Our 2022 Lucid Air GT Experience

Overview

Having purchased a Tesla just a few years ago, we were more prepared for the Lucid Air order-process. Admittedly, of the four EV reservations we’ve placed (mid 2021 to mid 2022), the Lucid Air order experience has been the best so far.

Research

Why the Lucid Air? Range, luxury, performance (driving and recharging).

Once you’ve owned an EV, you realize that “range anxiety” is more than just “how many miles to I get with my car”? EVs should be treated more like cell phones than ICE automobiles. The “estimated” range, for example, is much more of a guess than it would be on an ICE vehicle. Weather, road conditions, climate settings, driving style, wheel dynamics, tire sizes, etc. seem to affect EVs more drastically than their ICE counterparts. Nowhere is that more evident than when returning to a car that’s been sitting “off” for a while. In other words, after parking your ICE vehicle, you don’t worry about coming back to it with less range than when you left it (unless someone syphoned gas from your vehicle). EVs, on the other hand, tend to “lose range” when sitting idle. How much range varies depending on weather, functions running (security, climate, etc.). Even with nothing on and in a climate controlled garage, an EV could lose 1-3% of its charge overnight. So, range was important to us and the Lucid Air delivers with an estimated 500+ mi. range. Of course, we ordered 21” wheels, and plan on driving it with some rigor, so the range will likely be far less, but still better than with other current EVs on the market.

This car was to replace my MB S550. Not an easy task as the MB S550 is a car that I absolutely love for its luxurious comfort and driving dynamics. As far as currently available EVs, that left only a few choices. I am not a fan of the look of the Mercedes EQS (reminds me of a 1988 Ford Taurus). Additionally, I didn’t want to go with a traditional ICE automobile manufacturer (for many reasons – lack of OTA updates business model, EQS..frunk??). Of the remaining EVs, the Lucid Air Grand Touring was a no brainer to replace our S550 as it is more luxurious than a Tesla Model S (in my opinion) and faster than my S550 by quite a bit.

Purchase

On May 25, 2022, we reserved our Lucid Air Grand Touring.

Online Order comments:

1. We opted for the Grand Touring model as it was [more readily] available and ample range.

2. We did NOT opt for the “performance” option. The increased performance (addtl. 231 HP and 0.4 seconds improvement in 0-60) did not outweigh the loss in range (70 mi.) and increased cost (~$25K)

3. We did opt for the 21” wheels as we found them to be more appealing and we don’t get a lot of ice and snow.

4. Since we confirmed our order prior to 6/30/2022, we get a complimentary Electrify America charging for 3 years.

Shortly after our reservation was made (on 5/25/2022), we were notified that pricing would increase on 6/1/22, so we confirmed the order on 5/31/22. At that time, they contacted us and let us know that delivery would occur in 2-5 months (i.e. sometime between August 1 to October 31).

True to their word, we were assigned a VIN on 9/6/22. I completed the purchase agreement and was told that my car was ready for delivery as early as September 16. We scheduled the “home delivery” for September 19, 2022.

Delivery

Monday, September 19, 2022

Didn’t quite go as expected.

There are no current Lucid Service Centers near us, so Lucid arranged for a home delivery of the car. The way Lucid handles home deliveries is that they fly out a Delivery Specialist (DS) to receive the car (which is brought by enclosed trailer) at your house, then they walk through the car’s features and functionality with you.

The driver of the trailer came from Miami and was in a bit of a hurry (there was another car in his trailer). The DS drove the car into our driveway and we started looking at the car. It was obvious that the car had not been washed, let alone detailed. Almost immediately, my wife noticed a ding/dent on the driver’s door. Soon thereafter, she noticed that the windshield was cracked (looked like a stone had hit it).

We rejected the delivery and requested that they take the car back to the closest service center, which is in VA (where the DS is from). The pick up was the next day. While waiting for the driver, I noticed that the lower trim on the driver door was peeling off .. the DS took not of it.

