In case you think Tesla makes essentially the most efficient EV sold in america, reconsider. While the 2026 Tesla Model Y did manage a commendable 138 MPGe combined, it is the 2025 Lucid Air that topped the EPA’s list as essentially the most efficient production automobile, boasting a powerful 146 MPGe combined, leaving the updated yet fairly ugly-looking Model Y in second place and its cousin, the 2026 Tesla Model 3, in third.
It’s value declaring that the Lucid Air in query is the Pure variant with rear-wheel drive and 19-inch wheels, while the EPA’s most effective Tesla was a Model Y Standard with 18-inch rims and rear-wheel drive. Upsizing the Luicid’s wheels to twenty inches brings the EPA rankings down, although marginally, with the 2025 Lucid Air Pure managing 129 MPGe combined. As for Tesla, the Model Y Standard and Model 3 Long Range with 19-inch rims saw their efficiency rankings drop to 131 MPGe, in response to the EPA.
If we add all-wheel drive into the combination, then the Lucid Air Touring tops the list with 134 MPGe, unsurprisingly, running the 19-inch wheel setup. All-wheel-driven Teslas fall short, with the Model Y taking an enormous hit, managing just 117 MPGe combined, while the Model 3 Long Range managed 128 MPGe, making it essentially the most efficient AWD Tesla, per EPA’s latest 2025 estimates.
Efficiency is the defining pillar of Lucid Motors
If we’re talking about efficiency per kWh, the Lucid Air Pure is kind of ahead of its rivals, managing 5 miles of driving range for each kWh of energy used. Even essentially the most efficient Tesla could only manage 4.09 miles per kWh within the EPA’s latest test cycle.
Much of the efficiency gains might be attributed to Lucid’s in-house vertically integrated development ethos. All the pieces from the battery and the motors to the software is designed by Lucid, giving the corporate a transparent advantage over rival EV brands in terms of optimizing the whole package.
The motor itself is an engineering marvel – light, compact, and power-dense, all while being incredibly efficient. Special attention was also given to weight reduction, with the Air utilizing an aluminum frame while packaging the batteries over a light-weight epoxy-glass fiber composite, offering weight savings along with improved heat and corrosion resistance.
Not only that, but the entire automobile is an aerodynamic masterclass by way of cutting through the air efficiently, minimizing drag while enhancing the available driving range. In keeping with Lucid, the Air Pure has a drag coefficient of 0.197, making it probably the most aero-efficient cars on this planet. It is a ground-up exercise designed with efficiency in mind — no wonder the Lucid Air has a definite edge within the EV space over rivals just like the Tesla Model S.
This Article First Appeared At www.jalopnik.com
