Lucid Air Gen1
Weaknesses, engine ratings and buying advice
1234 PS
Air Sapphire · Elektro
Three motors. 1.88 seconds. Rawlinson's rematch.
Legendary!1251 PS
Electric Motor (Tri, Sapphire) Elektro
3 weaknesses
Good ChoiceEngine Overview
The Lucid Air Gen1 is available with 5 engine variants — from 437 to 1251 hp.
Two Lucid in-house permanent magnet motors, front and rear, 924V architecture, silicon carbide inverters. The key engineering detail: motor windings use eight stacked rectangular conductors per slot, CNC-woven in a fully automated process — thousands of manual laser welds eliminated, resistance reduced at source. Cooling channels are machined directly into the stator teeth: ATF fluid extracts heat where it's generated, not after it migrates outward. Combined drive unit weight (both motors, two inverters, two differentials): 163 lbs — what Tesla achieves at similar power levels with carbon fiber motor shells weighs more. The 112 kWh NMC pack runs 220 cells in series for exactly 924V. The Wunderbox onboard charger accepts both 400V and 800V charging infrastructure, converts internally — 300 miles in 21 minutes at 350 kW chargers in theory. In practice: peak charging briefly above 230 kW, falls off fast past 15% SoC. Drivetrain is low-maintenance by design: no belts, no transmission fluid changes — but the 12V auxiliary battery is the known weak point across the entire Air lineup.
- !! HVIL software cuts drive power mid-motion — recall 24V-497 from 30,000 km
The High Voltage Interlock Logic (HVIL) disconnected the high-voltage bus upon detecting intermittent hardware connection faults — even while driving. 10 documented real-world incidents in pre-December 2022 vehicles. 5,251 affected vehicles (MY2022-2023). OTA update June 24, 2024: HVIL now only disconnects HV in Park or Neutral, shows a system warning while in Drive instead.
Symptoms: Sudden total loss of drive power while in motion, vehicle coasts to a complete stop, severe crash risk - !! 12V auxiliary battery parasitic drain from 25,000 km
Identical issue to the RWD variant. Constant system wakefulness drains the 12V battery during extended parking without a charge cable. One Grand Touring owner in Minneapolis found himself locked out of a $110,000 car — 12V dead, all systems locked. Eventually accessible via the rear trunk.
Symptoms: Vehicle unresponsive after extended parking without cable, all systems dead, doors won't open - !! High-voltage coolant heater failure — recall 24V-495 from 30,000 km
Defective HVCH units from production July 2022–February 2023 cannot defrost the windshield in sub-freezing temperatures. 74 failures across 7,506 affected vehicles (under 1%). OTA update detects the failure and alerts the driver; defective unit replaced by service at no cost.
Symptoms: Windshield stays iced over in cold weather despite defrost on, climate system appears active but windshield doesn't clear, system warning on display
+ 1 more engine weaknesses + vehicle weaknesses
Two Lucid in-house permanent magnet motors, front and rear, 924V architecture, silicon carbide inverters. The key engineering detail: motor windings use eight stacked rectangular conductors per slot, CNC-woven in a fully automated process — thousands of manual laser welds eliminated, resistance reduced at source. Cooling channels are machined directly into the stator teeth: ATF fluid extracts heat where it's generated, not after it migrates outward. Combined drive unit weight (both motors, two inverters, two differentials): 163 lbs — what Tesla achieves at similar power levels with carbon fiber motor shells weighs more. The 112 kWh NMC pack runs 220 cells in series for exactly 924V. The Wunderbox onboard charger accepts both 400V and 800V charging infrastructure, converts internally — 300 miles in 21 minutes at 350 kW chargers in theory. In practice: peak charging briefly above 230 kW, falls off fast past 15% SoC. Drivetrain is low-maintenance by design: no belts, no transmission fluid changes — but the 12V auxiliary battery is the known weak point across the entire Air lineup.
