Lucid Motors will begin rolling out a software update on July 30 that enables hands-free highway driving on its Air sedans, marking a significant milestone for the electric vehicle startup’s advanced driver assistance capabilities.
The feature will be available to customers who opted for the $2,500 Dream Drive Pro package, which includes a suite of 32 sensors — lidar, radar, cameras, and ultrasonic sensors — designed to support semi-autonomous features.
According to the company, the hands-free system will initially be limited to pre-mapped, divided highways and will require drivers to keep their eyes on the road via an infrared camera located above the steering column.
Lucid’s update places it among a select group of automakers offering hands-free driving in the United States. Competitors such as Ford (BlueCruise), General Motors (Super Cruise), and Mercedes-Benz (Drive Pilot) have already introduced similar systems, while Tesla’s Full Self-Driving (Supervised) can also operate hands-free in certain conditions with constant driver supervision.
The hands-free capability will be exclusive to the Air sedan at launch, with an update for the new Gravity SUV expected later this year. Shipments of the Gravity have only just begun, with Cox Automotive reporting just five units delivered in the second quarter. Lucid has delivered around 20,000 vehicles since 2021, though the company has not disclosed how many customers opted for the Dream Drive Pro package.