For the second yr working, the Lucid Air sports activities the title of probably the most environment friendly electrical car (EV) within the US in response to new EPA rankings. In doing so, it ranks above the likes of Tesla’s Model S and Mercedes-Benz’s EQS.
When you think about simply how far the corporate has are available the previous couple of years, it turns into an excellent larger feat. Again in 2016, Lucid Motors unveiled its first-ever EV prototype, a 900-horsepower luxury sedan that supplied over 300 miles of vary.
In the meantime, Tesla unveiled the Model 3 that very same yr, whereas additionally releasing a facelift for the Mannequin S. Not simply this, Tesla was already boasting spectacular gross sales numbers, delivering greater than 76,000 items globally in 2016, which, albeit minuscule by right this moment’s requirements, was nonetheless among the many finest figures that yr. When you think about all that Tesla was as much as in 2016, you’ll notice simply how a lot of a head begin the Elon Musk-led firm had over the newly launched Lucid.
Lucid
Commenting on the brand new information, Nick Twork, Lucid’s VP of International Comms, famous that “different automakers typically tout EV vary utilizing lenient WLTP or CLTC take a look at cycles, masking effectivity gaps and inflating expectations.” Now, with the official EPA numbers, “the story adjustments.”
However right here’s the factor: the Air sedan isn’t even that outdated of a platform. It was launched in 2021, so it’s not like Lucid has been perfecting the electrical sedan and its effectivity over the course of a decade.
It was solely final yr when Lucid introduced the 2025 model of the Air, which successfully grew to become its least expensive trim. Lucid claimed round 420 miles (675 km) of EPA-estimated vary from an 84-kWh battery pack.
Per EPA’s 2025 examined rankings, the Lucid Air Pure RWD with 19-inch wheels achieves a MPGe (miles per gallon equal) of 146, equal to 4.33 miles per kWh. That is not simply probably the most for 2025 – it’s the best the EPA has ever reported for an electrical car. MPGe is the EPA’s method of quantifying how environment friendly EVs are, just like MPG (miles per gallon) in commonplace gasoline vehicles.
Tesla
In the meantime, trailing behind the Air are:
- Tesla’s Mannequin Y Customary RWD with a MPGe of 138 (4.09 miles per kWh)
- Tesla’s Mannequin 3 Premium RWD at 137 MPGe (4.06 miles per kWh)
- Tesla’s Mannequin Y Lengthy Vary at 134 MPGe (3.98 miles per kWH), and
- Toyota’s bZ Restricted at 131 MGe (3.89 miles per kWh)
Additional down the checklist are vehicles like:
- Mercedes-Benz’s CLA250 Plus with EQ Tech (R22) at 126 MPGe (3.74 miles per kWh)
- Nissan’s Leaf 75 kWh at 121 MPGe (3.59 miles per kWh)
- Subaru’s Solterra AWD at 120 MPGe (3.56 miles per kWh)
- Volvo’s EX30 Single Motor Prolonged Vary at 116 MPGe (3.44 miles per kWh)
- Hyundai’s Ioniq 5 Customary Vary at 115 MPGe (3.41 miles per kWh)
- BMW’s i5 eDrive40 Sedan at 110 MPGe (3.26 miles per kWh)
- Polestar’s 4 Lengthy Vary Single Motor at 95 MPGe (2.82 miles per kWh)
- Dodge’s Charger Daytona R/T AWD at 95 MPGe (2.82 miles per kWh)
- The Volkswagen ID. Buzz 4Motion at 80 MPGe (2.37 miles per kWh)
And there are far worse than that – among the worst examined embody:
- The Rivian R1S Quad Max at 67 MPGe (1.99 miles per kWh)
- The GMC Sierra EV at 64 MPGe (1.90 miles per kWh)
- The Chevy Silverado EV at 64 MPGe (1.90 miles per kWh)
- The Mercedes-Benz G 580 with EQ know-how at 62 MPGe (1.84 miles per kWh)
Proper on the backside of the checklist sits the Bugatti Rimac Nevera hypercar, making simply 51 MPGe (1.51 miles per kWh), however we’ll give that one a cross!
It is fascinating simply how a lot of a distinction separates the #1 spot Lucid Air from the pack – it squeezes practically 6% extra vary from a kilowatt-hour than the second-place Tesla.
Lucid’s former CEO, Peter Rawlinson – who was a top-ranked engineer at Tesla earlier than shifting to Lucid – took to LinkedIn final yr to focus on the Lucid Air’s effectivity benchmark superiority when in comparison with the likes of Porsche Taycan, the Mercedes EQS, and the Tesla Mannequin S. He even went so far as saying that ought to Tesla proceed its present fee of progress, it’ll take the Mannequin S roughly seven years to match the (numbers) achieved by the 2025 Air Pure sedan.
So as to add extra salt to rivals’ wounds, Lucid additionally leads the way in which on charging occasions, too. The Air takes round 10 hours to achieve round 380 miles of vary, which is 95% of its 420-mile vary. By comparability, in the identical charging time, Tesla Mannequin S beneficial properties round 306 miles of vary (72 % of its full 402 miles vary), whereas the Mercedes EQS expenses solely 70% which is about 247 miles of its 352-mile vary.
Lucid
Lucid aimed its pricing weapons squarely at Tesla towards the tip of 2020, with a sub-$80,000 base price that transformed to underneath $70k when tax credit have been chopped off – although the top-tier Dream Edition did come in additional than twice that at $169,000. Due to creating most of its elements in-house, Lucid has managed to maintain costs down – with the 2025 Air beginning at $70,900.
Come subsequent yr, Lucid is starting manufacturing of its mid-size platform, which ought to begin across the $50,000-mark. And from a monetary standpoint, the corporate appears to be in a superb place in the intervening time, too. Lucid’s Q3 earnings confirmed that it has ample money available to help operations by way of the primary half of 2027.
Your transfer then, Tesla!
Supply: FuelEconomy.gov
