Tesla Model S Plaid (With Track Pack) vs. Lucid Air Sapphire: The 2,254-HP Battle You've Been Asking For

U-Drags: Tesla Model S Plaid vs. Lucid Air Sapphire

written by Steven Ewing^{Director, Editorial Content
Steven Ewing has worked in the automotive industry since 2003. In that time, he's written thousands of articles and tested just as many vehicles. Steven is Edmunds' director of editorial content and has previously been on staff at Winding Road magazine, Autoblog, Motor1.com, CNET, and was the U.S. correspondent for Top Gear magazine. Steven has also contributed to Automobile magazine, Car and Driver, The Drive, Jalopnik, Porsche Panorama, and dozens of other publications. In his spare time, Steven loves to play the drums, cook, and drive his 2000 BMW M Roadster.}
edited by Kathleen Clonts^{Copy Chief
Kathleen Clonts has worked in the automotive industry since 2014 and has copy-edited thousands of vehicle reviews and stories about cars and the auto industry in that time. Kathleen is the Edmunds editorial team's copy chief and previously worked as the senior copy editor for Automobile magazine.}
10/17/2024
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We pit the 1,020-horsepower Tesla Model S Plaid against the 1,234-hp Lucid Air Sapphire in a battle of super-powerful EVs.
Our Model S is fitted with Tesla's new $20K Track pack, and it's 546 pounds lighter than the Lucid, too.
Which EV wins on the Edmunds U-Drags track? Watch the video to find out.

It's the episode of Edmunds U-Drags you've all been asking for: Lucid Air Sapphire vs. Tesla Model S Plaid — but with one important twist. The Model S Plaid is fitted with Tesla's $20,000 Track package, which includes carbon-ceramic brakes, aluminum-forged 20-inch wheels, Goodyear Supercar 3R tires and updated firmware, allowing Tesla's midsize sedan to break the 200-mph barrier. Combined with the Plaid's already potent 1,020-horsepower drivetrain, not many EVs can match this Tesla's performance.

But that's where the Lucid Air Sapphire comes in. The Sapphire impresses with its 1,234-hp powertrain and claimed 1.9-second 0-60 mph time, but even beyond those specs, this is arguably the single best-handling electric vehicle many of us have ever driven.

This battle of electric brawn is certainly one for the ages, and there's only one way to find out which EV wins. Check out the absolutely epic U-Drags video below.

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by Steven Ewing

Steven Ewing has worked in the automotive industry since 2003. In that time, he's written thousands of articles and tested just as many vehicles. Steven is Edmunds' director of editorial content and has previously been on staff at Winding Road magazine, Autoblog, Motor1.com, CNET, and was the U.S. correspondent for Top Gear magazine. Steven has also contributed to Automobile magazine, Car and Driver, The Drive, Jalopnik, Porsche Panorama, and dozens of other publications. In his spare time, Steven loves to play the drums, cook, and drive his 2000 BMW M Roadster.

edited by Kathleen Clonts

Kathleen Clonts has worked in the automotive industry since 2014 and has copy-edited thousands of vehicle reviews and stories about cars and the auto industry in that time. Kathleen is the Edmunds editorial team's copy chief and previously worked as the senior copy editor for Automobile magazine.

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Tesla Model S Plaid (With Track Pack) vs. Lucid Air Sapphire: The 2,254-HP Battle You've Been Asking For

Which of these insanely quick EVs takes the cake around the Edmunds U-Drags track?

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