Many argue modern cars are too complex and frequently overloaded with technologies and complicated infotainment systems that get in the way of the driving experience. While this may be true, advanced new tech, including over-the-air systems, makes updating cars from home easier than ever.

In 2012, Tesla was the first car company to introduce an OTA update, and it’s now something most other brands do, in particular EV firms. Among them is Lucid, which has just announced an update to overhaul the infotainment system of the Air, bringing it in line with the newer all-electric Gravity SUV.

Read: Lucid Air Recall Has Owners Parking Outside While Software Plays Firefighter

The new system, known as Air UX 3.0, updates the right cockpit panel with swipeable cards allowing owners to place their most frequently used features within easy reach. As part of the update, Lucid has also introduced its new Quick Controls function, allowing drivers to swipe down from the top of the screen and quickly access important controls.

Lucid has also improved how Apple CarPlay and Android Auto work. Now, both smartphone mirroring options fill the entire right display. The system also provides for more seamless multitasking.

Using the onboard navigation system also promises to be easier than ever. It now stretches across both dashboard-mounted displays and has improved EV routing capabilities, meaning drivers can set preferred charging networks and stations. It’s also now easier than ever to switch between saved and guest driving profiles.

Some Cars Need Hardware Upgrades

All 2025 and 2026 Lucid Air models will receive the new system through a free over-the-air software update, starting from September 29. While the new system also works on 2022, 2023, and 2024 models, Lucid says they require a new infotainment processor, priced at $950 in the United States, including installation. Owners of these models can schedule a service appointment to get the upgrade.

Lucid Air owners might want to check their car’s software before choosing a cozy garage spot tonight. The EV maker is recalling 27,185 examples of its luxury sedan because a flaw in the electrical protection for exterior lighting circuits can let models running older software get hot enough to produce smoke or even a fire.

The recall covers 2022 through 2026 model-year Lucid Airs built from October 2021 to July 2026, and the culprit isn’t a bad bulb or some particularly enthusiastic LED. Lucid says the software controlling an electronic fuse, or eFuse, can allow an exterior lighting circuit to remain powered while drawing too much current.

Related: Ex-Manager Claims Lucid Dismissed His Warnings About Defect Before Large Recall

The same overheating problem that presents a fire risk  can also knock out the center brake light or front lighting, reducing visibility and raising the chance of a crash. So just because your Air hasn’t cooked you yet doesn’t mean you’re not in danger.

There were warning signs before the recall arrived. Lucid’s filing describes three fire events involving front lighting over three years, plus four reports of smoke linked to overheating in the center high-mounted stop lamp circuit. It also found 33 warranty reports involving damage to that lamp’s wiring harness that might be connected.

The Fix Already Exists

Thankfully, the repair doesn’t involve service-center surgery. Lucid released software version 2.10.0 over the air in July. It lowers the eFuse protection threshold and stops a faulted circuit from being repeatedly re-energized during the same key cycle. Lucid says 20,719 affected EVs had already received version 2.10.0 or newer when the report was prepared, leaving 6,466 still needing it.

Owners who haven’t updated will receive mailed instructions, with remedy notices scheduled for October 16. And until that update is installed, those owners are being told to park outside and away from structures. Which is kind of difficult when you’re talking about a car that needs to be plugged into a charger regularly.

Lucid hasn’t had the best luck with reliability and safety lately. It was forced to buy back a fault-riddled Air from YouTuber Jason Fenske, recalled cars for unsecured half-shaft bolts, and then hauled back a couple of thousand sedans over concerns they could lose power while driving.

Lucid

If you like geeking out on performance stats you’ll love Car and Driver’s latest 0-150-0 mph (0-241-0 kmh) feature, a test it first ran almost 30 years ago. But cars – and not just supercars – have become so ridiculously fast since then that this year the magazine found it had enough runway, and enough horses, to try 200 mph (322 kmh) and back. And some serious scalps were removed in the process.

The venue had a 2.2-mile taxiway, and four cars theoretically had enough firepower to crack the double century. They were the 1,234 hp (1,251 PS / 920 kW) Lucid Air Sapphire, 1,250 hp (1,267 PS) Chevrolet Corvette ZR1X, 740 hp (750 PS) McLaren 750S, and 701 hp (711 PS) Porsche 911 Turbo S.

Related: No American Road Car Has Ever Reached 60 Faster Than This Lucid

The Porsche, it turned out didn’t quite make the grade. Despite an official 200 mph (322 kmh) maximum, C/D recorded 199.3 mph (321 kmh) before the limiter intervened. Close, but no celebratory cigar.

The other three got there, and the results were pretty epic. Lucid’s enormous electric sedan completed 0-200-0 mph in just 25.7 seconds. The Corvette needed another 6.1 seconds, recording 31.8 seconds, while the McLaren finished in 37.7 seconds. Yes, a luxury four-door EV just annihilated two purpose-built sports cars.

Low Drag Equals Low Times

The Lucid’s secret isn’t complicated. It has monumental power and relatively slippery bodywork, both becoming increasingly important as speeds climb and aerodynamic drag starts demanding absurd amounts of energy. Car and Driver found the Sapphire reached 200 mph (322 km/h) more than seven seconds before the ZR1X and over 13 seconds ahead of the McLaren.

Braking gave the sports cars an opportunity for revenge. Their lower mass meant they could shed 200 mph (322 kmh) more effectively than the hefty Lucid, which needed nearly a quarter-mile (402 m) to stop. Trouble is, they’d already lost so much ground accelerating that better braking couldn’t rescue them. For me, the most mind-blowing stat of the lot is that the Lucid completed the entire run in less than a mile (1.6 km). That’s bonkers.

Head over to Car and Driver for its complete 0-150-0 mph (0-241-0 kmh) test, where you’ll find figures for everything from the Dodge Charger Scat Pack to the BMW M2 CS and even the Hyundai Elantra N.

Lucid, GM