Lucid Motors and Tesla are at the forefront of the electric vehicle (EV) race, and their rivalry has intensified with two of the fastest electric sedans ever made the Lucid Air Sapphire and the Tesla Model S Plaid.
In a thrilling head-to-head contest, these two EV powerhouses faced off in a unique drag race to determine which car reigns supreme.
The Tesla Model S Plaid, introduced in 2021, set new standards for speed and performance in the electric luxury sedan market.
It features a tri-motor setup that generates 1,020 horsepower, making it capable of going from 0 to 60 mph in just 1.99 seconds. Tesla has long dominated the EV space, but Lucid Motors was not content to let that stand.
Enter the Lucid Air Sapphire, a luxury EV that was designed to outperform the Model S Plaid in both power and speed.
With a tri-motor system producing 1,234 horsepower and an impressive 1,430 lb-ft of torque, the Sapphire is more than a match for Tesla’s best offering.
Though it’s priced significantly higher than the Plaid, many believe the Sapphire is worth every penny.
In a recent U-Drag Race featured on the Edmunds Cars YouTube channel, these two electric sedans squared off. The U-Drag is more than just a straight-line race; it tests acceleration, braking, and cornering ability.
The cars launch from the starting line, race down a quarter-mile, then brake hard to make a U-turn before racing back to the starting point.
The Lucid Air Sapphire quickly showed its superior power, pulling ahead of the Tesla Model S Plaid in the first quarter-mile stretch.
But it wasn’t just the straight-line speed that gave the Sapphire the edge—it also braked more efficiently and handled the corner with greater precision. The result? The Sapphire crossed the finish line well ahead of the Plaid.
To ensure fairness, the drivers swapped cars for the second race, but the outcome was the same the Lucid Air Sapphire came out on top again. In terms of raw numbers, the Sapphire hits 60 mph in just 2.2 seconds, while the Plaid trails slightly at 2.3 seconds.
Over the quarter-mile, the Sapphire clocked in at 9.2 seconds, beating the Plaid’s 9.5-second time. The Sapphire finished the U-drag race in 27.9 seconds, leaving the Plaid behind with a time of 29.8 seconds.
Both cars are engineering marvels, but the Lucid Air Sapphire edges out the Tesla Model S Plaid in this EV showdown.
However, with a price tag that’s over $150,000 more than the Plaid, potential buyers will have to decide if the performance gains justify the cost.
