Is a 2022 Lucid Air GT Performance Faster Than a Dodge Charger Jailbreak?
It’s in-EV-itable: the Dodge Charger is going electric…eventually. But before that happens, Dodge is going all-out with the Charger Hellcat Redeye Jailbreak, pairing near-Demon horsepower with a cornucopia of visual options. However, even if the Charger isn’t quite ready for its battery-powered future, that future is here. And it looks a lot like the 2022 Lucid Air GT Performance. So, can the old-school car still compete with the new-age one? YouTube team Throttle House decided to find out.
2022 Dodge Charger Hellcat Redeye Jailbreak vs. 2022 Lucid Air GT Performance: The past and future of supercar-slaying sedans
| 2022 Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Redeye Widebody Jailbreak | 2022 Lucid Air Grand Touring Performance | |
| Engine/motor arrangement | Front-mounted 6.2-liter supercharged V8 | Front and rear permanent-magnet synchronous AC electric motors |
| Horsepower | 807 hp | 1050 hp |
| Torque | 707 lb-ft | 921 lb-ft |
| Transmission | Eight-speed automatic | N/A (direct-drive) |
| Battery capacity | N/A | 112.0 kWh |
| Curb weight | 4591 lbs | 5200-5250 lbs |
| 0-60 mph time | 3.5 seconds | 2.6 seconds |
By the time you finish saying ‘2022 Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Redeye Widebody Jailbreak,’ the RWD sedan will be hitting 60 mph. But while its name is long, its premise is simple.
Mechanically, it’s a Charger Hellcat Redeye Widebody with 10 more horsepower. For comparison, that leaves it just one horsepower down from the iconic Demon. Plus, that extra power comes with some extra visual pop inside and outside. That’s the ‘Jailbreak’ part: it gives the Dodge Charger access to previously-denied color combinations. And that includes everything from the stripes to the seat belts, brake calipers, and floor mats.
Since the Demon is out of production, the Jailbreak is the pinnacle of the 2022 Dodge Charger lineup. That’s also what the Lucid Air GT (Grand Touring) Performance is for the California-based EV brand now that the Dream Edition is sold out. Yet while it gives up some power compared to the Dream Performance, the Air GT gives up little if any speed.
Lucid claims the Air GT Performance can go 0-60 mph time 2.6 seconds. As of this writing, no independent source has verified that. However, when Car and Driver recently tested the 819-hp Grand Touring, which rides on all-season instead of summer tires, the AWD EV hit 60 mph in 3.0 seconds. In addition, its 10.7-second ¼-mile time edges out the non-Jailbreak Charger Hellcat Redeye’s 11.5-second time.
But the Air can’t stop worrying about the Charger just yet.
Can a supercharged muscle car really keep up with a Tesla-fighting EV?
Throttle House’s head-to-head formula was simple. Both the Dodge Charger Jailbreak and Lucid Air GT Performance ran two ¼-mile drag races. The first was from a standing start while the second featured a rolling start. The latter eliminates traction and launch control to focus solely on the cars’ drivetrains. And it’s here where the Charger might catch up.
See, EVs are quick off the line because they don’t have transmissions to shift or engines to rev. Instead, they have 0-rpm max torque. But that also means that some start to ‘taper off’ after the explosive launch. Unfortunately for the Charger, the Lucid Air GT Performance doesn’t taper that much. The non-Performance Grand Touring beat the Charger Hellcat Redeye in Car and Driver’s 0-100 and 0-150 tests, too.
However, from a rolling start, the Dodge Charger Jailbreak is seemingly neck-and-neck with the EV. Car and Driver recorded identical 5-60 times for both sedans: 3.7 seconds. And keep in mind that 5-60 times are more indicative of real-world performance than 0-60 times.
Furthermore, the dragstrip Throttle House used was just re-paved, meaning its surface was extra-grippy. Admittedly, that benefits the Air just as much as the Charger. But with fewer driven wheels, the Dodge’s performance might get a larger boost in comparison. So, the supercharged muscle sedan isn’t necessarily completely outclassed.
Which is faster, the 2022 Lucid Air GT Performance or the 2022 Dodge Charger Hellcat Redeye Jailbreak?
Unfortunately, or perhaps, inevitably, the 2022 Dodge Charger Jailbreak can’t keep up with the Lucid Air GT Performance. Even with near-Demon power, the Charger was slower than the Air in both drag races. Compared to the Dodge, the Lucid EV took off like a silent rocket from both a standing and a rolling start.
So, for now, Dodge’s muscle cars aren’t a match for the fastest EVs. But when the brand’s electric cars break cover, you can be there’ll be a Lucid vs. Dodge rematch.
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