Audi
The all-electric sport sedan wars are heating up. Tesla may have been the original disruptor, but Porsche came to bat with the gorgeous Taycan and now Lucid is throwing the Air into the mix as well. The latest player in this space is Audi, with the E-Tron GT that shares a lot of its underpinnings with the aforementioned Taycan.
For this comparison we’ll discuss the Tesla Model S Long Range, Model S Plaid, Model S Plaid Plus, Porsche Taycan, Taycan with the Performance Battery Pack, Taycan 4S, Taycan 4S with the Performance Battery Pack, Taycan Turbo and Taycan Turbo S. We’ll bring the top three trims of the Lucid Air on board when we talk about power, performance and price, since each is pretty distinct, and we’ll leave the base Lucid Air model out as specs are not currently available. For the Audi, we’ll talk about the standard GT as well as the RS E-Tron GT.
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2021 Lucid Air vs. Tesla Model S: EVs go head-to-head
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Dimensions
Unfortunately, Audi hasn’t released dimensions for the E-Tron GT, so we’ll have to leave it out of this section. The Lucid compares nicely in size to the Porsche Taycan and Tesla Model S. It looks to be a smidge longer overall and a bit narrower, and sits in between the Porsche and the Tesla in terms of height. Lucid hasn’t provided any interior dimensions either, but did say the Air has “the largest frunk of any electric car to date and incredible bilevel storage capabilities in both front and rear compartments.”
Exterior dimensions
| Length | Width | Height | |
| Lucid Air | 195.9 in | 76.3 in | 55.9 in |
| Porsche Taycan | 195.4 in | 77.4 in | 54.3 in |
| Tesla Model S | 195.7 in | 77.3 in | 56.9 in |
Powertrain
All three of these EVs are pushing out a lot of range. Lucid was the first to break the 500-mile barrier with the Air Grand Touring, but the Model S Plaid Plus claims at least 520 miles of range. Damn. The Taycan 4S recently got a range update, and we don’t yet know the estimates for the base models. That said, Porsche’s numbers are a bit conservative in our testing; Roadshow’s own Steven Ewing reports the Taycan can go much farther
than its EPA numbers suggest. Ewing estimates a real-world range of around 250 miles for the Taycan Turbo.
Comparing charge times can be a little difficult as manufacturers opt to describe the parameters differently. Since charging times aren’t linear, it’s tough to just “do the math” to make all parameters equal. Lucid says the Air can get 300 miles of range in 20 minutes of charging. The Model S gets 80% of a charge in 30 minutes, while the Audi E-Tron GT and Porsche Taycan can go from 5% to 80% capacity in 22.5 minutes.
Battery and range
| Battery size | Range | |
| Audi E-Tron GT | 93.4 kWh | 238 miles |
| Audi RS E-Tron GT | 93.4 kWh | 232 miles |
| Lucid Air Touring | TBD | 406 miles |
| Lucid Air Grand Touring | 113.0 kWh | 517 miles |
| Lucid Air Dream Edition | 113.0 kWh | 503 miles |
| Porsche Taycan | 79.2 kWh | TBD |
| Porsche Taycan PBP | 93.4 kWh | TBD |
| Porsche Taycan 4S | 79.2 kWh | 199 miles |
| Porsche Taycan 4S PBP | 93.4 kWh | 227 miles |
| Porsche Taycan Turbo | 93.4 kWh | 201 miles |
| Porsche Taycan Turbo S | 93.4 kWh | 192 miles |
| Tesla Model S Long Range | 100.0 kWh | 412 miles |
| Tesla Model S Plaid | 100.0 kWh | 390 miles |
| Tesla Model S Plaid Plus | 100.0 kWh | 520 miles |
Performance
Lucid and Tesla offer seriously quick quarter-mile times; the two should be pretty fierce if they ever get to a drag strip. It looks like the Lucid can’t match the Model S from 0 to 60 mph, however, with Tesla saying the Plaid Plus can do the deed in 2 seconds (the company technically says 1.99 seconds, but whatever). Since Audi and Porsche share a battery and architecture, you’ll notice some similarities between the E-Tron GT and Taycan specs.