- !! HVIL software cuts drive power mid-motion — recall 24V-497 from 30,000 km
The High Voltage Interlock Logic (HVIL) disconnected the high-voltage bus upon detecting intermittent hardware connection faults — even while driving. 10 documented real-world incidents in pre-December 2022 vehicles. 5,251 affected vehicles (MY2022-2023). OTA update June 24, 2024: HVIL now only disconnects HV in Park or Neutral, shows a system warning while in Drive instead.
Symptoms: Sudden total loss of drive power while in motion, vehicle coasts to a complete stop, severe crash risk - !! 12V auxiliary battery parasitic drain from 25,000 km
Identical issue to the RWD variant. Constant system wakefulness drains the 12V battery during extended parking without a charge cable. One Grand Touring owner in Minneapolis found himself locked out of a $110,000 car — 12V dead, all systems locked. Eventually accessible via the rear trunk.
Symptoms: Vehicle unresponsive after extended parking without cable, all systems dead, doors won't open - !! High-voltage coolant heater failure — recall 24V-495 from 30,000 km
Defective HVCH units from production July 2022–February 2023 cannot defrost the windshield in sub-freezing temperatures. 74 failures across 7,506 affected vehicles (under 1%). OTA update detects the failure and alerts the driver; defective unit replaced by service at no cost.
Symptoms: Windshield stays iced over in cold weather despite defrost on, climate system appears active but windshield doesn't clear, system warning on display
+ 1 more engine weaknesses + vehicle weaknesses
Single rear-axle motor, Lucid in-house design, 321 kW peak. Same winding technology as the Sapphire: eight stacked rectangular conductors per slot, CNC-woven in an automated process — no manual laser welding, minimal resistance. 10 hp per pound: a 67 kg motor pushing 430 hp out the rear wheels. The Pure RWD is the rational entry into the Lucid ecosystem — same 924V architecture, same Wunderbox onboard charger as the flagship. Sub-4-second 0-60 is respectable for a base motor in this class. The shadow: RWD without front-axle assistance means tire wear compounds under aggressive driving. The half-shaft bolt recall (NHTSA 25V) hit only this variant — an adhesive curing process error during production that Lucid caught via telematics algorithm. Maintenance: brake fluid every 2 years, tire rotation every 10k miles, everything else is OTA.
- !! Half-shaft bolts not cured — Air Pure RWD recall from 15,000 km
Production error in the adhesive curing process for half-shaft bolts. Bolts can loosen and the driveshaft separates from the electric drive unit — sudden loss of all drive power while moving. 225 affected Air Pure RWD (2024-2025). Lucid developed a 'lash detection algorithm' using telematics data to identify affected vehicles proactively.
Symptoms: Sudden total loss of drive power while moving, vehicle coasts to a stop with no propulsion, drivetrain fault warning - !! 12V auxiliary battery parasitic drain from 25,000 km
Constant system wakefulness — telematics, key fob proximity detection, app communication — drains the 12V auxiliary battery even while parked. After 7-14 days without a charge cable: vehicle unresponsive, doors won't open. Workaround: store key fobs in Faraday bags, disable app access during extended parking.
Symptoms: Vehicle unresponsive on approach, doors won't unlock, all systems dead despite full main battery
One front motor, two rear motors — tri-axial torque with software-controlled vectoring across the rear axle. Combined 920 kW / 1,234 hp peak, 1,054 lb-ft. This isn't an evolution of the Grand Touring powertrain: Lucid developed dedicated battery thermal logic for the Sapphire, recalibrated the high-current inverters, and built a Track Mode with a Dragstrip sub-mode that pre-conditions battery and motors to optimal launch temperature. The front axle carries 420mm carbon ceramic rotors with 10-piston calipers, rear 390mm with 4-piston. Crucially, the ABS, traction control, stability program, and electric power steering calibration are Sapphire-specific — not shared with the rest of the Air lineup. MotorTrend measured 1.05 g on the skidpad, 109 ft stopping from 60 mph. On optional Pirelli P Zero Trofeo RS rubber: 0-60 in 1.881 seconds — NHRA-verified production sedan world record. The HVIL recall that hit 2022-2023 Air variants (24V-497) does not affect the Sapphire; its battery architecture was redesigned.
