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2023 BMW i7 vs. Audi, Lucid, Mercedes, Porsche and Tesla: Luxury EVs Compared

Here's how BMW's new i7 stacks up against a growing crop of luxury EVs.

Tesla Model S
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Tesla Model S

The Model S is hardly the only game in town these days.

Tesla

The all-electric sport sedan wars are continuing to heat up. may have been the original disruptor, but came to bat with the gorgeous and Lucid is throwing the Air into the mix as well. The latest players in this space are Audi's E-Tron GT -- which shares a lot of its underpinnings with the aforementioned Taycan -- and Mercedes-Benz's new all-electric flagship, the EQS. Making its debut Wednesday, the 2023 BMW i7 now joins the party.

For this comparison we'll discuss the Tesla Model S Long Range, Model S PlaidPorsche Taycan, Taycan with the Performance Battery Pack, Taycan 4S, Taycan 4S with the Performance Battery Pack, Taycan GTSTaycan Turbo and Taycan Turbo S. We'll bring the top trims of the Lucid Air on board when we talk about power, performance and price, since each is pretty distinct and we'll leave the base Lucid Air model out as specs are not currently available. For the Audi, we'll talk about the standard GT as well as the RS E-Tron GT. Finally, the single-motor EQS450 and dual-motor EQS580 4Matic and AMG EQS models enter the fray representing Mercedes-Benz. BMW only offers the i7 in xDrive60 guise, so that'll be it for the Bimmer.

2023 i7 Is BMW's Electric Flagship

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Dimensions

At 212.2 inches from bumper-to-bumper, the i7 is the longest model in this roundup by a long shot -- the rest all measure around 196 inches. The BMW's 60.8-inch roof rises over an inch taller than the next competitor, the EQS. Interestingly, the Mercedes is the narrowest of the bunch, at 75.8 inches, about an inch narrower than the class average.

Sizing these models up internally isn't as clear cut, since most don't provide interior dimensions or passenger volume. A good rule of thumb is that a longer wheelbase means more legroom for passengers, which bodes well for the i7's 126.6-inch stretch, which is nearly 10 inches longer than its competitors. That said, most of these automakers claim some sort of enhancement to interior volume versus a comparable combustion-powered sedan.

Lucid claims that the Air has "the largest frunk of any electric car to date and incredible bilevel storage capabilities in both front and rear compartments," but nearly all have some form of under-hood front trunk (BMW and Mercedes don't). At the rear, most use a liftback design, but have some discrete trunks, further complicating this comparison.

Exterior Dimensions


LengthWidthHeightWheelbase
Audi E-Tron GT 196.4 in77.3 in55.6 in114.2 in
BMW i7 212.2 in76.8 in60.8 in126.6 in
Lucid Air 195.9 in76.3 in55.9 in116.5 in
Mercedes-Benz EQS 205.4 in75.8 in59.5 in126.4 in
Porsche Taycan 195.4 in77.4 in54.3 in114.2 in
Tesla Model S 195.7 in77.3 in56.9 in116.5 in

The Mercedes-Benz EQS450 is a legit luxury car

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Powertrain

All of these EVs are pushing out a lot of range. Lucid was the first to break the 500-mile barrier with the Air Grand Touring. The Porsche so far has the shortest EPA estimated range at just 199 miles for the Taycan 4S with the Performance Battery -- shorter even than its platform-mate, the E-Tron GT. That said, Porsche's numbers are a bit conservative in our testing; Roadshow's own Steven Ewing reports the Taycan can go much farther than its EPA numbers suggest. Ewing estimates a real-world range of around 250 miles for the Taycan Turbo and even more for the base car.

Comparing charge times can be a little difficult as manufacturers opt to describe the parameters differently. Since charging times aren't linear, it's tough to just "do the math" to make all parameters equal. Lucid says the Air can get 300 miles of range in 20 minutes of charging. The EQS DC fast charges from 10% to 80% in 35 minutes, the Model S gets an 80% charge in 30 minutes, while the Audi E-Tron GT and Porsche Taycan can go from 5% to 80% capacity in 22 minutes. BMW says the i7 can do a 10% to 80% charge in 34 minutes.