The car was brought to Richmond to have the windshield replaced and the dent fixed, then to Tysons Corner (the Lucid Service Center) for detailing. It should be noted that a day after the car was picked up, we realized (from reading the owners’ forum posts and looking at photos we took on 9/19) that the wrong wheels and tires were on the car (they had 19” not 21”). I notified the DS and they went ahead and replaced the wheels and tires.

When the car was almost ready for re-delivery, I was given a choice to have my wife and I fly to VA and stay at a hotel overnight, then pick up the car at the service center and drive it back home. Given that the drive is approximately 400 miles and the uncertainty of a new car, range, charging stations, etc. we opted to have the car delivered at home again.

Thursday, September 29, 2022

The DS was on time, but the driver was delayed (due to traffic) for over an hour. This time, the car looked gorgeous. The DS had a flight that day and we didn’t have a lot of time to review everything, but we managed to get through most of the items and features.

Setting up Bluetooth was painful (took 3-5 tries), so we didn’t bother with setting up WiFi and Homelink (on a side note, they were also painful and took 6-7 tries .. the homelink setup managed to software reset the car twice before finally being able to add the garage). The “cool” seat feature on the driver seat would not turn on and the DS knew of an existing issue with it. She showed us how to software reset the car (not exactly straightforward) and when it came back, the cool seat functions worked

General Delivery Notes:

1. The car drives like a dream and can act like a rocket when needed.

2. The key fob functionality is a bit like memorizing words in Morse code (1 short button press locks car, 2 short button presses unlocks car, 1 long button press opens/closes the frunk, 1 short press and 1 long press opens/closes the trunk, 4 short presses sets off panic alarm). Not exactly user friendly, but it works.

3. The software in general needs A LOT of attention. Some are annoyances (like it takes forever for the car to turn on), some are enhancements (like auto-high beams, easy entry/exit, CarPlay, etc.), and others may be linked to issues (AC shutting off, screens going dark, etc.). I can’t even list all the issues, but I’ve been told that a version 2 of the software is coming and may fix a lot of the problems (hopefully also add Carplay; which it badly needs). So far, I haven’t experienced real software issues other than slow response, connectivity difficulties, and occasional resetting of the screen.

4. There are things that are just silly.

a. The cup holders, for example, are TINY… and there’s 2 of them .. both tiny .. why even bother?

b. There are 2 slots for cell phones, but only 1 has wireless charging capability .. why??

c. The slots for the cell phones are tight. Larger phones (esp. with cases) are difficult, if not impossible, to fit.

d. The Air vents are in a strange place. They don’t really move air where you may want it.

5. The Air has one of the best drag coefficients in the automotive world, but at my height (5’11”) and VERY large size, it is hard to get in and out of the car. An issue that I didn’t have w/ the S550. That said, once inside, it is amazingly roomy and comfortable. [perhaps when they add Easy Entry/Exit, my problems will abate a bit]

6. I do like the mix of physical buttons and screens. As the software gets better, this should be a huge differentiator for Lucid. That said, I found the Tesla Model Y of air vents, and their control, a bit more efficient.

7. During delivery, I checked that the vanity mirror opened, stayed open. and lit properly. I didn’t check the Passenger side vanity, which opens and lights up, but the cover does NOT stay open.

Differences from Tesla:

Since our only other EV experience is with a Tesla Model Y, I thought I’d point out a few differences:

1. The Tesla Home Wall Connector to Tesla charger (in the car) is seamless and works without issue. The same can’t be said for Lucid since they don’t yet have their wall charger/connector available. I’m using a Chargepoint Flex which is throwing errors for some reason [update: Chargepoint sent a replacement and so far, no more errors], so I’ll have to get back to this. Another disappointment was the DS telling me that using a Tesla to J1772 adapter should not be used to charge the Air and it would void the battery warranty.

