The performance specs on the all-wheel drive Taycan are nearly as spectacular as the Niagara Falls backdrop. In top Turbo S trim (the EV maintains the brand\u2019s \u201cTurbo\u201d trim nomenclature though it lacks turbochargers), Taycan hits 60 mph in a face-flattening 2.6 seconds. That’s on par with the\u00a0gas-fed\u00a0Porsche 911 Turbo supercar.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
Credit twin electric motors and the massive 93.4 kilowatt-hour battery that sits under the Taycan\u2019s seats. The battery is\u00a0nearly on par with Tesla\u2019s 100-kWh Model S sedan which (in Performance trim) can hit 60 mph in just 2.4 seconds.<\/p>\n
That electric power was the inspiration for the Taycan\u2019s introduction at Niagara. The hydroelectric plants around the falls produce enough electricity to supply one-quarter of the power used in Ontario and New York state. The Taycan was simultaneously unveiled in China and Europe,\u00a0two important markets for Porsche where governments are targeting gas engines for elimination.<\/p>\n
Porsche is the first foreign automaker to challenge Tesla on performance after the Model S stunned the auto world seven years ago with its electrifying acceleration. But the German automaker does not try to compete with Tesla on price.<\/p>\n
Where the Model S starts at $85,000, the cheapest Taycan Turbo that debuted here starts at $152,250 (including $1,350 destination fee). The Turbo S stickers\u00a0at an eye-watering $186,350.<\/p>\n
These prices are in line with top-trim 911 coupes and Panamera sedans,\u00a0and well beyond that of Tesla’s sedan. Expect a base\u00a0single-motor, rear-wheel drive version of the Taycan to eventually start closer to $100,000.<\/p>\n
Raw speed is where the Taycan seeks to separate itself from Tesla and other EVs like the Jaguar i-Pace and coming Audi e-tron GT (with which the Taycan shares a platform and LG Chem-supplied battery).<\/p>\n
\u201cThis car does things that no other Porsche has ever done in terms of acceleration, braking and the ability to change direction,\u201d said Porsche North America CEO Klaus Zellmer\u00a0in reference to the Taycan Turbo S\u2019s prodigious 774 pound-feet of torque, electric motors\u00a0and 16.5-inch, 10-piston brakes.<\/p>\n
Taycan has already set the fastest, four-door EV time around Germany\u2019s legendary 12.8-mile Nurburgring race track at 7 minutes, 42 seconds. That’s just\u00a010 seconds off the fastest gas-engine production sedan record clocked by the Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio.<\/p>\n
This\u00a0despite the\u00a0Taycan weighing a porky\u00a05,132 pounds, nearly a ton more than the Alfa and on par with a Ford F-150 Super Crew.<\/p>\n
Unlike the Model S which has famously struggled to make laps around U.S.\u00a0tracks,\u00a0Taycan was designed to run blistering track laps with its Porsche kin.<\/p>\n
The hardware required to do that \u2014 extensive liquid-cooling for the battery and massive electric cables \u2014 takes up significant space in the 194-inch long sedan. Yet, despite being 3 inches shorter than the Panamera (Porsche\u2019s gas-powered sedan with which the Taycan is competitively priced), the EV has similar interior space due to the lack of gas engine under the front hood. Similar to Tesla’s skateboard chassis, the Taycan’s battery is located under the floorboards.<\/p>\n
Like all EVs, Taycan will face consumer resistance on range and charging infrastructure.<\/p>\n
The German maker seeks to quell these concerns with a range of up to 279 miles (compared to the Model S\u2019s 370) and the unique ability to charge at 270 kilowatts (Tesla can charge up to 200 kW) on Electrify America\u2019s nascent U.S.\u00a0charger network. Porsche says that at 270 kW, the Taycan can charge to 80% of capacity in 22.5 minutes \u2013 or about 9 hours on a home, 240-volt plug.<\/p>\n
Outside, the EV sedan is unmistakably Porsche with its blunt nose and sleek coupe roofline. The production car largely adheres to the signature elements of the futuristic Mission-E concept car that dropped jaws when it debuted at the 2015 Frankfurt Auto Show. Aerodynamic\u00a0gills flank the front, four-point optic headlights and a horizontal taillight spans the rear deck lid.<\/p>\n
But physical changes required to meet regulatory rules and budget ceilings have compromised the production design. Gone are the Mission-E\u2019s doors; the\u00a0racy, conceptual rocker panels have been trimmed.<\/p>\n
Inside, Porsche has crafted a sci-fi digital cockpit to match the car\u2019s futuristic ambitions. The console is adorned with digital touchscreens including an industry-first, curved-glass instrument display. Porsche teamed with Apple to create the first Apple streaming service with access to over 40 million songs. “Foot garages\u201d are carved in the rear floor\u00a0between batteries for for better foot room,\u00a0and the trunk and “frunk” combine for 15.7 cubic feet of cargo space.<\/p>\n
Taycan development set Porsche back $6.6 billion, the most expensive project the automaker has ever undertaken.<\/p>\n
To spread costs, Taycan shares its EV platform with Audi. Porsche promises more electrics in the years to come: first up, the Taycan Cross Turismo, a\u00a0crossover due next year.<\/p>\n
\u201cBy 2025, 50% of Porsches will be sold with a plug,\u201d says Zellmer.\u00a0\u201c(Taycan is)\u00a0more than just one new model. It\u2019s a milestone as Porsche enters the age of full electrification.\u201d<\/p>\n
As Porsche test-drives an EV future, Taycan is one leg in a three-legged drivetrain strategy that includes EVs, hybrids and Corvette-fighting, gas-powered sports cars like the\u00a0911.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Niagara Falls, Canada\u00a0\u2013 The two most-anticipated performance cars of 2019 are the Chevrolet\u00a0Corvette C8 and Porsche Taycan \u2014 but for very different reasons. While the Corvette reaches for new performance heights with its first-ever\u00a0mid-engine layout, the Porsche is out to prove its first-ever electric vehicle isn\u2019t compromised by battery power. As governments from Europe to […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7,87],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24170"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=24170"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24170\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=24170"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=24170"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=24170"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
![\"Porsche](\"https:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/presto\/2019\/09\/04\/PDTN\/c5c939b8-036e-41ee-b17f-ad596e04c495-live-2512.jpg?crop=883,479,x64,y163&width=520&height=390&fit=bounds&auto=webp\")
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