Today We Compare Tesla Model S Plaid With Lucid Air Grand Touring.

Both bring futuristic design, indulgent luxury, and enviable performance that combustion models can only dream of.
All of these were practically unheard of when electric vehicles first appeared on the market. That is, until Tesla came along and subverted most people’s expectations of electric cars. Now, the carmaker has become synonymous with electric vehicles that push the envelope in terms of what is possible with a battery-powered car.
Tesla claims that the Model S Plaid is the highest-performing sedan ever built, endowed with the longest range and quickest acceleration of any electric vehicle built so far. It’s a claim that certainly sounds credible, given the company’s stature in the industry.

Meanwhile, Tesla’s success has emboldened other companies to try and challenge its dominance of E-Vs. One of the newer electric carmakers taking on this mission is Lucid Motors. Interestingly, Lucid’s Chief Executive Officer, Peter Rawlinson, was a vehicle engineer for the Model S. His current role in overseeing the development of the Lucid Air puts him on a direct collision course with his creation.
While the Lucid Air comprises a total of five trim levels, we chose the Grand Touring variant since it is the closest to the Model S Plaid in terms of pricing.

Exterior

In terms of dimensions, the Tesla Model S Plaid stands 4,970mm long, 1,964mm wide, and 1,445mm high on a wheelbase of 2,960mm. By comparison, the Lucid Air Grand Touring measures 4975.3mm long, 1,939mm wide, and 1,410mm high, also accompanied by a 2,960mm wheelbase.

Where looks are concerned, the Model S Plaid follows a more conventional design. In fact, it varies little externally from its previous iterations. The sleek fascia features the Tesla emblem set against a narrow slit for a grille. This is flanked by a pair of LED headlamps, with daytime running lights giving them a feline appearance. The front bumper integrates revised air intakes at the corners.

Sharp character lines complement the smoothness of the profile, made even more evident by the retracting door handles. The flanks widen slightly going to the rear, where it meets the seamless glass panel extending from the windshield down to the rear window. LED wraparound taillights surround the tailgate, while a rear diffuser contributes to the car’s aerodynamics.

Two sets of wheels are available, from the standard 19-inch Tempest wheels to the optional 21-inch Arachnid design alloys. All in all, the Model S Plaid’s design enables it to achieve a drag coefficient of 0.208 Cd, currently the lowest on Earth.

In contrast, the Air Grand Touring possesses a less mundane appearance. The clamshell hood rests over twin banks of LED headlamps which are designed, developed, and patented by Lucid. These lamps comprise nearly 9,000 micro lenses, inspired by insect eyes.
Air is directed through vents located where the hood’s leading edge meet the headlamps, to assist in cooling the heatsink for the LEDs. A twin-vortex duct system on the front bumper uses computer-controlled flaps, increasing cooling capability even while using smaller radiators.
Like the Model S Plaid, the Air Grand Touring offers a practically effortless profile, with door handles that sit flush with the rest of the body. However, the roofline doesn’t dip as steeply as on the Tesla sedan, owing to the Lucid Air’s sedan form factor. A one-piece speedform taillight is the focus of the futuristic rear end.

Similar to its rival from Tesla, the Air Grand Touring offers two alloy wheel sizes, between 19- and 20 inches. It boasts a drag coefficient of 0.21 Cd, which comes extremely close to the Model S Plaid.
Interior
For the Model S Plaid, Tesla says that it revamped the minimalist interior, retaining only the two front seat riser covers. There’s room for up to five occupants on heated leather seats. The redesigned front seats have been slimmed down and moved slightly forward, to free up more space for the rear passengers. One observation is that the front seats could use more aggressive bolstering at the sides, the better to keep occupants in place when taking the car on winding roads.

Front headroom for the Model S Plaid is measured at 1,008mm, with a maximum legroom of 1,076mm. For the rear, occupants get 967.7mm of headroom and 901.7mm of legroom. The Model S Plaid packs 708 liters of storage in the rear compartment (expandable to nearly 1830mm with the rear seats folded), complemented by 87.7 liters of storage in the front.

Although Tesla is said to offer a slightly limited interior color palette compared to its rivals, the Model S Plaid does offer a white on black color scheme with carbon fiber and aluminum. Each material is described as looking and feeling like the real thing, unlike textured plastics which are passed off as genuine materials by other luxury automakers.