Up until now, Lucid took top honors in a number of these categories. But never doubt Tesla’s ability to excel in a numbers fight. Now, the Model S Plaid Plus offers the most power and has the quickest acceleration and the highest top speed.
Performance
| Max power | Max torque | 0-60 mph | Top speed | |
| Audi E-Tron GT | 522 hp | 472 lb-ft | 3.9 sec | 152 mph |
| Audi RS E-Tron GT | 637 hp | 612 lb-ft | 3.1 sec | 155 mph |
| Lucid Air Touring | 620 hp | TBD | 3.5 sec | 155 mph |
| Lucid Air Grand Touring | 800 hp | TBD | 3.0 sec | 168 mph |
| Lucid Air Dream Edition | 1,080 hp | TBD | 2.3 sec | 168 mph |
| Porsche Taycan | 402 hp | 254 lb-ft | 5.1 sec | 143 mph |
| Porsche Taycan PBP | 469 hp | 263 lb-ft | 5.1 sec | 143 mph |
| Porsche Taycan 4S | 522 hp | 472 lb-ft | 3.8 sec | 155 mph |
| Porsche Taycan 4S PBP | 562 hp | 479 lb-ft | 3.8 sec | 155 mph |
| Porsche Taycan Turbo | 670 hp | 626 lb-ft | 3.0 sec | 161 mph |
| Porsche Taycan Turbo S | 750 hp | 774 lb-ft | 2.6 sec | 161 mph |
| Tesla Model S Long Range | 417 hp (est.) | 485 lb-ft (est.) | 3.7 sec | 155 mph |
| Tesla Model S Plaid | 1,020 hp | N/A | 2.0 sec | 200 mph |
| Tesla Model S Plaid Plus | 1,100 hp | N/A | 2.0 sec | 200 mph |
Tech
We haven’t had a chance to drive the new Lucid Air, but the company claims the top trim will have Level 3 driver-assistance tech. That means the Lucid will be able to take full control when certain conditions are met. It’s a hands-off system but the driver must still remain vigilant.
Tesla’s Autopilot and Full-Self Driving technologies are still very much hands-on systems, despite what the names suggest. Tesla’s tech may guide drivers around curves in the road, but they must keep their hands on the wheel and remain alert at all times. Porsche, meanwhile, offers its InnoDrive tech for the Taycan, which bundles adaptive cruise control with lane-keeping assist, just like the Tesla. Audi will bring a number of familiar technologies to the party, including its 12.3-inch Virtual Cockpit and MMI Touch Response infotainment system. Expect a full suite of driver-assistance tech, too.
Price
Lucid wants $72,000 of your hard-earned dollars for the base Air — the one we don’t have any numbers for — and the company has yet to reveal its destination charge. That number goes up, way up, for the Dream Edition, which comes in at a whopping $169,000. The Taycan starts at $81,250 including $1,350 for destination, going up to $186,350 for the Taycan Turbo S. The E-Tron GT starts just under $100,000 and goes up to $140,000 for the RS. Compared with the rest, every Model S — including the nearly $140,000 Plaid Plus — is quite a bargain.
Pricing
| Base price | Destination charge | |
| Audi E-Tron GT Premium Plus | $99,900 | TBD |
| Audi E-Tron GT Prestige | $107,100 | TBD |
| Audi RS E-Tron GT | $139,900 | TBD |
| Lucid Air | $80,000 | TBD |
| Lucid Air Touring | $95,000 | TBD |
| Lucid Air Grand Touring | $139,000 | TBD |
| Lucid Air Dream Edition | $169,000 | TBD |
| Porsche Taycan | $79,900 | $1,350 |
| Porsche Taycan PBP | $85,680 | $1,350 |
| Porsche Taycan 4S | $103,800 | $1,350 |
| Porsche Taycan 4S PBP | $109,370 | $1,350 |
| Porsche Taycan Turbo | $150,900 | $1,350 |
| Porsche Taycan Turbo S | $185,000 | $1,350 |
| Tesla Model S Long Range | $79,990 | $1,200 |
| Tesla Model S Plaid | $119,990 | $1,200 |
| Tesla Model S Plaid Plus | $139,990 | $1,200 |