Battery and Range


Battery sizeRange
Audi E-Tron GT 93.4 kWh238 miles
Audi RS E-Tron GT 93.4 kWh232 miles
BMW i7 xDrive60 105.7 kWh300 miles (est.)
Lucid Air Pure TBD406 miles (est.)
Lucid Air Touring 113.0 kWh406 miles (est.)
Lucid Air Grand Touring 113.0 kWh516 miles
Lucid Air Grand Touring Performance 113.0 kWh446 miles
Lucid Air Dream Edition Performance 113.0 kWh451 miles
Mercedes-Benz EQS450 107.8 kWh350 miles
Mercedes-Benz EQS580 107.8 kWh340 miles
Mercedes-AMG EQS 107.8 kWhTBD
Porsche Taycan 79.2 kWh200 miles
Porsche Taycan PBP 93.4 kWh225 miles
Porsche Taycan 4S 79.2 kWh199 miles
Porsche Taycan 4S PBP 93.4 kWh227 miles
Porsche Taycan GTS 93.4 kWhTBD
Porsche Taycan Turbo 93.4 kWh212 miles
Porsche Taycan Turbo S 93.4 kWh201 miles
Tesla Model S Long Range 100.0 kWh405 miles
Tesla Model S Plaid 100.0 kWh396 miles

Refreshed Tesla Model S has a Knight Rider steering wheel

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Performance

Lucid and Tesla offer seriously quick quarter-mile times; the two should be pretty fierce if they ever get to a drag strip. It looks like the Lucid can't match the Model S from 0 to 60 mph, however, with Tesla saying the Plaid can do the deed in 2 seconds. Since Audi and Porsche share a battery and architecture, you'll notice some similarities between the E-Tron GT and Taycan specs. Bringing up the rear is the luxury focused i7 -- no surprise, it's the largest and likely the heaviest sedan here -- sprinting to 60 mph in a still very respectable 4.5 seconds. Not bad for a sedan that weighs nearly 6,000 pounds.

Performance


Max powerMax torque0-60 mphTop speed
Audi E-Tron GT 522 hp472 lb-ft3.9 sec152 mph
Audi RS E-Tron GT 637 hp612 lb-ft3.1 sec155 mph
BMW i7 xDrive60 536 hp549 lb-ft4.5 sec149 mph
Lucid Air Touring 620 hpNA3.2 secNA
Lucid Air Grand Touring 819 hpNA3.0 sec168 mph
Lucid Air Grand Touring Performance 1,050 hpNA2.6 sec168 mph
Lucid Air Dream Edition Performance 1,111 hpNA2.5 sec168 mph
Mercedes-Benz EQS450 329 hp417 lb-ft5.9 sec130 mph
Mercedes-Benz EQS580 516 hp631 lb-ft4.1 sec130 mph
Mercedes-AMG EQS 751 hp752 lb-ft3.4 sec155 mph
Porsche Taycan 321 hp254 lb-ft5.1 sec143 mph
Porsche Taycan PBP 402 hp263 lb-ft5.1 sec143 mph
Porsche Taycan 4S 522 hp472 lb-ft3.8 sec155 mph
Porsche Taycan 4S PBP 562 hp479 lb-ft3.8 sec155 mph
Porsche Taycan GTS 590 hp626 lb-ft3.5 sec155 mph
Porsche Taycan Turbo 670 hp626 lb-ft3.0 sec161 mph
Porsche Taycan Turbo S 750 hp774 lb-ft2.6 sec161 mph
Tesla Model S Long Range 417 hp (est.)485 lb-ft (est.)3.1 sec155 mph
Tesla Model S Plaid 1,020 hpNA2.0 sec200 mph

Lucid Air Grand Touring Is Svelte and Slick

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Tech

Mercedes' suite of advanced driver assistance systems, so far, looks a lot like the great tech we've come to expect in the gasoline-powered Benz stable. The EQS stands apart from its predecessors and the rest of this class with its available MBUX Hyperscreen, three massive digital displays that merge together beneath a single, 58-inch wide curved glass panel. BMW doesn't lag behind, though, what with its immersive Theater Screen rear-seat entertainment system, hands-free highway driving assistant and newly updated iDrive 8 infotainment suite.