2. From a Luxury/comfort/materials, drive, and range perspective, the Lucid Air is miles ahead of the Tesla lineup.

3. The Tesla Software is miles ahead of the Lucid. Not only is the software UI more responsive, but there are numerous features in a Tesla that are missing in the Lucid e.g:

a. auto-hi-beam

b. Sentry mode

c. Pet mode

d. Fart mode (a favorite of my son)

e. Not to mention the numerous apps available on the Tesla (video, games, etc.)

4. Both brands have some fit and finish issues that need addressing (panels, gaps, paint, etc.)

General Thoughts:

We’ll need to wait and see if the mobile service model works any better with Lucid than the Tesla service did (for us).

Annoyance: I don’t understand why EV manufacturers (Tesla and Lucid) don’t show BOTH % charge AND estimated mileage .. ?? All my ICE vehicles show both. If you can switch between one (e.g. %) to the other (e.g. mi.), then you can certainly display both!

1000 mi milestone:

The past 1000 miles or so have been “quite a ride”.

Since delivery, I’ve had only one “substantial” problem. Around 170mi. (roughly 150mi of driving) I found a bubble on my driver front 21” Pirelli tire. Given what I had read, I was quite worried. In the end, Pirelli worked with my local Discount Tire to replace the tire under warranty. I haven’t yet had a service call, so my passenger side vanity mirror still doesn’t stay open, but far from a huge concern.

Dislikes/Concerns:

As I’ve said above, the wireless phone charger is impossible to use with my iPhone 12 Pro Max. I also don’t understand why only the phone holder on the driver side has wireless charging. Why bother having the other, ridiculously small, slot? Cupholders are also comically small. If Lucid redesigns the center console to rectify these issues, I’d likely pay to change it. The key FOB is sleek and sexy, but confusing to use. A lot of issues at delivery time were fixed by the upgrade to the 2.0 UI (currently at 2.0.24). This fixed the Bluetooth pairing, the slow startup, etc. It also introduced Highway Assist and Auto High Beam Assist. Overall, although not perfect, the software is working 100% better. Occasionally, the Bluetooth audio mutes or muffles (might be an Apple issue, but 90% of the time, it clears up on the next drive). Also, switching profiles still causes a reboot of some kind, and at times leaves screens blank (so far, a reset clears that up).

Something which, in my personal opinion, is a great concept that could’ve been implemented better are the buttons and toggle switches on the steering wheel. The buttons feel a bit flimsy and could use a bit more tactile feedback. I find myself pushing them multiple times (note that perhaps there’s a slowness in kicking something on, like Dreamdrive, that may seem as if the button wasn’t pressed; not sure). Also, the toggle switches could have been executed better. I absolutely love the idea of the toggle switches, but find that I can’t really turn the switch with the toggle button as I end up pushing the button 99% of the time (and, it’s hard to fit my big fingers around them w/o hitting the button). So, often, when I go to increase or decrease the volume, for example, I end up muting the audio instead.

Lastly, and this may be only my “non-patient self” issue, but I can’t seem to be able to use one hand to cover the frunk or trunk bottom spaces w/ the articulating cover. I have to put down whatever I have in my other hand and use 2 hands to make sure that the cover is in place properly.

Improvements/Enhancements:

It’d be helpful if the Auto High Beam Assist would recall the last position it was in (so I don’t have to turn it on every time I get in the car).

I can’t wait for the implementation of CarPlay. Not only is the built-in Navigation is Awful and borders on unusable outside an urban center, but I’d like to have Siri manage my messages and phone calls.

Easy Entry/Exit .. can’t stress enough how important this may be. As much as I love the car, getting in and out of it is very problematic for me (again a “me” problem) .. the inability to easily enter/exit the vehicle makes it difficult to use as a daily driver for me. Hopefully, an Easy Entry/Exit capability (where the seat and steering wheel move out of the way upon exiting and entering the car) makes it easier for me.

