So many brands, so many design flavors. The BMW i5 looks exactly like the petrol and diesel versions of the 5-series, the electric Mercedes EQE has a completely different design than the E-class. They are challenged by an unknown model from the US: the Lucid Air.
First we compare the electric motors of the three electric cars. The Lucid Air is a true American: he is loud in every way. The two electric motors are constantly making themselves heard with whistling, buzzing and resonances. That is not really disturbing in daily traffic, but even then you only notice what a noise box the Lucid actually is when you drive in the car. BMW or Mercedes steps.
In both Germans you hear virtually nothing, with the i5 being even quieter than the EQE and scoring bonus points with its battery, which is made without the use of rare earth metals.
Lucid Air is faster than BMW and Mercedes
But the roles are completely reversed when we start driving fast. Then the Germans must capitulate. The Lucid Air has two engines and four-wheel drive and even the basic Pure version is good for 487 hp. It reaches 100 km/h in 4.1 seconds and its top speed is 225 km/h. The torque of 930 Nm provides a strong push in the back.
This reduces the difference with the weakest car: the Mercedes EQE has 292 hp and with its torque of 565 Nm it even surpasses the BMW. It does the standard sprint in 6.4 seconds and the top speed is 210 km/h. Only in Eco mode does a limiter come into play at 100 km/h.
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With 340 hp and 430 Nm, the BMW i5 reaches 100 km/h in 5.6 seconds, but its top speed remains at 'only' 193 km/h. Moreover, it only delivers its full power in Boost mode for a maximum of ten seconds. In Sport mode you have 400 Nm and in the other driving programs the power is reduced to 313 hp.
Mercedes EQE consumption: that is a bit disappointing
That's bad Mercedes EQE Despite its lower power and aerodynamic design, it is not the most economical car of this trio. In fact, he uses his power the least sparingly. On our measurement round we recorded 23.5 kWh/100 km and that corresponds to a range of 379 kilometers.
Also the Lucid has a design that makes a wind tunnel mouth-watering and is slightly more economical: 22.4 kWh/100 km. This allows him to drive 411 kilometers in a row. The i5 is the most efficient and makes do with 21.8 kWh, which means its range is 372 kilometers. But it is fair to say that the test conditions were not ideal for an electric car, with temperatures around freezing.
Now that spring has arrived, power consumption will decrease with every increase in temperature. We then assume that the Lucid Air can easily reach a range of 500 kilometers and that its power consumption remains below 20 kWh. If we limit ourselves to city traffic and B-roads – still with low temperatures – there will also be an improvement. The Lucid travels 451 kilometers, the Mercedes 527 kilometers and the BMW is in between.
BMW i5 fast charging
Charging via the wallbox is possible in all cases at 22 kW, but with BMW and Mercedes you have to pay extra for this. The Lucid Air is the big winner at the fast charger, with a maximum charging capacity of 250 kW. The BMW i5 charges with a maximum of 205 kW at the DC fast charger, the Mercedes EQE with 170 kW. If you preheat the battery, you can continue charging after about 20 minutes. This reduces travel time considerably.
Driving characteristics
In the dynamic tests, the BMW is as smooth and light-footed as we have come to expect from the brand. But he misses that typical connection – the feeling of being one with the car. It is also noticeable that the straight-line stability is somewhat disappointing, which may have to do with the winter tires. Although his two competitors also use tires with a lot of tread and they do much better. Yet the BMW i5 is 'simply' the fastest on the handling course and the slalom test, if you put summer tires on it. And yet the engine noticeably loses power after a short time.
This is not the case with the Mercedes and Lucid, but they cannot match the high cornering speeds and the well-controlled brakes of the i5. The BMW and Mercedes are equipped with optional four-wheel steering, which provides even more flexibility and stability. The Mercedes is more advanced, thanks to a steering angle of 10 degrees (BMW: 2.5 degrees), the turning circle is spectacularly short. Furthermore, the feedback on steering impulses is well organized.
The Lucid does not always clearly announce its grip limit and during a sharp change in direction it abruptly switches from understeer to oversteer. If you like sporty driving, this is fun. Others will be shocked. But thanks to the four-wheel drive and the long wheelbase, you can counter the reactions well even with deactivated ESP.
