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People have been waiting for a Tesla-versus-Lucid fight since the Air debuted last year, but with press vehicles at a premium price and not many Lucid shipments so far, lining up against the Plaid Model S isn’t easy. Until now.
Credit goes to DragTimes to eventually pit these two supersedans head-to-head on a drag strip, though not the traditional location for capturing timing data. The venue is the Hennessey facility in Texas, where the timer equipment is not used. As such, this fight relies on telemetry and the surface isn’t like what you’d find on a normal quarter-mile drag strip. Still, it’s an open road for these all-wheel-drive EV monsters to do their thing.
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On paper, this is a tight battle. Performance Lucid Air Dream Edition produces no less than 1,111 horsepower (828 kilowatts) thanks to two electric motors. This is enough to send the beefy sedan through the quarter mile in 9.9 seconds according to the automaker’s official statistics. The Tesla Model S Plaid is also a sub-ten-second EV, actually going into nine though only has 1,020 hp (761 kW). In short, this should be a good fight.
And indeed, although the Model S Plaid got a clear jump on Lucid in the first of four races. Tesla went ahead and took the lead, clocking back 9.83 seconds at over 150 mph per telemetry. The second race showed a balanced start, with the Air pulling in front of the car’s length and staying there, although Tesla gained a bit of ground towards the end. However, the cars did not make it through the full quarter mile, slowing down just before the target. Still, this was a victory for Lucid.
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Race three saw Tesla take another jump off the line, albeit a minor one. Traction is also better, as Plaid pulls in front of and away from the Water. This time they completed the quarter mile, with the Tesla turning an impressive 9.67 at 146 mph. There is no data for Lucid on any of the tracks, and neither car offers data for the final track because it was a roll race from 25 mph. Once again, victory fell to Tesla.
Off-track traction plays a major role in any drag race, but this is especially important with a high-powered EV that makes maximum use of instant torque. As such, it will be interesting to see a rematch between these electric giants on a proper drag strip and a prepared surface. Perhaps Lucid’s power advantage could be better put to use in such a situation, but for now, it seems Tesla still has bragging rights.
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