Other Nice to Haves are:

· Sentry Mode

· Ability to save Camera videos

· Ability to configure Navigation Saved Places

· Pet Mode

· Passenger Seat Memory

· View Both estimated Mileage AND % remaining

· Geo-Fencing garage door open/close

· Ability to check for software updates from Pilot screen

· Valet mode (w/ Geo-fencing and Glovebox lockout)

1000 mi Summary:

So far, the car is phenomenal. Acceleration is incredible and always there. Launch mode is exhilarating, but being able to pass a vehicle w/ ease at highway speeds is equally awesome.

Range anxiety has been non-existent and I’m getting more comfortable with the car every day.

Hopefully, some of my important items mentioned above will come to fruition sooner than later, but so far so good!

Summary:

Awesome, luxurious performance car with a lot of promise.

As I’ve said before, EVs are here to stay and I’m happy to continue to do my part in ushering in this new, transformational technology.

Our Tesla 2020 Model Y Experience

Overview

At any time, buying a Tesla is different than buying a traditional car, but during the COVID-19 Pandemic, it’s been even more “interesting”.. Important to note that we had looked into buying a Model S in 2015. At that time, we were struggling with paying over $140K for a sedan, which, to be truthful, wasn’t nearly as refined as other cars at half the price (e.g. Lexus LS), but when we were unable to get a Tesla-recommended electrician to actually provide an estimate to install a wall connector, we opted to postpone a Tesla purchase.

Research

Once we thought we’d consider buying a Tesla, we started looking into the Model 3 and Model Y. Given the videos, reviews, and overall size differences, we quickly opted for the Model Y over the Model 3.

Despite a number of concerns voiced by others and dropping fuel prices, we opted to “make the plunge” and went to our local Tesla dealership. I found the experience to be sub-par. There were no Model Y cars available to look at and we ended up taking a Model 3 for a test drive. The test drive was odd in that the keys were handed to my wife and off-she-went on her own (I stayed behind waiting). The sales associate that we dealt with was probably having a bad/busy day and I found him to be a bit dismissive as he seemed annoyed by our questions (including the obvious questions regarding the differences between the Model 3 and Model Y). Leaving the dealership, we decided to take a chance on the Model Y as the Model 3 was a bit small for us and we hoped that the Model Y would be bigger/more comfortable.

Purchase

On March 19, 2020, we navigated to www.tesla.com and placed an order (leaving a $100 non-refundable deposit). W

Online Order comments:

1. We opted for the long range model (which was an almost $12K option, although I don’t remember there being an option for NOT selecting it .. only Long range or Performance, but the price breakdown lists Long Range as an $11,900 option)

2. We did NOT opt for the “full driving capability” .. a $7K option.

3. My wife like the black wheels, which added another $2K

4. The website defaults to showing you a price “with Potential Savings” (i.e. a representative example of how much the “electric” vehicle can save you in gas money). NOTE: I found this annoying and a bit deceptive (especially as prices for gas were sharply dropping at the time).

Shortly after our order, the Freemont CA plant had to close (due to COVID-19) and things got very lonely. The website didn’t really have any real information on the Model Y (as it was very new) and emails/contact us page inquiries were sporadically answered (as time went on, the replies became non-existent). I found online videos and blogs to be crucial to answering our questions, and even pointing out items we hadn’t heard of (e.g. HomeLink functionality not being available.. more on that later). Though useful, the “hunting-for-context” approach, was tedious and often led to a lot of wasted time viewing videos that were not helpful.

While waiting, we purchased the following items online (on Tesla store):

1. Wall Connector – Since the Model Y information was unavailable, it was difficult to discern what the size of the breaker/circuit should be, but, eventually I settled on a 50AMP fuse w/ a 40AMP draw. Word of caution; once installed, getting the Wall Connector to provide a steady WiFi so that I could connect it to my WiFi network was PAINFUL .. the wifi kept disconnecting and every so often tell me that the password was incorrect (even though I had just connected properly)..After approximately one hour of constant re-trying, I was able to connect it to our home Wifi. The only thing I could do was set the circuit size to the proper setting. There is nothing else that the wall connector provides (though I did see an “alert” section, but have never seen anything in there despite losing power to the subpanel a couple of times (more on that later).

