EV owners in Queensland, Australia, have just lost access to the Willowbank Raceway dragstrip. The track’s operators have announced a blanket ban on racing and testing of all “road-registered EVs,” citing safety concerns in the event of an accident. Interestingly, the door is still open for vehicles with hybrid powertrains.

Willowbank Raceway, a fixture just outside Ipswich in Queensland since 1985, made the announcement via a press release that left no room for interpretation. Effective immediately, electric vehicles are persona non grata on the strip. The reasoning? The track’s owners referenced guidelines from Motorsport Australia, NEDRA, and various emergency response protocols, concluding that EVs present risks they aren’t equipped to manage.

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“After careful consideration and investigation, Willowbank Raceway has decided that we can no longer allow road-registered Fully Electric Vehicles to race or test at Willowbank Raceway,” said the track’s owner in a statement.

“We have been reviewing the regulations from Motorsport Australia, NEDRA, as well as the emergency response procedures for specific vehicles and after information provided by these departments, we have determined that the risks associated with racing and testing Electric Vehicles are too high,” the company added.

The announcement mentions the following safety concerns:

• The battery may release toxic and flammable gas after a collision
• First Responders may not be able to confirm that the car is “off”
• Doors may not unlock from the outside after a collision
• If the driver is unconscious after an incident (including a medical incident) there is a chance that the chassis is live and removing the driver would put the responders at risk
• The car may not roll with the power disconnected and towing the car with our current equipment would be impossible
• Electric vehicles require specific fire suppression systems such as water baths.

While these points are valid to an extent, some feel they only tell part of the story. For instance, certain internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles with electric door latches face the same post-crash unlocking issues. And what about electrified supercars like the Ferrari SF90 Stradale, McLaren Artura, or Lamborghini Revuelto? These vehicles include EV modes yet seem to escape the scrutiny leveled at their fully electric counterparts.

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In any case, the track’s comments highlight that handling incidents involving EVs often requires specialized training and equipment. The same applies to EV fires. Although recent studies show that EVs are significantly less likely to catch fire compared to ICE or hybrid vehicles, their ever-igniting battery cells present a much more complex challenge.

As reported by Australia’s Drive.com.au, the decision has sparked a predictable mix of reactions online. Some EV owners suspect foul play, joking that drivers of ICE-powered cars were simply “tired of getting smoked” by torque-laden Teslas and other EVs in drag races. Others were happy about the change, as they prefer watching races between V8-powered Holden Commodores and Ford Falcons compared to “racing electrical appliances”.

It’s worth noting that Willowbank isn’t the first track to take this stance. Summit Point Raceway in West Virginia implemented a similar ban on EVs in 2023, and Anglesey Circuit in Wales followed suit earlier in 2024. However, both of those tracks extended the ban to include hybrid vehicles—a move that at least avoids the selective logic currently in place at Willowbank.

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One-percenters now have several super-fast electric sedans from which to choose. Among them are the Lucid Air Sapphire and the Porsche Taycan Turbo GT. Now, the pair go head to head in a U-drag race to determine which is the quickest in this unique testing protocol.

As a reminder, this sort of race is exactly what it sounds like. The cars compete in a traditional drag race before turning around at the big end and racing back to the start line. In essence, the event tests acceleration, braking, cornering, and how easy it is to put power back down after a curve.

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The contestants combine to make 2,326 horsepower (1,734 kW), so no doubt this is going to be a fast event. The Lucid has all of the numbers on its side. It makes 1,234 hp (920 kW) and 1,430 lb-ft (1936 Nm) of torque. The Porsche brings 1,092 hp (814 kW) and 988 lb-ft (1,338 Nm) to the table, but only when the driver is using the “Boost” button. In addition, the Porsche puts that power down with two motors while the Lucid uses three.

If things sound a little lop-sided on paper, the track only makes that truth more evident. From the moment the flag drops in race one, the Lucid rockets ahead and leaves the Porsche for dead. The pair actually end up entering the turn at similar moments but the Air Sapphire is just so much smoother on the exit that the Taycan never comes close to catching it.

In race two, the results are similar but the path there is different. This time, the Porsche leaps out in front and the Lucid spends the entire quarter-mile reeling it in. Then, in the bend, the Air Sapphire is, again, smoother. While the Porsche is struggling to exit the turn without a loss of traction, the Lucid is leaving the area.

Interestingly, the Taycan proved quicker from 0-60 mph (2.1 seconds) in the second race than the Lucid did (2.2 seconds) in either one. The Lucid is powerful enough to win at the end of the drag strip with a 9.2-second performance. The Air also cornered slightly harder at 1.34g vs the Porsche’s 1.33g. In the end, it was one full second faster throughout the whole test. That’s a seriously impressive feat considering how quick the Porsche is. 

Image Credit: Edmunds

Drag races are great for seeing how fast a car can accelerate, but a U-drag race tests braking and cornering too. Now, Tesla and Lucid are going head to head with their most potent sedans ever. These are two dramatically different cars but each boasts a four-figure horsepower claim and the performance to back that up.

Tesla’s Model S Plaid packs 1,020 horsepower (760 kW) and the example in this video has the optional $20,000 track pack that includes bigger brakes for better stopping power. The Lucid Air Sapphire comes standard with 1,234 horsepower (920 kW) and multiple track modes including drag strip, hot lap, and endurance. The Air also has some 400 lb-ft (541 Nm) of additional torque.

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In race one of this Edmunds U-Drag, we see the Lucid leverage every bit of its extra power and twist to get out to a lead early. In fact, it’s powerful enough that it keeps that lead all the way through the quarter of a mile and into the first turn. Despite having huge brakes, the Tesla can’t reel the Lucid in enough at the bend and the Air Sapphire takes off for the finish line with lots of room between the sedans.

Race two plays out largely the same but with one key differentiator. The Tesla actually begins to reel in the Lucid on the back straight but isn’t quick enough to catch it before the end. Still, it’s an interesting result given that the Lucid has a top speed north of 200 mph (322 km/h). Don’t feel too bad if you’re a big Tesla fan though. This set of races set a new U-Drag record.

In fact, the Lucid Air Sapphire is so quick at this test that it’s a full 1.7 seconds faster than the second-place car, a McLaren 765LT. For its part, the Tesla managed fourth overall, losing to both the 765LT and to a McLaren 750S with a best time of 29.8 seconds.

Image Credit: Edmunds