended for 29 days.
Stock Performance
The company’s stock has come under heavy pressure in recent days.
Beyond the operational issues with the Gravity SUV, investors are increasingly concerned about leadership uncertainty — the company still has no permanent CEO nearly 14 months into its search — while a broader market downturn linked to the Iran conflict has added further weight on the shares.
The stock fell to an all-time low of $8.62 on Tuesday, down more than 70% from its 52-week high of $33.70, before closing 5.4% lower at $8.83.
As of press time, shares were climbing more than 4% in Wednesday’s pre-market session, amid a major market rebound after President Trump announced a ceasefire with Iran.
Additionally, the still-unannounced expanded Uber deal that management said at the March 12 Investor Day was only days or weeks away from being finalized has also been weighing on the stock.
Lucid‘s market capitalisation has now fallen below $3 billion — roughly a third of the more than $9 billion invested in the EV maker by its main backer, Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund.
