Lucid's New Hands-Free Tech Is Another Blow For Tesla
New Driver-Assistance Features Coming for Lucid Air and Gravity models
Whether for bragging rights or as an actual tool to make driving less fatiguing, hands-free driving technologies are becoming more and more popular. From Tesla's Full Self-Driving suite to GM's Super Cruise, several automakers now offer hands-free driving on compatible roads. In the case of Tesla, one of the brand's Model Y's recently drove itself all the way to its new owner.
Lucid, which has always offered an array of driver-assistance features, is now expanding the suite of driver aids on its models with two new hands-free features. Perhaps it's surprising that a luxury automaker is offering the tech after mass-market brands like Ford, but better late than never, right?
The new features will also give EV fans one less reason to run to Tesla - the Air Sedan is already outselling its Tesla rival comfortably.
New Features To Be Available Via Software Update
Hands-Free Drive Assist and Hands-Free Lane Change Assist are the two new functions that will be added to Lucid's optional DreamDrive Pro suite of driver-assistance technologies. Both will be available via an over-the-air update for the Lucid Air sedan on July 30, while owners of the Lucid Gravity SUV will be able to add the new features later in the year.The DreamDrive Pro suite is an option that adds to the DreamDrive Premium suite. The latter includes technologies like adaptive cruise control, blind-spot warning, and a driver monitoring system. With DreamDrive Pro, the suite gains an array of sensors made up of LiDAR, ultrasonic sensors, visible-light cameras, and surround-view cameras. Using these, the car can be safely operated with hands off the wheel.
"The addition of these features to Lucid's DreamDrive Pro offers a glimpse into the future that Lucid is building with the impressive capabilities of our software-defined vehicles," said Kai Stepper, Vice President of ADAS and AD at Lucid. "With our in-house software stack, a comprehensive suite of 32 sensors, and regular OTA updates, we have a roadmap to continue to deliver significantly more functionality to our owners in the future."
The DreamDrive Pro suite will add $2,500 to the price of the Air sedan, besides the pricey Sapphire, which gets this suite as standard.
An Already Great Luxury EV Gets Even Better
View the 3 images of this gallery on the original article
The Air Sedan is one of the finest new luxury EVs you can buy. It has swift acceleration, an upscale and spacious interior, and more range than competitors; depending on the model, the Air can cover up to 512 miles on a single charge. Even the least capable model wearing flashy 21-inch wheels can manage 361 miles, and a recent Air sedan set a new EV range record.
The smooth-riding sedan can now be enjoyed hands-free, and a quick flick of the turn signal stalk allows the car to execute its own lane changes on compatible divided highways. An in-vehicle alert system will let owners know if they're on a compatible hands-free road, or if visibility and weather conditions are suitable for the functionality.
These new features should further boost Lucid Air sales, which are already looking much better in 2025. For the first half of the year, 5,094 Air Sedans were sold, comfortably outselling rivals like the Porsche Taycan (2,083) and Tesla Model S (2,715).Lucid's New Hands-Free Tech Is Another Blow For Tesla first appeared on Autoblog on Jul 16, 2025
This story was originally reported by Autoblog on Jul 16, 2025, where it first appeared.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Bloomberg
a few seconds ago
- Bloomberg
Former Tesla Executives Start Automotive AI Company DensityAI
Former leaders of Tesla Inc. 's supercomputer program have started a new artificial intelligence company focused on the automotive industry, according to people familiar with the matter. DensityAI, which is poised to come out of stealth soon, is in talks to raise hundreds of millions of dollars, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the information is private. The startup was founded by Ganesh Venkataramanan — the former head of Tesla's Dojo team — and ex-Tesla employees Bill Chang and Ben Floering.
