Drag Race: Tesla Model S Plaid Crushes Fossil Fuel Powered Competitors (Video)

Published

December 3, 2021

Sign up for daily news updates from CleanTechnica on email. Or follow us on Google News!

Hagerty recently pulled together a drag race involving 2022 Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing, 2022 BMW M5 CS, and a 2022 Tesla Model S Plaid. Despite some of the quickest performance sedans from the internal combustion engine (ICE) world, both of these cars were left behind in a drag race against the Plaid S.

Host Jason Cammisa can be seen raving about the Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing for the rest of the review video. Ironically, all Blackwing Cadillacs of the future will no more be pure ICE — they will be electrified.

Regardless, let’s go through a brief specs comparison of all 3 cars involved in this drag racing event to understand their performance potential.

Performance Specs

Specs comparison between Tesla Model S Plaid vs. BMW M5 CS vs. Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing (Data sources: Manufacturer specs, bmwblog.com. Compiled by Iqtidar Ali/TeslaOracle.com)

During the Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing review in the video (below), the host admitted that this sports sedan uses 6.7 times more energy compared to the Model S Plaid. Looking at the EPA estimated fuel economy numbers, this Cadillac doesn’t have very impressive efficiency numbers: 15 MPG (13 city, 21 highway). BMW M5 CS is only a little bit better, with a combined 17 MPG (15 city, 21 highway).

Meanwhile, the ultra-powerful Tesla Model S Plaid has an astonishing 101 MPGe (102 city, 99 highway). Over 5 years, the Plaid S should save you $6,250 in fuel costs. But Cadillac CT5-V costs a whopping $11,000 and BMW M5 CS costs $8,500 more compared to an average new vehicle.

Fuel Economy/Efficiency Specs

EPA estimated fuel efficiency comparison of 2021 Tesla Model S Plaid, 2022 BMW M5 CS, Cadillac CT5-V (Source: fueleconomy.gov)

Glorifying these fuel emission monsters in this day and age is a bit ridiculous, especially when they’re lacking in the performance arena as well.

Nevertheless, let’s watch how two of the most powerful ICE sport sedans are beaten by Tesla Model S Plaid by a big margin at the drag strip.

An earlier version of this article was originally published by Tesla Oracle. @IqtidarAlii Revised update edited by EVANNEX.

Have a tip for CleanTechnica? Want to advertise? Want to suggest a guest for our CleanTech Talk podcast? Contact us here.

EV Obsession Daily!

I don't like paywalls. You don't like paywalls. Who likes paywalls? Here at CleanTechnica, we implemented a limited paywall for a while, but it always felt wrong — and it was always tough to decide what we should put behind there. In theory, your most exclusive and best content goes behind a paywall. But then fewer people read it!! So, we've decided to completely nix paywalls here at CleanTechnica. But...

Like other media companies, we need reader support! If you support us, please chip in a bit monthly to help our team write, edit, and publish 15 cleantech stories a day!

Thank you!

Tesla Sales in 2023, 2024, and 2030

CleanTechnica uses affiliate links. See our policy here.

Written By Iqtidar Ali

Iqtidar Ali writes for X Auto about Tesla and electric vehicles. A true car enthusiast since his childhood, he covers his stories with an utmost passion, which is now guided by the mission towards sustainability. With over 1 decade of website development experience, he’s also our IT resource at hand. He also writes about tech stuff at UXTechPlus.com occasionally. Iqtidar can easily be reached on Twitter @IqtidarAlii (DM open for tips, feedback or a friendly message) or via email: iqtidar@xautoworld.com.