Connect with us

News

Lucid Air briefly “bricked” after failed over-the-air software update

Lucid's first European retail location – the Lucid Studio at Odeonsplatz in Munich, Germany – is a luxury retail space that invites customers to experience the brand and its products in the heart of the iconic old town area. The company expects to open additional studios and service centers in Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, and Switzerland in 2022, and has the ambition to expand into additional key markets across the European continent in the coming years.

Published

on

Lucid began rolling out software update version 1.2.6 last Friday, and for the most part, things seem to be doing well. But just like popular consumer products like iOS and Android smartphones, there will be times when a software update ends up bricking a device. 

Unfortunately for one Lucid Air owner, his car happened to draw the short end of the OTA stick. After initiating the update and waiting 3-4 hours, the owner was surprised to see an error message inside his Air sedan. The message was clear: “Software Update Failed – Vehicle May Not Be Drivable.”

Credit: Alex/Lucid Owners Forum

At this point, the message did seem to be accurate as the Lucid Air seemed totally dead, according to the owner who posted about the experience in the Lucid Owners Forum. The doors would not unlock, and the vehicle showed that the OTA update was 0% completed. The owner was able to enter the luxury sedan through the trunk, which allowed him to open the Air’s doors mechanically. 

A call to Lucid’s customer care hotline did not help much, though the automaker’s representative reported the incident to the company’s OTA team. Fortunately, the “bricked” Lucid Air started showing life about an hour later. The alarms triggered and had to be disabled through the key fob, and the doors were able to unlock. The error message remained present in the vehicle’s display, however. 

This time around, though, the Lucid Air owner was able to put the car in Drive and Reverse, so the vehicle was likely drivable. The owner then received a call from Lucid’s customer care division, which stated that another software update would be attempted. Unfortunately, this also failed, and the owner was informed that he should hear from the company about a mobile tech being deployed to address the issue. 

Advertisement
Credit: Alex/Lucid Owners Forum

Interestingly enough, the OTA error message seemed to resolve itself after some time. After the whole drama with its two failed software updates, the vehicle charged overnight anyway. The software update failure messages were also present only on the vehicle’s mobile app the following day. The car seemed drivable as well. 

It should be noted that while the Lucid Air owner’s experience seemed quite exhausting, instances of bricked vehicles are not exclusive to the EV startup. Even Teslas, which are the most prolific electric cars on the market today, have been bricked by software updates in the past. 

Don’t hesitate to contact us with news tips. Just send a message to simon@teslarati.com to give us a heads up.

Simon is an experienced automotive reporter with a passion for electric cars and clean energy. Fascinated by the world envisioned by Elon Musk, he hopes to make it to Mars (at least as a tourist) someday. For stories or tips--or even to just say a simple hello--send a message to his email, simon@teslarati.com or his handle on X, @ResidentSponge.

Advertisement
Comments

News

Tesla expands ridesharing service in California to new hotspot

Published

on

Credit: Tesla

Tesla has extended its Bay Area ride-hailing service to include pickups and drop-offs at San Francisco International Airport (SFO). The update, shared via the company’s official channels on July 21, allows users in the region to request rides directly to and from one of California’s busiest airports.

The expansion builds on Tesla’s secured limousine permit for SFO operations. Public records show the permit became effective March 20, 2026, and remains active through January 31, 2027. Tesla vehicles operating the service now display authorized limousine permits issued by the City and County of San Francisco.

Tesla’s ride-hailing program in California relies on Model Y vehicles equipped with Full Self-Driving (Supervised) technology. Human safety drivers remain present in compliance with state regulations, distinguishing the service from fully driverless operations.

The Bay Area geofence covers a broad area spanning north of San Francisco to south of San Jose, offering extensive connectivity across the region.

UPDATE: Elon Musk reveals why Tesla didn’t say ‘Robotaxi’ upon California launch

This SFO addition follows earlier progress at other Bay Area airports. Tesla previously expanded service to San Jose Mineta International Airport (SJC) in late 2025. The company had engaged with SFO, SJC, and Oakland International Airport officials as early as September 2025 to secure necessary approvals for passenger transport.

The service provides a new option for travelers seeking electric, app-based transportation integrated with Tesla’s ecosystem. Rides are booked through Tesla’s dedicated ride-hailing application, which handles matching, routing, and payments. Pricing follows standard ride-hailing models, with potential adjustments based on distance, time, and demand.

