The Rise of Electric Drag Racing: The Tesla Plaid vs. The Dodge Challenger Hellcat

If drag racing brings up images of muscle cars with loud growling engines, squealing tires, and plumes of smoke left behind, you might need to make some adjustments for the future. Electric cars such as the Tesla Plaid are taking on the classic muscle cars you can find at a Dodge dealership, including the Challenger Hellcat. Take a look at how they stack up against each other.

The Absurdly Fast Tesla Model S Plaid

Tesla’s have always been fast, but the Model S Plaid takes fast to a new level. It has three electric motors, two sit in the back and one up front, and all are permanent-magnet synchronous AC motors. The Plaid also has carbon-fiber-sleeved rotors, which allow it to rotate at 20,000 rpm.

According to Tesla, this EV makes 1,020 horsepower and has a top speed of 200 mph. Part of what makes this Tesla so fast is the all-wheel drive. The extra grip on the road surface, along with pure electric power going to all four wheels, makes it launch off the line with impressive acceleration.

The Modified Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat

In one drag race, a Dodge Challenger owner answers the Tesla’s straight-line power with a modified version that increases horsepower to 1,000. You won’t find this version at a dealership, and the details about what was modified are not clear.

If you want a Challenge SRT, you can get it with a 6.2-liter V-8 engine that delivers 717 horsepower. Not enough? Bump up to the Redeye for a 797-horsepower version of this same engine or the SRT Super Stock for 807 horsepower.

How Fast Can They Go?

A Model S Plaid with the Track Package recently set the lap record for a production electric vehicle. Tesla brought it to the Nürburgring track, where it ran the 12.94-mile lap in just over seven minutes. This version of the Tesla S can shoot from zero to 60 in just 1.99 seconds, which is quite a bit faster than the 3.1 seconds it takes for the regular Model S.

Since 2023 will mark the end of the gas-powered Dodge Challenger as we know it, Dodge is sending it off with a big bang in the form of the new SRT Demon 170. This version of the Challenger generates 1,025 horsepower and gets 945 pound-feet of torque, making it one of a select few gas-powered production cars that can get over 1,000 horsepower. The SRT Demon will run the quarter mile in 8.91 seconds and reach speeds of 151 mph. It can reach 60 mph in a mere 1.66 seconds.

Is the Tesla Faster Than a Dodge?

Thanks to the special edition Dodge Challenger made as part of its send-off, the Dodge Demon is faster than the Model S Plaid. When you put the two up against each other, they strike an interesting contrast.

One represents the past, and the other the present and future. If you want a piece of the past before it’s out of production, head to your Dodge dealership and find yourself a new street-worthy Challenger.