Tesla Model S vs. Lucid Air and Porsche Taycan: Performance EVs compared – Roadshow [CNET]

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. Following the debut of the updated Model S on Wednesday, it’s time to take another look at these EVs.

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.

Dimensions

The Lucid’s size compares nicely to the Porsche Taycan and Tesla Model S. It looks to be a smidge longer overall, 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 bi-level 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 an incredible amount 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 further 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 Porsche Taycan can go from 5% to 80% capacity in 22.5 minutes.

Battery and Range

	Battery size	Maximum range
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).

Up until now, Lucid took top honors in a number of these categories. But never doubt Tesla’s ability to excel in a pissing match. Now, the Model S Plaid Plus offers the most power, has the quickest acceleration and the highest top speed. 

Performance

	Max power	Max torque	0-60 mph	Top speed
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 iare still very much a hands-on system, despite what the names suggests. 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.

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. Compared to the rest, every Model S — including the nearly $140,000 Plaid Plus — is quite a bargain. 

Pricing

	Base price	Destination charge
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

The Lucid Air is available to reserve now for a $1,000 refundable deposit. If, however, you want the top-dollar Lucid Air Dream Edition, you’ll need to pony up a $7,500 refundable deposit. The company expects to deliver the Dream Edition in the spring of 2021 with the Grand Touring and Touring following later that year. The base Air comes online in 2022. Lucid plans to open 20 showrooms and service centers in North America by the end of 2021.