A current video over at Hagerty’s YouTube channel shared a race between not solely the quickest EV sedans, however the quickest gas-powered automobile and a bike as well.

I don’t know for positive, however the video seems to have been shot close to Lucid’s Casa Grande plant (south of Phoenix, Arizona).

The Contenders

Wherever it’s, they’ve bought an attention-grabbing lineup of vehicles to see who’s the quickest (a minimum of in 1 / 4 mile). They’ve bought the Lucid Air Sapphire, the quickest automobile Lucid sells now. Sapphire goes to be their efficiency model. The Lucid Air Sapphire accommodates a 3-motor powertrain at its core, which is the primary of its variety from Lucid, with two motors within the rear and one within the entrance.

“With three state-of-the-art electrical motors — all developed and manufactured in-house by Lucid — Lucid Air Sapphire reaches a completely new stage of efficiency,” mentioned Eric Bach, SVP of Product and Chief Engineer, Lucid Group, on the time Sapphire was introduced. “And since a three-motor Lucid Air was all the time a part of the event program, it retains all of the strengths of Lucid Air variants already available on the market – together with limo-like rear legroom, a voluminous trunk and frunk, and spectacular effectivity.”

Lucid has unveiled new and superior electrical motors, which comprise microjet stator cooling, wave winding know-how, improved warmth exchanger strategies for larger effectivity, elevated coolant movement charges for higher energy supply and a redesigned battery system with extra exact thermal logic.

As you’d in all probability guess, Lucid Air Sapphire’s 3-motor powertrain delivers a substantial quantity of horsepower that surpasses the 1,050 hp from its twin motor siblings. With an output of greater than 1,200 horses in complete, not solely is it at present the world’s strongest electrical sedan, but additionally the mightiest general.

Lucid says it’s the quickest EV sedan, and so they wished to check it towards the reigning champion: the Tesla Mannequin S Plaid. A lot digital ink has been spilled over that automobile, and yow will discover out extra about it just about anyplace, so I received’t waste your time on that proper now.

Subsequent was the quickest accelerating gas-powered automobile of all time: the Bugatti Chiron. That automobile additionally has some spectacular high velocity information beneath its belt, so this can be considerably of an apples to oranges comparability, nevertheless it’s attention-grabbing to place in there to maintain individuals from getting confused about what autos speed up the quickest in 2022.

Lastly, they’ve a bike, piloted by Josh Herrin. For a very long time, bikes have been all the time the quickest manufacturing autos on the street as a result of they carry such little weight round. Right now, EVs are difficult that assumption, so it is sensible to place a quick bike with a very good rider within the combine right here, too.

Some Background

Earlier than they get to the race itself, they went by means of some historical past. Many quick vehicles high out at 155 MPH not as a result of that’s their bodily restrict, however as a result of producers wished to impose a velocity restrict on the Autobahn. Why would high-end automobile producers do that? As a result of politicians have been in all probability going to impose a restrict in the event that they didn’t try this. Plus, the velocity limiters are detachable typically, so it actually doesn’t cease individuals who actually need to go quicker than 155 MPH (250 km/h).

Once they did this, 155 appeared like a very good restrict as a result of it took time for vehicles to even stand up to that velocity. No manufacturing automobile did that in even 1 / 4 mile, and solely few modified vehicles might get to that velocity in that distance. So, few individuals have been actually even going that quick in the actual world situations of the Autobahn besides when visitors was mild.

Right now that’s not what it as soon as was. Each one of many vehicles Hagerty examined towards one another might simply get to 155 inside 1 / 4 mile. This, after all, upsets many motorsports requirements. A Mannequin S Plaid can get you kicked out of a drag strip as a result of it’s too quick to be run and not using a roll cage, harnesses, and different required security gear, and it’s able to rock on the streets at that energy and acceleration stage.

The Race

The stark variations between the vehicles was obvious proper from the start, and Hagerty captured it intimately from a number of angles. The Lucid pulled away from the Plaid, which itself was pulling away from the Buggati, which was presupposed to have essentially the most energy of the three. However, torque places butts into seats and makes you progress over quick distances, whereas horsepower can solely enable you later.

The Lucid bought to 60 MPH in a mere 2.1 seconds, and achieved the quarter mile in solely 9.1 seconds, at 156 MPH, setting a brand new manufacturing automobile drag file. It even beat the Plaid by three car-lengths. The Plaid even (barely) managed to fall behind the Bugatti, as a result of the Bugatti had lastly hit its stride close to the top of the quarter mile.

What About The Motorbike?

You’re in all probability questioning at this level what occurred to the bike. Its specs don’t sound spectacular, with solely 210 horsepower, 91 lb-ft of torque, and a six-speed handbook, however the little 1.1L V-4 engine is just pushing round 429 kilos. Ducati even made some suspension and different mods to the bike to assist it beat the Sapphire, instructing the rider to beat the tar out of the bike if wanted.

The consequence? The Lucid initially pulled forward. The facility of rapidly shifting elements dumped right into a clutch simply can’t initially match what an electrical motor can do. The bike tried the entire run to catch the Lucid, and it might have overwhelmed each the Bugatti and the Tesla, nevertheless it didn’t fairly have the oomph to catch the Lucid Sapphire.

Energy Is Much less Necessary Than Management Now

Stepping into these sorts of acceleration numbers, the actual fact is that now that energy isn’t the one issue. Every automobile has refined techniques to maintain that energy flowing into the pavement and propelling the autos ahead. The techniques are actually pushing the boundaries of what’s bodily doable for acceleration, and we’re far past what a handbook system might accomplish now.

Sure, there are quicker drag vehicles on the market, after all, however they decreasingly resemble a automobile you can day by day drive the quicker they go. The quickest ones actually couldn’t make the journey to work, as a result of they weren’t constructed for something however the quarter mile. The Lucid and the Tesla are even remotely reasonably priced for individuals to contemplate commuting in.

So, we’re going to see some thrilling issues within the coming years as these energy wars proceed.

Featured picture: a screenshot from the video, exhibiting the contenders on this race.

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