Tesla's Autopilot is still very much a hands-on system, despite what the name suggests. Tesla's tech may guide drivers around curves in the road, but they must keep their hands on the wheel and remain alert at all times. Porsche, meanwhile, offers its InnoDrive tech for the Taycan, which bundles adaptive cruise control with lane-keeping assist, just like the Tesla. Audi brings a number of familiar technologies to the party, including its 12.3-inch Virtual Cockpit and MMI Touch Response infotainment system. 

2022 Audi RS E-Tron GT doesn't pull punches

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Price

Tesla is known to change the price of its EVs all the time, so this information -- as well as the other MSRPs -- is current as of the time of publishing.

Price


PriceDestination
Audi E-Tron GT $99,900$1,095
Audi RS E-Tron GT $139,900$1,095
BMW i7 xDrive60 $119,300$995
Lucid Air Pure $77,400TBD
Lucid Air Touring $95,000TBD
Lucid Air Grand Touring $140,500TBD
Lucid Air Grand Touring Performance $180,500TBD
Lucid Air Dream Edition Performance $170,500TBD
Mercedes-Benz EQS450 $102,310$1,050
Mercedes-Benz EQS580 $119,110$1,050
Mercedes-AMG EQS TBD$1,050
Porsche Taycan $82,700$1,350
Porsche Taycan 4S $103,800$1,350
Porsche Taycan GTS $131,400$1,350
Porsche Taycan Turbo $150,900$1,350
Porsche Taycan Turbo S $185,000$1,350
Tesla Model S Long Range $99,990$1,200
Tesla Model S Plaid $135,990$1,200

2022 Porsche Taycan GTS is an EV that scoots

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Steven Ewing Former managing editor
Steven Ewing spent his childhood reading car magazines, making his career as an automotive journalist an absolute dream job. After getting his foot in the door at Automobile while he was still a teenager, Ewing found homes on the mastheads at Winding Road magazine, Autoblog and Motor1.com before joining the CNET team in 2018. He has also served on the World Car Awards jury. Ewing grew up ingrained in the car culture of Detroit -- the Motor City -- before eventually moving to Los Angeles. In his free time, Ewing loves to cook, binge trash TV and play the drums.
Steven Ewing
Steven Ewing spent his childhood reading car magazines, making his career as an automotive journalist an absolute dream job. After getting his foot in the door at Automobile while he was still a teenager, Ewing found homes on the mastheads at Winding Road magazine, Autoblog and Motor1.com before joining the CNET team in 2018. He has also served on the World Car Awards jury. Ewing grew up ingrained in the car culture of Detroit -- the Motor City -- before eventually moving to Los Angeles. In his free time, Ewing loves to cook, binge trash TV and play the drums.

Article updated on April 20, 2022 at 5:00 AM PDT

Our Experts

Written by 
Steven Ewing
Antuan Goodwin
Emme Hall
CNET staff -- not advertisers, partners or business interests -- determine how we review the products and services we cover. If you buy through our links, we may get paid. Reviews ethics statement
Steven Ewing Former managing editor
Steven Ewing spent his childhood reading car magazines, making his career as an automotive journalist an absolute dream job. After getting his foot in the door at Automobile while he was still a teenager, Ewing found homes on the mastheads at Winding Road magazine, Autoblog and Motor1.com before joining the CNET team in 2018. He has also served on the World Car Awards jury. Ewing grew up ingrained in the car culture of Detroit -- the Motor City -- before eventually moving to Los Angeles. In his free time, Ewing loves to cook, binge trash TV and play the drums.
Antuan Goodwin Reviews Editor / Cars
Antuan Goodwin gained his automotive knowledge the old fashioned way, by turning wrenches in a driveway and picking up speeding tickets. From drivetrain tech and electrification to car audio installs and cabin tech, if it's on wheels, Antuan is knowledgeable.
Expertise Reviewing cars and car technology since 2008 focusing on electrification, driver assistance and infotainment Credentials
  • North American Car, Truck and SUV of the Year (NACTOY) Awards Juror
Emme Hall Former editor for CNET Cars
I love two-seater, RWD convertibles and own a 2004 Mazdaspeed Miata for pavement fun and a lifted 2001 Miata for pre-running. I race air-cooled Volkswagens in desert races like the Mint 400 and the Baja 1000. I have won the Rebelle Rally, seven-day navigational challenge, twice and I am the only driver to compete in an EV, the Rivian R1T.
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