This time no Chinese newcomer, but an American.
1,000 hp. It was a staggering number when the Bugatti Veyron It was introduced 20 years ago. In 2024 it is still crazy, but you no longer have to be a multi-millionaire to get a car with 1,000 hp. In a few years you can pick up a Model S Plaid on Marktplaats for 50k.
The Model S and X Plaid are still quite unique at the moment, but not for much longer. Competitors are already on their way from China, in the form of the Zeekr 001 FR with 1,265 hp and the crazy HiPhi A with 1,305 hp. There is also the Lucid Air Sapphire with 1,126 hp. And now there is another competitor from American soil.
The American start-up Mullen is presenting the Mullen Five RS, with 1,000 hp, at the CES in Las Vegas. It is a crossover, so this is a competitor of the Tesla Model X Plaid. The Mullen Five RS is so low that you can hardly speak of a crossover.
You probably didn't know it yet, but there was also a normal Mullen Five. This RS is the fast version of that. The RS is quite different, with a completely new front and rear, including new front and rear lights. Audi can learn something from that, because the RS e-tron GT is barely distinguishable from the normal one e-tron GT.
The exact specifications of the Mullen Five RS are not yet known, but the car certainly has more than 1,000 hp from two electric motors. This should allow it to reach 100 km/h within 2 seconds and reach a top speed of over 200 mph (321 km/h). This would make this Mullen almost as fast as a Model S Plaid and faster than a Model X Plaid. Of course, the following applies: first see, then believe.
The Mullen Five RS is mainly about performance, which means this is not the EV with the largest range. The range is approximately 300 miles (482 km), but for this the Americans need a huge battery with a capacity of 100 kWh.
A price tag cannot yet be found Mullen's website, but the CEO appears to have mentioned a starting price of $295,000 at the fair. This makes the Mullen Five RS even more expensive than Lucid Air Sapphire, which costs around $250,000 in the US.
This article Model X Plaid has a homegrown competitor first appeared on Autoblog.nl.
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