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Is a 490-HP Electric Vehicle Faster Than a 490-HP ICE One?

Remember that silly question from when you were growing up? It went something like this: is 1 lb of lead heavier than 1 lb of feathers? There are still people that fall for this, even though the answer is obvious. But here's a trickier situation. Will a 490-horsepower electric vehicle be faster than an ICE vehicle with the same power?
Is a 490-HP Electric Vehicle Faster Than a 490-HP ICE One? 15 photos
Photo: CarWow
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And the answer is once again: it depends. It depends on the weight of the car, the torque figures, the number of wheels that get to use that power, and so on and so forth. The result of today's drag race should not be perceived as an absolute truth. But it does provide valuable insight when comparing vehicles running on a different kind of energy.

On one side, we have the Mercedes-AMG CLA 45 S, which is powered by a 2.0-liter, turbocharged engine. In stock trim, it provides the driver access to 415 horsepower and 368 lb-ft (500 Nm) of torque. It's not seldom that you see these cars still in stock trim though. With that in mind, this one is now up to about 480 horsepower and 486 lb-ft (660 Nm) of torque. This may not be a V8 kind of AMG, but with an 8-speed automatic gearbox with dual clutches, launch control and AWD, it should be quite fast.

Its opponent for today is a Tesla Model 3 Performance. Here, we're looking at a dual motor setup, that churns out 480 horsepower and 486 lb-ft of torque. So, at least, at first sight, these two cars should be quite evenly matched. We all know that performance hits differently in an electric-powered vehicle, but the Tesla is also heavier than its opponent, at 4,071 lbs (1,847 kg) versus 3,692 lbs (1,675 kg).

Is a 490\-HP Electric Vehicle Faster Than a 490\-HP ICE One\?
Photo: Car Wow
Trying to guess the outcome of this race is not easy at all. If we think of other similar match-ups, the Tesla might jump ahead in the first part of the race, only to lose the lead towards the end. But let's leave predictions aside and see how the race unfolds. The AMG struggles getting off the line due to poor grip levels, but the Model 3 doesn't seem to be phased by the rain.

As the speed increases, the gap keeps getting smaller. Even though the Tesla wins the first run, the Mercedes-AMG is right on its tail. For the second run, things seem even more intense, but the outcome is no different. The Model 3 needed 11.8 seconds to run the whole quarter-mile (402 meters), while its opponent was only 0.1 seconds slower. The third run is organized as a rolling race, starting from 50 mph (80 kph).

We are once again reminded that internal combustion engines need time to reach peak performance levels. The Tesla is king up until about 100 mph (160 kph), but it starts to lose ground soon after. In fact, in their fourth run, the AMG gets in front as they reach 130 mph (209 kph), but as the CLA 45 S engages its sportiest mode, it achieves the same performance after going past 110 mph (177 kph). But let's face it, how often do you hit those speeds on public roads? So if going to the race track isn't on your agenda, then just go for the electric vehicle!

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About the author: Dragos Chitulescu
Dragos Chitulescu profile photo

The things Dragos enjoys the most in life are, in no particular order: cars, motorcycles, diecast cars, and drifting. He's seen (and driven) many vehicles since he started his writing career back in 2009, but his garage currently houses a 1991 Mazda RX-7 FC3S Turbo II and a 1999 Suzuki SV650-S.
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