- !! 12V auxiliary battery parasitic drain from 25,000 km
Same systemic issue as on all other Air variants. Constant system wakefulness drains 12V during extended parking without a charge cable. Particularly frustrating on a $240,000 vehicle.
Symptoms: Vehicle inaccessible after days of parking without charge cable, all systems unresponsive - !! Battery thermal limits on track from 30,000 km
Repeated full-power acceleration runs heat the battery until thermal management reduces available peak power. The Sapphire has a Dragstrip pre-conditioning mode — ideal for single runs, but after multiple back-to-back laps, repeatable peak power declines as thermal headroom is consumed.
Symptoms: Slower 0-60 times after repeated full-power runs, reduced peak output after sustained track use - !! Carbon ceramic brakes — track wear and replacement cost from 40,000 km
420mm CCB front, 390mm rear — largest carbon ceramic brakes in a production series car. Aggressive track use and repeated burnouts accelerate wear on both the Pirelli Trofeo RS tires and brake pads significantly faster than road use. Rotor replacement outside warranty: $15,000–20,000 per axle.
Symptoms: Reduced braking performance after repeated hard stops on track, cold-weather squeal, heavy brake pad consumption
Two Lucid in-house permanent magnet motors, front and rear, 924V architecture, silicon carbide inverters. The key engineering detail: motor windings use eight stacked rectangular conductors per slot, CNC-woven in a fully automated process — thousands of manual laser welds eliminated, resistance reduced at source. Cooling channels are machined directly into the stator teeth: ATF fluid extracts heat where it's generated, not after it migrates outward. Combined drive unit weight (both motors, two inverters, two differentials): 163 lbs — what Tesla achieves at similar power levels with carbon fiber motor shells weighs more. The 112 kWh NMC pack runs 220 cells in series for exactly 924V. The Wunderbox onboard charger accepts both 400V and 800V charging infrastructure, converts internally — 300 miles in 21 minutes at 350 kW chargers in theory. In practice: peak charging briefly above 230 kW, falls off fast past 15% SoC. Drivetrain is low-maintenance by design: no belts, no transmission fluid changes — but the 12V auxiliary battery is the known weak point across the entire Air lineup.
- !! HVIL software cuts drive power mid-motion — recall 24V-497 from 30,000 km
The High Voltage Interlock Logic (HVIL) disconnected the high-voltage bus upon detecting intermittent hardware connection faults — even while driving. 10 documented real-world incidents in pre-December 2022 vehicles. 5,251 affected vehicles (MY2022-2023). OTA update June 24, 2024: HVIL now only disconnects HV in Park or Neutral, shows a system warning while in Drive instead.
Symptoms: Sudden total loss of drive power while in motion, vehicle coasts to a complete stop, severe crash risk - !! 12V auxiliary battery parasitic drain from 25,000 km
Identical issue to the RWD variant. Constant system wakefulness drains the 12V battery during extended parking without a charge cable. One Grand Touring owner in Minneapolis found himself locked out of a $110,000 car — 12V dead, all systems locked. Eventually accessible via the rear trunk.
Symptoms: Vehicle unresponsive after extended parking without cable, all systems dead, doors won't open - !! High-voltage coolant heater failure — recall 24V-495 from 30,000 km
Defective HVCH units from production July 2022–February 2023 cannot defrost the windshield in sub-freezing temperatures. 74 failures across 7,506 affected vehicles (under 1%). OTA update detects the failure and alerts the driver; defective unit replaced by service at no cost.