2. Homelink Module – As mentioned above, Homelink functionality (to open your garage door) is NOT a standard feature. No one tells you this and it is not obvious by navigating the Tesla site, but after a number of online videos we realize that you have to order a “module” online. The module comes in a box that CANNOT be opened except by a Tesla technician. As such, this box has been sitting (unopened) in our house now for approx. 3 months. The other “untold” part of this story is that the HomeLink cannot be put in at the dealership or at the time of delivery. It must be scheduled AFTER you accept delivery via the mobile app (and selecting mobile technician). In our case, the earliest time slot for installation is approx.. 3 weeks after we took delivery (until then, I guess we’ll use our “clicker”).

While waiting for “the next step”, we filled out other parts of the online order form. During this time, I wasn’t sure if by not uploading an Insurance card or selecting a payment option I was somehow delaying getting a delivery date. I was unable to reach anyone at Tesla that could answer the question (again, Tesla & their Freemont CA plant was closed during this time). I opted to “roll the die” and wait since I didn’t have a VIN number and couldn’t get an insurance card anyway. At some point, we made our decision on payment type and were left only with the insurance card upload.

We did get a text in late May/early June (I believe it was a day or two after the Freemont CA plant re-opened) letting us know that our car would be delivered in mid-to-late June. On the website there was still no VIN assigned. In mid June, I signed on the website and it had a VIN AND a delivery date/time assignment (good thing I checked ??). Shortly thereafter, I uploaded the insurance card and made sure that the payment had been posted.

Delivery

Sunday, June 21, 2020

Didn’t quite go as expected. Luckily, the associate that helped us with delivery was very courteous, pleasant, and professional (unlike previous experience). The scheduled date/time we were given happened to be on Sunday, Father’s Day (June 21). They were VERY busy with test drives and deliveries. We were waiting for so long that our associate provided us with a Model X to take on a test drive (an opportunity we took to get something to eat/drink … ps: the wife loved the X).

The associate texted us to let us know that our car was ready and it was pulled up when we got there.

As we walked around the car, there were a number of issues that we spotted; namely:

1. Wax overspray on window trims (some came off later, others seem ingrained in the plastic)

2. A number of poor alignment issues including where the trunk meets the top and sides of the vehicle

3. The charger port door (when closed) seems ajar (i.e. fails to close)

4. I had read/seen online that the Model Y trunk fails to close at times. In testing it that day, I didn’t find that to be the case … BUT …(more on that later)

The associate said he’d make a note of the issues, we should email the photos to an email address he provided, and told us that we would have to have a mobile technician come out and fix them.

As we looked inside the car, the display was showing an error on the screen (software update issue). The associate had never seen that error prior to delivery and after checking, neither had anyone else there that day. At the same time, we realized that the “Key” Cards didn’t work (i.e. they didn’t lock/unlock the car). Baffled by both issues, the associate suggested that we leave the car there overnight and pick it up the next day (Monday, 6/22); we agreed.

Monday, June 22, 2020

Didn’t quite go as expected. After we arrived, we met our associate and he had the car brought around. The key-cards worked and as we accepted delivery, the software updated and the error went away. As the paperwork was being prepped, I noticed that the Trunk door did NOT close on its own (either w/ the phone or w/ the button on the trunk door). They took the car back into the service bay and when it was back, it seemed to work …. ONCE. They took it back again (twice more) and it now appeared to work properly. We were once again told to take photos and send an email to the email address provided.

