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Lucid Air Dream Edition shows impressive initial build quality thanks to human craftsmanship

Credit: Vivianna Van Deerlin | YouTube

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With the Lucid Air Dream Edition finally beginning initial deliveries more than a year after its unveiling, the automaker’s first builds are showing an impressive build quality thanks to Lucid’s focus on fine craftsmanship. A spacious, luxury interior also fills the inside of the Air Dream Edition, giving the impression that first owners are more than happy with what they have been given after a lengthy wait.

Vivianna Van Deerlin was one of the first owners of the Lucid Air Dream Edition and attended the October 30th, 2021 unveiling event in California. While Van Deerling attended the West Coast-located ceremony, which included breakfast, numerous speeches from Lucid executives, and a trunk full of Lucid-inspired goodies, she is a resident of New Jersey, and putting 3,000 miles on the car in the first few days was not what she planned for. The vehicle was then shipped to New Jersey, where she plans to take delivery soon.

However, a video Van Deerlin took at the Lucid Delivery Event in California showed the impressive build quality the Air sports in its early builds, and it may be the reason the car was awarded MotorTrend’s “Car of the Year” award. Lucid has already detailed that the first few units of the Air would be built by hand. In March, Lucid detailed the tedious-but-necessary process of taking out automation and bringing humans in to build the cars. It eliminates the uncertainty of mass production, and while fewer units can be built, quality is unmatched. “At this stage in the process, it’s less about the robots and more about the hands-on human element. It’s all carefully choreographed,” Lucid wrote in its blog. “We do have some robots and we do have automation, but this vehicle is put together by humans. And it takes real craftsmanship,” Art Schlaud, Director of Manufacturing for General Assembly said.

Lucid shows the tedious process of building the Air Dream Edition

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If the Air Dream Edition delivery event told us anything, it’s that Lucid is bringing its finest vehicles to the forefront during its shiny-and-pretty delivery event. The cars are nearly flawless, and the exterior is almost as pretty as the interior.

Van Deerlin may be one of the most qualified people on Earth to give a first impression of an EV. In 2009, Van Deerlin was a Model S reservation holder, and took delivery of an S85 in December 2012, she said. There was no infrastructure, Superchargers were not a thing, and electrification was far away from the mainstream. “It was a gamble at the time, but we believed firmly in the mission to transition the world to sustainable energy, so were excited to be early adopters of Tesla and help spread the word,” Van Deerlin said.

Lucid’s competitive nature, which has included plenty of mention of rival Tesla, does not make anything different for Van Deerlin. “This purchase of a Lucid Air in no way diminishes my passion for my Tesla vehicles, energy products and the Tesla community. I love our Model 3, Model S, and Roadster. For anyone who truly believes in the Tesla mission, and not just making money from Tesla stock, the success of more than one EV company is imperative. I see a future of transition to electric vehicles — but I do not see a future where everyone drives a Tesla,” she said on YouTube.

Build quality is a term that many Tesla enthusiasts are familiar with because it was a strong point of conversation for media for some time. Tesla was struggling with build quality when ramping up the Model 3 several years ago, after having the reputation of well-built cars with early adaptations of the Model S being handbuilt. CEO Elon Musk has always said that “production is hard,” and Lucid may get to experience that lesson in a few years when it begins to mass-produce the Air sedan or the “Project Gravity” SUV it will unveil. The real question is whether Lucid will be able to keep this impressive build quality up while it begins to scale its manufacturing processes. Past experiences have taught us that automakers tend to struggle with perfect build quality while balancing thousands of units per day.

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Nevertheless, Lucid brought its A-game for its first impressions. Check out Van Deerlin’s video on the delivery experience below.

I’d love to hear from you! If you have any comments, concerns, or questions, please email me at joey@teslarati.com. You can also reach me on Twitter @KlenderJoey, or if you have news tips, you can email us at tips@teslarati.com.

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Joey has been a journalist covering electric mobility at TESLARATI since August 2019. In his spare time, Joey is playing golf, watching MMA, or cheering on any of his favorite sports teams, including the Baltimore Ravens and Orioles, Miami Heat, Washington Capitals, and Penn State Nittany Lions. You can get in touch with joey at joey@teslarati.com. He is also on X @KlenderJoey. If you're looking for great Tesla accessories, check out shop.teslarati.com

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Cybertruck

Elon Musk clarifies Tesla Cybertruck ’10 day’ comment, fans respond

Some are arguing that the decision to confirm a price hike in ten days is sort of counterproductive, especially considering it is based on demand. Giving consumers a timeline of just ten days to make a big purchase like a pickup truck for $60,000, and basically stating the price will go up, will only push people to make a reservation.

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Credit: Tesla

Elon Musk has clarified what he meant by his comment on X yesterday that seemed to indicate that Tesla would either do away with the new All-Wheel-Drive configuration of the Cybertruck or adjust the price.

The response was cryptic as nobody truly knew what Musk’s plans were for the newest Tesla Cybertruck trim level. We now have that answer, and fans of the company are responding in a polarizing fashion.

On Thursday night, Tesla launched the Cybertruck All-Wheel-Drive, priced competitively at $59,990. It was a vast improvement from the Rear-Wheel-Drive configuration Tesla launched last year at a similar price point, which was eventually cancelled just a few months later due to low demand.

