Lucid takes to the highways hands-free

Hands-Free Driving.

Lucid Group, Inc. has begun the rollout of its latest over-the-air software update. The update introduces hands-free driving capabilities along with enhancements to highway navigation, charging experience, and everyday usability and is currently being rolled out only to the Gravity SUV in th North American market only.

The vehicles equipped with DreamDrive 2 Pro will have Hands-free Drive Assist, which supports steering, acceleration, and braking on compatible highways in North America. When the driver signals, Hands-Free Lane Change can guide the vehicle into an adjacent lane when it is safe to do so. Automatic Lane Change can also initiate passing maneuvers to overtake slower traffic.

So, while the company is touting hands-free driving, this is not a station to station self-drive software. As the announcement stated, it is relegated to “compatible highways”.

Other updates

The update also adds Google Maps Places API to Lucid Navigation in order to provide “richer, more contextual search results”. Drivers will find improved business details, ratings, photos, and parking information, along with enhanced charging station listings that include more accurate real-time availability.

One surprise is the addition of Adaptive Driving Beam, available on DreamDrive Premium and DreamDrive 2 Pro. The feature, we thought was yet to be approved for use in the U.S., maintains high beams while dynamically adjusting around other vehicles to reduce glare.

From our perspective, it’s a long overdue improvement.

Finally, the update adds Advanced Preconditioning View and Predictive Charging Power, which is evidently a window for the driver into the high-voltage battery’s temperature and expected peak charging performance before plugging in.

The company added an expected disclaimer, stating that Hands-Free Drive Assist and Hands-Free Lane Change Assist are not a replacement for safe, attentive driving or a driver’s judgment etc., etc.

The press release can be seen here.

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