Porsche has never been known as affordability, but its high-end electric sports car Taycan debuted with a lower price tag than its Tesla’s counterpart.
The Porsche Taycan is currently in pre-production. Porsche said it will start selling at around $90,000 cheaper than Tesla’s $135,000 Model S P100D.
However, the U.S spec Taycan will be starting at a much higher price point. The 2020 Taycan Turbo starts at $150,900, and the Turbo S starts at $185,000.
Porsche took Taycan to the tracks for its press debut. The car took the crown of the fastest electric sedan at Germany’s Nürburgring Nordschleife. It set 7:42 lap time record at the 13-mile course.
The version Porsche used in the race has two motors that could generate over 600 horsepower. It can go from 0-62 mph in under 3 seconds and 0-124 mph in under 10 seconds. Porsche predicted that the Taycan could have a range of around 300 miles on a single charge.
Both Turbo and the Turbo S are all-wheel drive and go from 0 to 60 in less than 3 seconds. The actual range is probably closer to 280 miles.
Porsche emphasized the Taycan series would be where “performance meets efficiency.” The Taycan does charge fast. Its battery could reach 80% full in 22.5 minutes. However, it is still not as efficient as the Tesla Model S, which has a much longer range at 370 miles.
Overall, the Porsche Taycan series marked the beginning of the brand’s effort in luxury EV. It is probably not as good as Tesla, as it takes years to perfect the software for a modern EV (driving assist, power efficiency), which is difficult for a company that is halfway across the world from the silicon valley. But it is really, really fast, and it’s a Porsche. That might just do it for most people.