Symptoms: Windshield stays iced over in cold weather despite defrost on, climate system appears active but windshield doesn't clear, system warning on display
+ 1 more engine weaknesses + vehicle weaknesses
Vehicle Weaknesses
| Weakness | Cost | |
|---|---|---|
| Rear seat heaters overheat — recall 22V/23V Software version 2.1.0 accidentally removed temperature monitoring for rear seat heaters in certain modes. Four documented cases of charring or discoloration of seat fabric, one owner suffered a burned finger. Lucid issues OTA fix and reimburses related costs. Symptoms: Overheated rear seat, smoke odor, seat fabric discoloration, burn risk to occupants during extended heating | Low | |
| DreamDrive phantom braking DreamDrive triggers unexpected braking interventions — primarily when passing trucks, approaching overpasses, or driving next to large vehicles in adjacent lanes. The system misreads shadows or radar reflections as obstacles. Not aggressive stops, but noticeable deceleration that disrupts highway flow. Symptoms: Unexpected light to moderate deceleration with no obstacle visible, triggered most often when passing trucks or large vehicles, display alert may appear | Low | |
| Infotainment frozen — OTA brick risk Display freezes, audio dropouts, rearview camera black screen — routine annoyances. More seriously: at least one OTA update (version 1.2.6) fully bricked a vehicle, leaving the owner unable to exit for over an hour until the system recovered. Lucid could not resolve it remotely in real time. Symptoms: Black screen or frozen display, no audio, backup camera shows nothing, vehicle unresponsive after failed OTA update | Low | |
| Flush door handles — water ingress and mechanism failure Flush-mount handles like Tesla — same underlying problem. Water enters through a misaligned main power connector inside the door, which sits female-up allowing water to pool. Symptoms: handle won't present, door won't open from inside. Service replaces the mechanism, but recurrence has been reported by multiple owners. Symptoms: Door handle doesn't extend, door cannot be opened from outside, grinding or clicking when handle is triggered, manual interior release required from 30,000 km | Medium | |
| Wiper arm nuts loose — recall SR-23-02 Wiper arm nuts can loosen and separate the wiper from its drive shaft — visibility impaired in rain. 5,523 vehicles affected (2022-2023). Lucid service centers inspect, retighten, or replace at no charge. Symptoms: Wiper arm slipping during operation, wipers not returning to rest position, wiper function lost in rain | Low | |
| Rearview camera fails while reversing Known software and hardware issue: backup camera image missing when reverse is selected. Software versions 2.0.15–2.0.50 particularly affected (covered by recall SR-23-02-0). Even on current software: delayed display, black screen, or frozen frame possible. Symptoms: Black screen when reversing, delayed camera activation, frozen image, incomplete camera view | Low |
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Known Problems and Issues +
A total of 20 weaknesses have been documented for the Lucid Air Gen1 (2022–2025) — 9 engine-related and 11 vehicle-related. Typical issues affect Electronics, Body, HVAC, Suspension. Considered reliable: L-Tri-Sapphire (Electric Motor (Tri, Sapphire)).
Air (L-Dual-AWD, 2022–2025) — Be Careful: HVIL software cuts drive power mid-motion — recall 24V-497, 12V auxiliary battery parasitic drain, High-voltage coolant heater failure — recall 24V-495. Power: 620 PS.
Air (L-Dual-AWD, 2022–2025) — Be Careful: HVIL software cuts drive power mid-motion — recall 24V-497, 12V auxiliary battery parasitic drain, High-voltage coolant heater failure — recall 24V-495. Power: 819 PS.
Air (L-Single-RWD, 2024–2025) — Be Careful: Half-shaft bolts not cured — Air Pure RWD recall, 12V auxiliary battery parasitic drain. Power: 430 PS.
Air (L-Dual-AWD, 2024–2025) — Be Careful: HVIL software cuts drive power mid-motion — recall 24V-497, 12V auxiliary battery parasitic drain, High-voltage coolant heater failure — recall 24V-495. Power: 480 PS.
What to watch out for with the Lucid Air? See the detailed listing of all engine and vehicle weaknesses in the sections above.
Frequently Asked Questions
What problems and weaknesses does the Lucid Air Gen1 have? +
What should I look for when buying a used Lucid Air Gen1? +
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Which Lucid Air Gen1 engine is the most reliable? +
Which Lucid Air Gen1 engine is the most fun? +
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Last updated: February 2026 · All information without guarantee