Combustion Engines Are Obsolete: The Lucid Air GT Just Beat the Dodge Charger Hellcat in a Head-to-Head

There was a time when the internal combustion engine was the premiere technology in the world.

Making the horse and cart a charming (and often smelly) relic of the past, car engines quickly took over the world – becoming an absolute “must have” for advanced civilizations.

But now, it’s getting in the line of history alongside bicycles and trail horses – quaint, fun to collect and ride – but no longer top dog. 

Charger vs Lucid Air

A race was scheduled to settle once and for all who was the best of the best: the Dodge Charger Hellcat’s internal combustion engine or the Lucid Air GT’s electric powertrain. 

They have comparable specs, with the Charger boasting 807hp and a curb weight of 4,586lbs versus the Lucid Air’s 1,050hp and 5,265lbs. 

Visually, they’re not that different; both have signature sleek profiles, with the Lucid Air just a slight bit bigger.

The Race

But that’s where the similarities end. 

Once the cars opened up on the straightaway, it became instantly clear that the Hellcat was outclassed.

AutoEvolution writes, “… it’s right about time to tell every crankshaft addict on this planet to stop daydreaming and get real: Electricity is faster than fire. Full Stop. Because the Lucid mercilessly devastated the Dodge by a mile. It didn’t even take a stopwatch to settle the score; an hourglass could have done the job.”

The Lucid put the Hellcat in its place and roared into the future, leaving clutch junkies horrified or in awe, depending on the denial du jour. 

Time for Electric to Put Grandpa Combustion to Bed? 

Of course, this begs the question; is it time to put combustion engines out to pasture and trot out the new thoroughbreds?

The Lucid is still out of range for the average speed junkie, with a price point of $179K.

While it’s undeniable that the car world is making a shift towards electric, beasts like the Lucid remain outliers.

However, it’s proof of what a good electric powertrain can do, and the brands still pumping out pollution-chugging cars will eventually have to reckon with just how much power they can get from an all electric.

Once they finally admit that the time has come, the world will flip to electric before you can blink – and maybe if you look fast enough, you can catch the Lucid zipping by as the Hellcat strains to follow.