Wall Street Journal
an hour ago
- Wall Street Journal
Apple Stock Rally Pushes Nasdaq Near a Record
A rally in Apple and other big tech shares left the Nasdaq composite near a record Wednesday, while U.S. trading partners rushed to strike trade deals before President Trump's tariff deadline on Thursday. Apple shares gained 5.1% after a White House official said the iPhone maker will pledge a $100 billion U.S. manufacturing commitment on Wednesday. Other shares of tech behemoths also advanced: shares climbed 4%, Tesla rose 3.6% and Meta Platforms added 1.1%.
Eater
an hour ago
- Eater
Just Two Weeks In, Tesla Diner Already Axed Most of Its Menu
is the Lead Editor of the Southern California/Southwest region, and has covered dining, restaurants, food culture, and nightlife in Los Angeles since 2008. As of August 5, only five sandwiches, two sides, two flavors of pie, shakes, and some soft drinks were available to order from the in-car Tesla infotainment system. Even the Epic Bacon has been taken off the menu, with non-epic bacon available as an add-on to burgers and grilled cheese sandwiches, but no longer as a standalone item. Tesla Diner chef Eric Greenspan told Eater over text that the menu would be 'forever evolving,' and that the 'unprecedented demand' led to the team scaling down the menu for efficiency. Greenspan also said Easter eggs and specials would be added here and there. Dishes that were originally on the menu but were removed include the market salad, chicken and waffles, club sandwich, hash brown bites, biscuits and red gravy, and chocolate chip cookies. The veggie patty option for the burger is also no longer available. Breakfast items like waffles that were once listed as 'all-day breakfast' implying they were available all the time, are only served in the mornings. Greenspan said soft serve ice cream would return later this week, so the farm could meet the increased demand, while the biscuits would return as a special 'sooner rather than later.' The reimagined classic fountain drinks, including Shirley Temples and Creamsicles, are gone. While the Tesla Diner marketed itself as a 24-hour restaurant, reports from some drivers say non-Tesla vehicles are not allowed to charge on the premises, while its hours of operation are limited to 6 a.m. to midnight, except for those charging and ordering through their Teslas. The vaunted screen-ordering system with the geofence alert wasn't working off-premises as of August 5, but Tesla drivers were able to order from their cars once they parked and began charging. Chef Eric Greenspan said that the menu would be 'forever evolving.' Grilled cheese sandwich with non-epic bacon, with the cheese not fully melted and the bread burned at Tesla Diner on August 5, 2025. Matthew Kang In March 2025, the New York Times reported that Greenspan (Greenspan's Grilled Cheese, MrBeast Burger) would lead the kitchen at Tesla Diner. Operations are managed by LA restaurateur Bill Chait, who is behind the openings of Republique, Bestia, and Firstborn, and continues to be involved in Tartine both in the U.S. and abroad. Los Angeles-based New York Times restaurant critic Tejal Rao offered an early review of the diner on August 5, noting the lack of menu items from the opening. Rao called the chicken tenders 'agreeable,' while the all-beef hot dog had 'withered' by the time she ate it on the second-floor balcony. The burger, whose patty gets smashed by a Tesla-designed device, 'didn't stand out in any meaningful way,' wrote Rao. And Optimus, the second-floor popcorn robot, was nowhere to be found. Tesla's product rollouts are often accompanied by long delays (Cybertruck, the second generation Roadster, full self-driving capabilities, RoboTaxi, etc.) and significant quality issues. Now that the car company has ventured into the restaurant business, it's becoming clear that operating a diner is fraught with its own set of challenges, including service, labor, and food costs. Whether Tesla Diner manages to bring back much of its menu or runs out of range (still) remains to be seen. LOS ANGELES, CA - JULY 21: Tesla electric vehicles charge as people wait in line outside the Tesla Diner and Drive-In restaurant and Supercharger on July 21, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. The futuristic Tesla Diner and supercharger station boasting a drive-in experience for drivers opened in Hollywood this Monday. (Photo by I RYU/VCG via Getty Images) VCG via Getty Images Eater LA All your essential food and restaurant intel delivered to you Email (required) Sign Up By submitting your email, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Notice . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