Post-Delivery

The following day (6/23/20), I took the photos of the misaligned trunk lid, the misaligned charger port door, and the wax-residue on the window sill and sent the email as requested. Later that day, I noticed that the USB-C ports in the rear were NOT aligned properly (i.e. the plastic cover obscures enough of the ports to make them unusable .. btw, this was not easy to find and I spent a bit of time looking for anyone else that had the same issue to no avail and started thinking I had a bad cable, but after trying another cable and plugging the cable into the front USB-C port w/ no problem, I took a closer look at the rear ports and, as the photos I took show, the plastic covering is blocking the ports). I, therefore, sent another “update” email with that issue to the same email address.

The next day (6/24) I tried reaching out to the associate that helped us to ask him if we were supposed to wait for something or to go ahead and just schedule the mobile technician. I didn’t hear back and decided to go ahead and schedule the mobile technician service. The earliest appointment was on July 14, 2020 …

UPDATE: My wife ended up calling service and was able to get an earlier date. (June 29) She was given a Model X as a loaner as it took a day or so to get everything done.

Service Notes:

1. The rear panel was re-seated so that the rear USB-C ports are now accessible

2. The wax residue was cleaned up

3. The trunk shuts normally now

4. Nothing was done about the alignment issues – they are “within spec”

5. The 2017 model X loaner was awful. The gull wing doors didn’t open the same way (one was faster than the other) and one of the gull wing doors sometimes stopped opening mid-way. The top was also cracked. Btw, My wife is no longer considering buying a Model X. Didn’t help that when we relayed our overall Tesla experience to date to a friend who owns a Model X for about 2 years, our friend said that she was NOT happy with her car [cited numerous issues with software, sound system, service, etc.] and was likely to trade it in for a gas car soon.

General Delivery Notes:

1. There is a BUNCH of functionality and settings in the car. The owner’s manual and Tesla videos don’t cover everything you’ll need and I found myself looking online for a number of features.

2. Still not clear on how the Autopilot that we got “really” works … I’ll have to do more testing since so far, it failed to keep in lane all the time, and is a bit aggressive when it stopped.

3. I needed to change the re-generative breaking on “LOW”. Not an ideal situation as this will put more wear/tear on the brakes and not help in extending the battery charge, BUT my wife and daughter were having a VERY hard time adjusting to the Standard setting (felt like you were going into the windshield)… perhaps down the road when we’re more “use to the car” we’ll try setting it back to Standard.

4. You only get 2 key cards. We have 3 drivers and I like to make sure I have a spare, so I had to order a new set of key cards ($25 on Tesla.com).

5. Still not really sure how much can be stored in the “Driver Profile” setting (side mirrors and steering wheel for sure, but what else? Radio Stations? Driving modes/settings?)

6. Bought a 128GB Micro-SD card (and USB adapter) so that the security and dashcam videos can be stored .. so far so good. Online research was key in navigating what is needed/best, how to “work” the features, etc.

7. As the car sat outside yesterday without moving or being used in any way, we lost ~50 miles of charge and there was a constant noise emanating from under the front hood area. It was hot yesterday and we do have Sentry mode set. I’ve read that the noise may be the heat pump cooling off the batteries, but it just seemed like a lot of miles in one day for sitting idle. [UPDATE: Seems that Sentry mode is a big culprit of “eating up” a lot of juice]

8. Adding insult to injury, w/in approx.. 2 weeks after first receiving the car (though had to bring it right back in), Tesla announced a $3,000 reduction in the price of the Model Y … - {** Gut Punch Here **}

1000 miles Notes:

1. My daughter and I went on a “Supercharger” test run:

a. To top the car off it took 15 minutes

b. Believe it charged up ~50 miles (to my daily setting)

c. The Supercharger charge came out to approximately $4 (which, for the mileage added is about the same as regular gas in a gasoline car that gets ~22-25 mpg)

d. Paying was SUPER-easy

e. We watched part of a movie while we waited (odd, and a little eerie, to sit there alongside others doing the same thing)

2. I was only able to find one place that had rubber mats, TESMANIAN … .ordered a full set and they fit great … highly recommend them.

