Porsche unveils production version of its Taycan electric sports car
After numerous teases, here's what Porsche's future looks like.
After a plethora of teases and an almost daily barrage of videos and image of the vehicle, the final production version of the all-electric Porsche Taycan has been revealed. The first pure EV from the German automaker comes in two variants (Turbo and Turbo S) and starts at $150,000 (or $153,000 if you put a deposit down for the launch edition) and will start being delivered by the end of the year.
The Taycan (Pronounced Tai Khan) started as the concept Mission E four years ago at the Frankfurt Motor Show. Since then, Porsche has been doling out a steady stream of information, teaser images and videos of the vehicle's prowess. The Turbo S version of the four-door sports sedan has an impressive 750 horsepower while in launch control and 774 pounds of torque from two motors situated in the front and back.
Those powerplants along with a 93.4 kWh battery pack can propel the turbo s variant from zero to 60 in as little as 2.6 seconds putting it nearly on par with the Tesla Model S P100D. The Turbo trim level will hit 60 in 3.0 seconds.
This is the first vehicle in the company's E-Performance lineup with the Taycan Cross Turismo coming in by the end of next year and all-electric Macan's landing in the automaker's SUV lineup.
In addition to a new design and powerplant, the Taycan is also home to the new Porsche infotainment system that trims distraction and introduces a new voice assistant feature. With "Hey Porsche," drivers will be able to control many aspects of the cars secondary controls like media, climate and navigation.
While we wait patiently for EPA range numbers, the more generous European WLTP gives Turbo S a 412 KM range (256 miles) and Turbo 450 KM (280 miles). So expect ranges probably around 225 to 230 miles and 250 respectively once the final testing has been completed.
What we do know is that the Taycan can be charged from five to 80 percent in 22.5 minutes via a charger that outputs 270 kW. for super-quick stops, it'll add 60 miles in about 5 minutes. So if you're in a hurry -- and frankly if you bought a Porsche, you probably are -- if you can find a powerful enough station you can be back on the road pretty quickly.
So it's fast, looks amazing and it's filled with more tech than any Porsche that came before. With over 20,000 preorders already on the books, the automaker is off to a good start with its new venture. "Only by always changing has Porsche remained Porsche," said Detler Von Platen, member of the executive board sales and marketing at the unveiling event. But with a six billion euro investment allotted to its electrification plans, it's going to take all three of those things and the Porsche-buying public to buy into this new world to make financial sense.