Tesla launches new Cybertruck trim with more features than ever for a low price

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However, Musk said early on Friday, “just for 10 days,” the truck would either be available or priced at $59,990. We can now confirm Tesla will adjust the price based on more recent comments from the CEO.

Musk said the price will fluctuate, but it “depends on how much demand we see at this price level.”

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Some are defending the decision, stating that it is simply logical to see how the Cybertruck sells at this price and adjust accordingly.

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Others, not so much.

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Some are arguing that the decision to confirm a price hike in ten days is sort of counterproductive, especially considering it is based on demand. Giving consumers a timeline of just ten days to make a big purchase like a pickup truck for $60,000, and basically stating the price will go up, will only push people to make a reservation.

Demand will look strong because people want to lock in this price. The price will inevitably go up, and demand for the trim will likely fall a bit because of the increased cost.

Many are arguing Musk should have kept this detail internal, but transparency is a good policy to have. It is a polarizing move to confirm a price increase in just a week-and-a-half, but the community is obviously split on how to feel.

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Cybertruck

Tesla Cybertruck’s newest trim will undergo massive change in ten days, Musk says

It appears as if the new All-Wheel-Drive trim of Cybertruck won’t be around for too long, however. Elon Musk revealed this morning that it will be around “only for the next 10 days.”

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(Credit: Tesla)

Tesla’s new Cybertruck trim has already gotten the axe from CEO Elon Musk, who said the All-Wheel-Drive configuration of the all-electric pickup will only be available “for the next ten days.”

Musk could mean the price, which is $59,990, or the availability of the trim altogether.

Last night, Tesla launched the All-Wheel-Drive configuration of the Cybertruck, a pickup that comes in at less than $60,000 and features a competitive range and features that are not far off from the offerings of the premium trim.

Tesla launches new Cybertruck trim with more features than ever for a low price

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It was a nice surprise from Tesla, considering that last year, it offered a Rear-Wheel-Drive trim of the Cybertruck that only lasted a few months. It had extremely underwhelming demand because it was only $10,000 cheaper than the next trim level up, and it was missing a significant number of premium features.

Simply put, it was not worth the money. Tesla killed the RWD Cybertruck just a few months after offering it.

With the news that Tesla was offering this All-Wheel-Drive configuration of the Cybertruck, many fans and consumers were encouraged. The Cybertruck has been an underwhelming seller, and this seemed to be a lot of truck for the price when looking at its features:

  • Dual Motor AWD w/ est. 325 mi of range
  • Powered tonneau cover
  • Bed outlets (2x 120V + 1x 240V) & Powershare capability
  • Coil springs w/ adaptive damping
  • Heated first-row seats w/ textile material that is easy to clean
  • Steer-by-wire & Four Wheel Steering
  • 6’ x 4’ composite bed
  • Towing capacity of up to 7,500 lbs
  • Powered frunk

It appears as if this trim of Cybertruck won’t be around for too long, however. Musk revealed this morning that it will be around “only for the next 10 days.”

Musk could mean the price of the truck and not necessarily the ability to order it. However, most are taking it as a cancellation.

If it is, in fact, a short-term availability decision, it is baffling, especially as Tesla fans and analysts claim that metrics like quarterly deliveries are no longer important. This seems like a way to boost sales short-term, and if so many people are encouraged about this offering, why would it be kept around for such a short period of time?

Some are even considering the potential that Tesla axes the Cybertruck program as a whole. Although Musk said during the recent Q4 Earnings Call that Cybertruck would still be produced, the end of the Model S and Model X programs indicates Tesla might be prepared to do away with any low-volume vehicles that do not contribute to the company’s future visions of autonomy.

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The decision to axe the car just ten days after making it available seems like a true head-scratcher.

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Elon Musk

Elon Musk’s Neuralink sparks BCI race in China

One of the most prominent is NeuroXess, which launched in 2021 and is already testing implants in patients.

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Credit: Neuralink

Neuralink, founded by Elon Musk, is helping spark a surge of brain-computer interface (BCI) development in China, where startups are moving quickly into human trials with strong state backing. 

One of the most prominent is NeuroXess, which launched in 2021 and is already testing implants in patients.

Neuralink’s clinical work and public demonstrations have drawn worldwide attention to invasive brain implants that allow patients to control digital devices using their minds. The company is currently running a global clinical trial and is also busy preparing for its next product, Blindsight, which would restore vision to people with visual impairments.

Neuralink’s visibility has helped accelerate similar efforts in China. Beijing last year classified brain-computer interfaces as a strategic sector and issued a roadmap calling for two or three globally competitive companies by 2030, as per the Financial Times. Since February last year, at least 10 clinical trials for invasive brain chips have launched in the country.

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NeuroXess recently reported that a paralyzed patient was able to control a computer cursor within five days of implantation. Founder Tiger Tao credited government support for helping shorten the path from research to trials.

Investment activity has followed the policy push. Industry data show dozens of financing rounds for Chinese BCI startups over the past year, reflecting rising capital interest in the field. Ultimately, while Neuralink remains one of the most closely watched players globally, its momentum has clearly energized competitors abroad.

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