Lucid Claims Tesla Needs Until 2032 To Match Its Current EV Efficiency

The boss of Lucid Motors has suggested it will take until 2032 before the Tesla Model S can match the range efficiency of the new Air Pure, which is claimed to be the “most energy-efficient vehicle ever.”

Thanks to a technically advanced 84 kWh battery pack, the Lucid Air Pure can travel up to 420 miles (676 km) on a single charge. That equates to 5 miles (8 km) of range per kilowatt of energy, and easily places it ahead of the most efficient Tesla Model S, which needs 1 kWh of energy for every 4 miles (6.4 km) traveled. It also translates to 146 MPGe, well beyond the 122 MPGe of the Model S.

Read: 2025 Lucid Air Claims To Be The “Most Energy-Efficient Vehicle Ever”

Last week, Lucid chief executive Peter Rawlinson took to LinkedIn to share a graph that shows just how far the brand is ahead of its competitors. The graph notes that if Tesla continues to improve the efficiency of the Model S in a linear manner, it will take until 2032 before it’s able to match the current 146 MPGe rating of the Air Pure.

Of course, Lucid will continue to develop the Air, and the graph indicates that by 2032, the efficiency of the Air could climb to over 170 MPGe. Other competitors, including the Porsche Taycan and Mercedes-Benz EQS, are far behind at just 83 MPGe and 96 MPGe, respectively.

“Efficiency is of critical importance in making a better, lighter, more spacious, longer-range vehicle, and directly impacts cost to manufacture,” Rawlinson said in his post. “Therefore, efficiency is arguably the single most valid litmus of a company’s core EV technological capability.”

There’s no way of accurately predicting how the efficiency of the Model S will improve over the coming years, so it’s worth remembering that these are simply estimates. It’s entirely possible Tesla could launch an innovative new version of its flagship sedan that’s significantly more efficient than its predecessor and matches or exceeds the Air’s current figures.