3. We’ve had 2 software updates (w/in approx. 1 month)

4. Still have a LOT of range anxiety. More than with gasoline-engine cars, the range in miles don’t seem to come very close to real miles driven. A % of battery (like on cell phones) may be better – there’s probably a way to set that, will have to look.

First “AH-HA/wow” moment:

While getting the oil changed in my F150 the other day, the service center said it needed a new air filter and sent me a photo of the old filter. In the photo, the service tech was holding a dirty filter above my engine (which was also dirty). As I looked at the photo, I was overcome with the realization that “all that stuff” (air/oil filters, water pumps, timing belt, spark plugs, anti-freeze, oil, etc.) was no longer needed in an electric car. At that moment, I felt like I knew how someone in the early 1900s might have felt as they watched a fire-breathing auto-mobile drive on by while stopped to feed their horse food and water, shoveling excrement and wiping dirt and sweat from their brow/body. If EVs can break a few barriers such as range and re-charging time (as early combustion engines did), the future of transportation is already here.

First MAJOR Issue:

Got our first major issue on July 31 (1,200 miles on the car). The car indicated that the frunk was open. Pulled over into a parking lot to check and it was closed. Exited the parking lot and drove down a 2-lane road. Approached a yield and started to depress the brakes, but the brakes would NOT work. Braced for impact (while flooring the brakes) but luckily the Tesla auto-brake system kicked in and stopped the car within inches of the car in front of us. Pulled over, contacted roadside assistance and they towed it.

Additional NOTES:

1. The car kept warning of the frunk being open.. then would show as closed and so on. Even on phone app, the frunk was depicted as open and then as closed and on and on

2. Cannot open the glove box (Valet mode was not on)

NOT GOOD!!

So, Car Towed on Friday, July 31, since then:

1. Other than a few initial Texts soon after the tow have not really gotten any updates

2. Thursday, Aug. 6 received an email stating that a Part had been ordered (Frunk sensor? – noted as: ASY. VC FRONT, GEN3 : Part #: 1497317-00-F : Order Date: August 5, 2020)

3. Heard nothing (and no loaner ever offered) until Tuesday, Aug 11 when we received an email stating that the part that was ordered was received.

4. As of Tuesday, August 11, it’s been 11 days w/o our BRAND NEW car AND no offer for loaner AND only contact via original texts (our subsequent texts have gone unanswered) and two parts emails. – NOT GOOD!!

5. On Wed. August 12, we were able to FINALLY (took many tries) get someone from the dealership on the phone. After letting them know that we needed the car for the following week, they said to just keep the loaner car …. “what loaner car??”, we asked. “Didn’t the tow truck person drop you off at Enterprise?” … “No, he left us at the store (which was closing)”. Basically, we came away from the conversation assured that we’d have the car by Monday, Aug. 17.

6. On Monday, Aug 17 we were told that the car was ready.

7. On Wed. Aug. 19, we were able to get the car back (first day we were able to get 2 of us out to the dealership --- note that about 2 hours before we went, we checked the Tesla app and the car was down to ~102mi. .. we asked to have it charged before we got there and they said they would… which they did). When we arrived, they said that they replaced the Frunk sensor and couldn’t find any issue with the brakes (ugh) and didn’t even try to see what was wrong with the glove box. After, at first, telling us to go get our car in the parking lot (?? Really ??), they went and got the car for us. We checked the glove box and it worked.

8. A few hours later, we checked the Tesla app and it states that the Car is “in service” … what ?? ugh!

9. Texts back and forth yielded:

a. Perform the “double scroll wheel” reboot --- did it multiple times and it did not resolve the issue.

b. Sign in and out of App – did it multiple times and it did not resolve the issue.

c. Delete and Reload the App -- did it multiple times and it did not resolve the issue.

d. Service center has put the vehicle out of Service Mode … Not sure what that meant, but problem persists.

