Hollis Johnson/Business Insider
- There are five fully electric SUVs currently available in the US or coming soon to the US luxury vehicle market.
- This list includes the Tesla Model X and Y, Jaguar I-Pace, Audi e-tron, and the recently announced Cadillac Lyriq.
- These are the five electric luxury SUVs compared across various specs, including range, cargo space, and price.
There are several electric SUVs currently available on the market, including the Kia Nero EV and Hyundai Kona Electric, but for those looking in the luxury segment, this list shortens to just five options, including one newcomer.
At the beginning of August, Cadillac announced the Lyriq, its first fully electric SUV and a new challenger to the yet to be overly saturated luxury electric SUV market. However, Cadillac and its obvious competitors, Tesla's Model Y and X, aren't the only two competitors in this growing segment: Audi and Jaguar both have their own luxury electric SUVs, the e-tron and I-Pace, respectively.
Of course, the two Teslas and the Cadillac, Jaguar, and Audi all vary in its specifications, including the number of seats, range, and zero-to-60 time, to name a few. The prices also vary widely, ranging anywhere from $43,690 to $94,190.
If you're in the market for a luxury electric SUV, here is how the five vehicles compare in different spec areas, and the winner in each area:
Range: Tesla Model X
The Tesla Model X has the longest range out of all of its competitors with 351 miles for the Long Range version and 305 miles for the Performance. The automaker's Model Y falls shortly behind with 316 and 291 miles for the Long Range and Performance, respectively.
The only other luxury electric SUV that breaks the 300-mile range mark is the Cadillac Lyriq, which has a predicted range of 300 miles. The Audi e-tron and Jaguar I-Pace both have a range of 222 and 234 miles, respectively.
Number of Seats: Tesla Model X
A Tesla Model X in Moscow.
Evgenia Novozhenina/Reuters
The two Teslas both have up to seven seats, but the third row in the Model Y that accommodates this comes optional.
The I-Pace and e-tron both have five seats, but Lyriq's seating capacity has not been announced yet.
Zero-to-60 miles-per-hour time: Tesla Model X
A Tesla Model X electric car is seen at Brussels Motor Show.
Reuters
The e-tron can achieve 60 mph in 5.5 seconds, the longest time of all vehicles with the potential exception of the Lyriq, which has yet to be announced. The I-Pace falls just one second faster at 60 miles-per-hour in 4.5 seconds.
The Long Range edition of the Tesla Model X and Y can go from zero to 60 miles-per-hour in 4.4 seconds and 4.8 seconds, respectively. However, the Performance versions can achieve this quicker: 2.6 seconds for the Model X, and 3.5 seconds for the Model Y.
Horsepower: Tesla Model X
Tesla Motors CEO Elon Musk introduces the falcon wing door on the Model X during a presentation in Fremont, California in 2015.
Stephen Lam/File Photo/Reuters
The Lyriq's horsepower also has not been announced yet, and Tesla has not posted the Model X or Y's hosrepowers on its website.
However, according to Car and Driver, the Tesla Model X Performance edition produces 518 horsepower. And according to Motor Trend, the Model Y has 384 and 456 horsepower for the Long Range and Performance, respectively.
The e-tron logs 355 horsepower but can extend up to 402 in boost mode, while the I-Pace has 394 horsepower.
Towing: Tesla Model X
Tesla Model X at a new Tesla showroom in Shanghai in May.
Yilei Sun/Reuters
While the towing capacity for the Lyriq hasn't been announced yet, the rest of the vehicles on the list — with the exception of the Jaguar — have capacities between 3,500 to 5,000 pounds.
According to Jaguar, the I-Pace was not designed to have a towing capability.
With towing packages, the Tesla Model X and Y can tow up to 5,000 pounds on 20-inch wheels, and 3,500 pounds, respectively. The e-tron sits in-between with a towing capacity of 4,000 pounds.
Torque: Tesla Model X
Tesla Model X cars recharging batteries in Berlin, November 13, 2019.
Fabrizio Bensch/Reuters
Unsurprisingly, the Lyriq's torque hasn't been released yet, and Tesla doesn't have the Model X or Y's torque available on its website. However, according to Autoblog, the Model Y has a torque of 376 and 497 pound-feet for the Long Range and Performance versions, respectively.
And according to CarBuzz, the Model X Performance edition has 841 pound-feet of torque, while the Long Range can achieve up to 557 pound-feet.
Audi's electric SUV has between 414 to 490 pound-feet of torque with boost engaged, while the I-Pace tops out with 512 pound-feet.
Cargo: Tesla Model X
Unsurprisingly, the Model X also takes the lead for cargo size at 88 cubic feet.
Second place on the cargo size list is the Model Y, which has 20 cubic feet fewer of storage than the Model X.
The I-Pace packs 26.25 cubic feet of storage space with the combined front storage and rear cargo space. The e-tron has a bit more space at 28.5 cubic feet with the seatbacks up, or 57 cubic feet with the seats folded down.
Lyriq's cargo space has not been announced yet.
Price: Tesla Model Y
The Tesla Model Y.
Tesla
Given the Model X's accomplishments in the prior specs, it's no surprise the Tesla is also the most expensive vehicle on the list at $74,190 and $94,190 for the Long Range and Performance versions, respectively.
The e-tron is only slightly more expensive than the Model X Long Range at $74,800, while Jaguar's falls a bit cheaper at $69,850.
Finally, the most affordable luxury electric SUV currently available is Tesla's Model Y, which has a price tag of $43,690 for the Long Range, and $53,690 for the Performance.
However, there is a potential that this could be upended when Cadillac announces its pricing for the Lyriq: according to a report by CNET, Cadillac President Steve Carlisle has stated that the upcoming electric SUV will start at under $75,000.