Tesla’s California ride-hailing program launched in July 2025 with an initial invite-only rollout in the Bay Area. It started alongside operations in Austin, Texas, marking the company’s second major U.S. market.

The Bay Area remains a primary focus in California, with service centered on high-demand corridors connecting residential, commercial, and now major transportation hubs. This latest airport integration represents a practical step in Tesla’s broader mobility ambitions within the state.

Continue Reading

News

Tesla reveals 2026 Summer Update with crazy fixes to Nav and more

Published

on

Credit: Tesla

Tesla has officially revealed its 2026 Summer Update, which comes with a variety of crazy new features, including Navigation fixes that owners have been wanting for months.

Tesla routinely releases a larger update with the Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter updates, where it ships a variety of new features, bug fixes, and other additions to customer cars.

The 2026 Spring Update featured things like “Hey Grok” voice assistance, a redesigned self-driving app, Unreal Engine visual upgrades, and more.

Tesla’s Summer Release has about ten new features; we’ll show you each and detail them below:

New Grok Voice Commands

“Grok can now make phone calls, search and play music, adjust climate, open the glovebox, and answer questions about your Tesla.”

Self-Driving Stats in Mobile App

“View and share self-driving stats from the mobile app.”

Caraoke With Scoring

“Caraoke now scores your singing while in Park. High scores are saved to your Tesla profile.”

Automatic Navigation

“Automatic Navigation now adapts to your routine.

Advertisement



In addition to Home, Work, and upcoming calendar events, your vehicle can now suggest and route to places you visit regularly – like a school drop-off on the way to work, or the gym on the way home.”

Preferred Routes

“For a more personalized experience, navigation now prioritizes routes that you’ve taken before”

Set Arrival Energy from Mobile App

“Set your desired Arrival Energy from your phone.”

Send Custom Wraps from Mobile App

“Skip the USB drive and upload a custom wrap of your car from the mobile app. Instructions for creating a custom wrap here: https://github.com/teslamotors/custom-wraps.”

Rear Display Lock

“Kids can watch content on the rear screen, but only the front row can control it through the rear screen app.”

Advertisement



Other Improvements

  • Find Superchargers by name when searching for a destination
  • Add Apple Music songs to queue from search and artist page
  • Set your preferred zoom level for the Self-Driving visualization
  • Intro animations for new Model 3 and Y
Continue Reading

News

Tesla’s reason for Starlink integration on Cybercab might surprise you

Published

on

Credit: Tesla

Tesla’s reason for Starlink integration on Cybercab might surprise you, as the company’s Head of AI, Ashok Elluswamy, finally shed some light on the reason they are putting a satellite internet terminal on its ride-hailing-geared vehicle.

On Monday, Tesla officially confirmed that it would integrate Starlink V5 terminals into Cybercab vehicles, something many Tesla fans had figured the company would do, as the vehicle is primarily geared toward giving rides without any passenger intervention.

The ability to access the internet would allow riders to work or play in the car with their devices. It seemed like a more-than-reasonable feature to add to the Cybercab, which made its way off the production lines for the first time earlier this year.

Tesla reveals first vehicle model to receive Starlink integration

However, the move is not for the rider, as Elluswamy confirmed on Monday night. Instead, it’s actually for Tesla to be able to have a constant connection to the cars in the Robotaxi fleet so it can troubleshoot issues, contact riders, or resolve other issues.

Elluswamy said:

“It is still not required for safe operation of the vehicle. Connectivity is primarily meant for navigation, customer service and, in general, fleet management.”

Many initially assumed the option of constant connectivity would be enabled on the Cybercab for passenger entertainment or work. With the Cybercab, passengers won’t be doing anything but enjoying the ride, so it seemed more than logical that they would be hanging out with Starlink internet access as an amenity.

However, Tesla’s primary concern with Robotaxi is safety, and nailing these first unsupervised rides is a crucial step to setting a good narrative on how effective driverless transportation can be.

Being able to get in touch with passengers or a vehicle if something is wrong is a crucial part of the overall experience, and preventative measures are being taken by Tesla to ensure a smooth process, even in the worst-case.

Continue Reading