Lucid Motors to Introduce Hands-Free Highway Driving This Month

Lucid Motors is set to release a software update on July 30, which will enable hands-free highway driving for its Air sedans, representing a major leap in the company’s driver assistance technology.

This update positions Lucid Motors alongside a select few companies in the U.S. providing hands-free driving features. Ford offers BlueCruise, General Motors has Super Cruise, and Mercedes-Benz features Drive Pilot, though its availability is somewhat limited. Under appropriate conditions, Tesla’s Full Self-Driving (Supervised) can also operate hands-free in vehicles equipped with an in-cabin camera.

Currently, the hands-free update is only available for the Air sedans, with plans to roll out an update for the new Gravity SUV later this year. (Gravity SUV shipments have just begun, with only five delivered in the second quarter according to Cox Automotive’s report.) Additionally, the hands-free system is exclusive to customers who purchased an Air with the $2,500 “Dream Drive Pro” package, which features a “comprehensive suite of 32 sensors,” including lidar, radar, cameras, and ultrasonics.

The company has yet to reveal how many customers have chosen the Dream Drive Pro package. Since 2021, Lucid has delivered around 20,000 vehicles.

As with other driver assistance systems, drivers must stay alert and be prepared to regain control at any moment. Lucid states this will be monitored by a camera system mounted on the steering column. The hands-free feature will only be available on “compatible” divided highways. TechCrunch has sought further information and will update the story as soon as Lucid responds.