Lucid is the upstart newcomer to the EV game and has designed an attractive, high-performance vehicle with an outstanding range. The Lucid Air boasts a 520-mile driving range which is the best of any EV on the market. However, it doesn’t have the best MPGe on the market. That title currently belongs to the Tesla Model 3. The question is, how much does it matter? 

What Is MPGe, and how is it different from the driving range?

MPGe stands for miles per gallon equivalent. It is a way to measure the energy cost of driving your electric vehicle. Kelley Blue Book says MPGe is 33.7 kWh of electricity to every 1 gallon of fuel. So, a vehicle that uses 33.7 kWh to drive 100 miles gets a rate of 100 MPGe.

Driving range is the distance an EV can drive on a full charge. Range and MPGe should be considered when making your decision. All other things being equal, an EV with a higher MPGe is more cost-effective to own, costing you less money each time you charge.

Car dealers are required by law to post the average MPGe for electric vehicles, like with miles per gallon in a standard fuel vehicle. This information is vital to estimate your cost of ownership accurately. Logic from years of fuel-powered cars states that a vehicle with better MPGe is more efficient and cheaper to drive, but is this the case?

Lucid Air MPGe vs. Tesla 3 MPGe

The Lucid Air offers 131 MPGe, which is respectable but less than the Tesla 3 at 132 MPGe. However, considering the slight difference doesn’t seem to be a potential dealbreaker. In addition, if you look at the Tesla Model 3 long-range version, you’ll see the MPGe drops down to 131 and only give you a range of up to 358 miles.

The Lucid Air has one of the market’s longest ranges of any electric vehicle. Even when it isn’t getting the projected 520 miles, it’s still blowing away the competition by a wide margin. 

For those considering the Lucid Air over a Tesla Model 3, remember that the Lucid costs more and is a newer company with some potential bugs to work out. So far, the Air gets reasonably good marks, but according to Edmunds, it is still far from perfect.

However, Lucid does something no other car company offers right now: it gives you enough range to not worry so much during a road trip. The Lucid also offers ultra-fast charging, making it even better for those longer journeys.

Which EV should you choose?

When it comes to driving range and MPGe, you can’t beat the Lucid Air. Sacrificing the slight edge the Tesla Model 3 has over Lucid with MPGe seems more than worth it when you take driving range into consideration. It’s also important to consider that while the Tesla 3 has slightly better MPGe, there really is no comparison when it comes to performance. The Lucid Air has considerably more horsepower, and faster acceleration.

If you’re looking for performance, the Tesla Model S Plaid would be the better vehicle to compare to the Lucid Air.

The Plaid has a great range for an EV at 396 miles per charge, but the MPGe is considerably lower compared to the Lucid at only 116. Where the Tesla Model S Plaid excels in performance, it falls short in efficiency compared to both the Lucid Air and the Tesla Model 3.

If it fits your budget, the Lucid Air is an eye-catching EV with the best range so far and excellent MPGe. According to Car and Driver, it’s also the fastest charging EV on the market.