10. Aug 22 – still have issue w/ App stating “In Service”(3 days)

11. Aug. 26 – got a hold of a person on the phone and they said they’d take care of it. Within a few minutes, I got a message stating that “Your car’s service is complete and is ready to be picked up from Tesla service during business hours.” A few minutes after that, we received the same exact message again. The App, however, still states that the car is “In Service” (note: I did log out and back in; just in case).

12. A few hours later, we called support again. Waited on hold for 27minutes and restated our story. We then received four more text messages (a few minutes apart). An hour after that, we checked and the “In Service” message was finally gone.

13. Also on Aug. 26, my daughter pointed out that the rear seat was “off”. When I looked into the car, I realized that service must’ve removed the back seat (for some reason) and forgot to put it back in. A bit of maneuvering around the seat belt receptacles and I was able to fit the seat back in place. Can’t believe that the service center forgot to put it back … and can’t believe we didn’t see it for almost a week ☹

14. Still worried about the braking issue that went unresolved. At this point, we’re left hoping it doesn’t happen again.

Overall Observations/Notes:

1. You can “Name” your car. Not terribly important to me, but my daughter thinks “it’s cool”.

2. CarPlay is a LOT better at certain functions than Tesla (e.g. choice of navigation options)

3. Auto Pilot is NOT great. It still feels jerky (I think my F150 Assisted cruise control is smoother).

4. Auto Steer if far from perfect. Albeit on local roads and not highways, but I’ve found myself having to correct the steering wheel way too often.

5. The driver profiles are “neat”. They store your preferences for side mirror and seat settings, but also other items such as driving mode, regenerative breaking, etc.

6. Although an additional option, the Homelink w/ geofencing is also “neat”. Though I haven’t tried the automatic garage door opening and closing, the geofencing does work as when we approach the garage it recognizes it and the prompt (to open and close) also appears. Our neighborhood should be getting an entrance gate soon and I expect to be using it in conjunction with that (stay tuned).

7. A lot features and/or functions are not obvious and it seems that “Google”, “YouTube”, and other Tesla owners are your best friend(s). For example, while waiting for roadside assistance, searching for “Brakes Failing on Model Y” yielded a number of results including one that explained that if you held down the “P” (usually used to put the car in park) while driving, the Emergency brakes would be applied. Not sure I ever want to be in a situation where that may be needed, but if the car hadn’t stopped before hitting the car in front when my brakes failed, it would’ve been good to know about this feature.

8. As with every other type of software update, the Release Notes could be a LOT Better! I found YouTube videos to be a better source of software update news than the release notes.

9. Despite Release Notes “deficiency”, Over-the-air-updates are GREAT! A real differentiator from traditional automakers.

10. Driving an EV is very “stealthy”. The car is eerily quiet and allows you to sneak up on folks like a large cat stalking its prey - All kidding aside, it is VERY quiet and people walking (jogging or bicycling) in front of you will not hear you coming which may lead them to, unknowingly, turn into your path.

11. Tesla’s integration of the smart phone as a key (including w/ the driver profile) is excellent. It’s no surprise that Apple recently announced their new ability of using an iPhone as a Key (in collaboration w/ BMW).

12. Whether batteries will be employed in future the same way is questionable, BUT the future definitely promises to include electric motors and power-pack sleds. The unbelievable handling and performance gained from a lower center of mass and distributed weight provided by a “sled” power pack is undeniable and hard to duplicate. While the amount of power/torque and lack of necessary maintenance on electric motors should not be understated.

Summary:

A Lot of good which is quickly crippled by:

1. numerous quality issues – seems “rushed”

2. questionable service support (little to no customer service support)

3. Range anxiety is real AND, for now, justified

4. And, at least for us, a Significant safety issue.

5. The feeling of being abandoned by the company is overwhelming

The bottom line is that EVs are here to stay. Power packs will vary (perhaps solid state batteries) as enhancements in power storage and delivery continues to provide additional mileage and charging capabilities, but I’m certain that in the very near future these advancements will compete, if not surpass, traditional combustion engine range and re-fuel times.