The Tesla Model S has enjoyed a nearly 10-year head start on the premium electric sedan competition, but the gap is beginning to close. There鈥檚 a newcomer giving the Model S a run for its money, and it comes from a fellow startup. The 2022 Lucid Air is an all-electric luxury sedan that can compete with the Model S in some areas and surpass it in others.
So, which is the better electric luxury flagship, the Tesla or the Lucid? The car experts at Edmunds compared these two long-distance EVs to find out.
RANGE AND CHARGING
The Lucid Air鈥檚 biggest claim to fame is its exceptional driving range. The top-of-the-line Dream Edition boasts a bladder-busting 520-mile EPA range on a single charge. The most that the Tesla offers is 405 miles, which is still generous but trails even the entry-level Lucid at 451 miles. In Edmunds鈥� real-world range test, a Lucid Air Dream Edition Range model traveled 505 miles of its advertised 520 miles. Meanwhile, a Tesla Model S Plaid on the optional 21-inch wheels managed 345 miles in the same test, just short of its 348-mile EPA rating.
The Air is one of only a handful of EVs that can use the maximum 350-kilowatt rate available at some DC fast-charging stations. The Model S charges at a slower maximum rate of 250 kW. In our test of the Lucid, we measured a consumption rate of 28.3 kilowatt-hours of electricity used per 100 miles, versus 32.1 kWh per 100 miles in the Model S (a lower kWh number is better). More range, superior efficiency and faster charging give the Lucid Air the easy win here.
Winner: Air
PERFORMANCE
Both the Air and Model S possess sports car-like performance capabilities. Teslas are well known for their seat-pinning acceleration, but the Model S Plaid takes it a step further. Edmunds recorded a 0-60 mph run of just 2.3 seconds and a quarter-mile time of 9.4 seconds 鈥� insane numbers by any standard. The Lucid is also unfathomably quick, though, with the Air Dream Edition Range model rocketing to 60 mph in 2.8 seconds in Edmunds鈥� testing.
The available Air Dream Edition Performance model is even more potent with 1,111 horsepower on tap and a set of 21-inch wheels wrapped in summer tires. Those grippier tires are key if you want a responsive and agile sedan because without them the Air鈥檚 handling doesn鈥檛 impress. While the Model S delivers better handling out of the box, both sedans offer mind-blowing power, period. There simply cannot be a loser in this category.
Winner: tie
INTERIOR AND TECH
Tesla has always been one to take chances and the Model S Plaid鈥檚 controversial steering yoke is perhaps its biggest gamble. But you also have the company鈥檚 decision to remove the traditional column stalks and replace them with touch-sensitive buttons, making simple commands more distracting while driving.
The Lucid likewise has significant flaws in this area. Since Edmunds purchased a 2022 Air Grand Touring for a yearlong evaluation, staffers have highlighted the sometimes painfully slow responses from the Air鈥檚 multi-touchscreen instrument and entertainment system. The Edmunds team has also encountered problems with the Air鈥檚 advanced safety features, including laggy blind-spot cameras and an adaptive cruise control system that needed rebooting to work properly. Fortunately, like the Model S, the Air is able to receive over-the-air software updates, so hopefully, some of these bugs can be fixed in the future.
Winner: tie
PRICING AND VALUE
These two sedans operate in the stratosphere of the EV pricing spectrum. Though the Lucid Air nominally starts around $87,400, that model isn鈥檛 yet available, so it鈥檚 very easy to get into six-figure territory. The Dream Edition, for example, costs a whopping $170,500. Meanwhile, the Tesla Model S now starts at about $105,000 and will set you back just over $137,000 for the ultra-high-performance Plaid trim.
Both cars tend to suffer from build quality issues, so you can expect at least a few flaws with either sedan. On the warranty front, both Tesla and Lucid offer four-year/50,000-mile basic coverage, but Tesla鈥檚 powertrain warranty is slightly better at eight years/150,000 miles for the powertrain and battery. Lucid does, however, offer three years of free fast charging at Electrify America stations. Both vehicles will make a serious dent in your bank account, but the Model S Plaid is less expensive and offers a level of acceleration few vehicles in the world can attain, making it a relative bargain.
Winner: Model S
EDMUNDS SAYS: The Lucid Air is a praiseworthy first effort from a new automaker, thanks in large part to its Tesla-beating range, otherworldly acceleration and head-turning exterior design. For now, the Model S holds a slight edge overall, but if Lucid can work past its teething issues, it may well end the Tesla鈥檚 reign.
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This story was provided to The Associated Press by the automotive website . Alex Nishimoto is a contributor at Edmunds.
Alex Nishimoto, The Associated Press
