- The entry-level Lucid Air is being recalled because its inverter may get damaged over time.
- If that happens, the inverter will no longer convert DC power from the main battery to AC power for the rear electric motor.
- As a result, the car will lose power, and in some cases, this can happen without warning.
Lucid Motors is recalling 2,039 Air Pure electric sedans because they may lose power while driving due to a damaged inverter. The Lucid Air Pure is the only rear-wheel drive model in Lucid’s portfolio, so if the rear drive unit stops providing motivation, the car can no longer move, as would be the case with an all-wheel drive model.
The American EV startup said that vehicles with a fourth-generation inverter built between September 13, 2023, and December 12, 2024, are affected by this issue. Over time, the switching module inside the Gen 4 inverter in certain 2023-2025 model year Lucid Air Pure vehicles could get damaged due to vibrations created by the motor and transmitted to the inverter and its internal components.
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Source: InsideEVs
This creates movement between internal pads and contacts on the gate driver printed circuit board assembly (PCBA. The friction between the components can result in signal interruptions and a failure of the switching module, which is responsible for transforming the direct current from the high-voltage battery to the alternating current needed by the electric motor.
Lucid Motors says that only cars equipped with a Gen 4 inverter are subject to this recall, and that some cars that could be affected by this issue have had a software update that introduces a warning message for a drive system fault under certain conditions, but that message is designed to go away when the ignition is cycled.
To fix the problem, Lucid Motors will first issue a software update to detect potential Gen 4 inverter failures. The software will set a diagnostic trouble code, as well as a hard error message on the screen that can only be removed by a service center. If the message “Drive System Fault, Schedule Service Immediately” pops up, the car needs to be taken in, and technicians will install a new, non-Gen 4 inverter for free.
The California startup said that the fretting problem that was detected on Gen 4 inverters was not found on any other inverter generation. So far, Lucid has found 55 inverter failures linked to the issue addressed by this recall.