I've Been Enjoying My 2025 Lucid Air Pure For Weeks, But The Phone Key Unlock Is So Slow I Switched Back To The Fob, And Even That Makes Me Wait Outside Sometimes

Lucid Motors, the Silicon Valley of EVs, has delivered a genuine marvel in the Air Pure. It’s fast, refined, exquisitely engineered, and wrapped in Deep Red Metallic that catches the eye and quiets the doubters. 

And yet, for one new owner, the experience hasn’t been entirely seamless. His car won’t always unlock when he walks up to it. And when it does, his water bottle still doesn’t fit in the cup holder.

FreeEnergy001, his Reddit username, not his energy policy, shared his story in a detailed post on r/Lucid, where he reflected on his first few weeks with the car:

“I had put in my order back at the start of June and got the car near the end of June. Went with a 3-year lease of a red Air Pure at $538/mth with 5K down. The compliment I hear most often is the color, it's very popular. I got a Chargepoint charger installed before the car came, and the utility credit ended here in NJ. Hopefully, in 4-6 weeks, I'll be getting the rebate. There was also a 2-cent discount for charging off-peak. I used the Lucid store credit to get the mobile charger, but I doubt I'll ever need it.

The car drives like a dream and is quick when you want it to be. Still haven't mastered one pedal and get the jerk motion when releasing the pedal to start slowing quickly. The Dream Drive was pretty handy and even worked in stop-and-go traffic, though it had to be promoted to go after each stop.

My top complaint about the car, like most people, is how slow it is to unlock sometimes. I stopped using the phone and went to the key fob, but even still, sometimes I'll be standing outside the car waiting for it to unlock. I also turned off unlock when approaching, hoping that just using the fob would be more consistent. I would also disable the lock when leaving if there were a quick way to lock the car when exiting, like pressing the lock button on the left screen.

I also had to turn off the lane departure warning since it kept going off as I had to ride close to the line to avoid potholes in many parts of my town. They should have an option to have it activate above 45mph or so. I would like to have it on the highway, but not on local roads.

The cup holders are also too small and can't fit my water bottle.

Even though I picked up the car after 2.7 came out, it wasn't installed. The salesperson said they couldn't push it, and it would eventually update. After a week and a half, I contacted support, and they pushed the update within a few hours. Now the issue is that my phone heats up while using AA. Can I use it in wired mode by plugging it in with a USB?

 

Some other questions:

Will the range estimate get better over time? Currently, it's off by over 50 miles when I charge to 80% and go down to 40%.

If I wanted to use the 12V in the trunk for V2L, what size inverter should I get?

Has anyone gotten the Face ID to work?

So far, RWD hasn't been an issue with the rains. Is it solid during snow, too?"

The Lucid Air is a tour de force, no doubt. But just as a Daytona Cobra Coupe could cook its driver alive before reaching the Mulsanne, or a '60s Ferrari might leave its blinkers as an afterthought, the Lucid’s glitchy keyless entry and compact cup holders are reminders that automotive excellence still stumbles over human needs. 

Lucid Air Sedan’s Legacy: Efficiency, Luxury & Performance

• Lucid established itself with the Air sedan to showcase dedication to efficiency, range, luxury, and performance, building credibility before moving into SUVs 
• The Gravity continues this heritage with Lucid's spacious and efficient design DNA, carrying over frunk size, 900V architecture, and air suspension, balancing utility and elegance 
• It enters the lucrative SUV/crossover segment, which dominates U.S. sales; Lucid aims to capture families by offering up to seven seats, plush materials, and advanced handling 
• Featuring ultra-fast charging (up to ~400 kW) on Tesla Superchargers, 900V architecture, and ~450-mile range, the Gravity aligns with Lucid's technology-led brand identity

To Lucid’s credit, their community is proactive and passionate. Redditor right_wrist jumped in with this: “You can manually lock the doors by pressing in the handle when it's sticking out… Likewise, you can unlock them by pushing the flush handle inward.” Not exactly intuitive, but functional, proof that even in the age of over-the-air updates, there's still a place for mechanical backup plans. Others chimed in with workaround tips and advice on everything from range estimation to wheel selection.

User mcot2222 brought perspective on the energy front: 

“I am averaging under 4.0 mi/kWh with my Pure RWD… There is a 5,000-mile break-in period for the tires/motors, so it may get better.” 

Again, not a flaw, just part of the ownership curve when your car uses electrons instead of octane. 

Lucid Air Efficiency: Why 19‑Inch Wheels Outperform 20s

The Lucid’s 19-inch wheels do better than the 20s, and even among EVs, real-world efficiency varies wildly depending on terrain, tire pressure, and how heavy your right foot is.

Still, the water bottle won’t fit. And that’s more than an ergonomic oversight; it’s a metaphor. You can simulate airflow with AI, design seamless UX for your haptic screens, and optimize your regen curves for stop-and-go traffic, but if the thing won’t hold a basic bottle, your interaction with the machine feels… incomplete. 

These aren’t nitpicks, they're the feedback loops that refine great cars into icons. After all, cup holders are to American car culture what boot racks were to British roadsters: essential, if unglamorous, accompaniments to the drive.

Lucid Air Ride Quality: Owners Call It ‘Riding on Clouds’

• Owners note it delivers “the smoothest‑riding car I’ve ever experienced,” with suspension described as like “riding on clouds,” thanks to thoughtful damping and chassis tuning 
• The chassis balances delicacy with tautness, offering a refined roadway feel without harshness, especially appreciated above 30 mph 
• Lucid’s interior is remarkably quiet, isolating road and wind noise so effectively that users describe it as “lush” and “vault-like.” 
• Even after covering 4,000–10,000 miles, owners report persistent comfort and handling responsiveness, reinforcing its premium build and durability

But Lucid isn’t tone-deaf. FreeEnergy001 noted that although his vehicle shipped without software update 2.7, once he contacted support, they pushed it remotely within hours. The brand has shown responsiveness to user input, which bodes well for future updates, digital or physical. This is still a young company, operating in a space where even Tesla once forgot to include coat hooks. What matters is the trajectory, and Lucid’s is undeniably upward.

As with most luxury vehicles, the final verdict won’t come from early quirks, but from long-term satisfaction. And if forums like r/Lucid are any indication, the owners are invested, sharing advice, offering fixes, and helping each other decode the little mysteries that come with life in an electric future. As for FreeEnergy001? He may be standing by his Lucid a few seconds longer than he’d like, key fob in hand, water bottle still seeking refuge, but he’s smiling. Because in the end, it’s a great car. And all he really needs now is a smaller bottle.

Image Sources: Lucid Media Center

Noah Washington is an automotive journalist based in Atlanta, Georgia. He enjoys covering the latest news in the automotive industry and conducting reviews on the latest cars. He has been in the automotive industry since 15 years old and has been featured in prominent automotive news sites. You can reach him on X and LinkedIn for tips and to follow his automotive coverage.