Porsche Taycan – The true competitor to the Tesla and the first electric Porsche

There will be two models. The Turbo and the Turbo S, which is odd since there is no turbo. Most likely it has been named like this to fit with the already existing lineup.

The Turbo will have 450 kw, or 625 hp, but can produce 500 kw (670 hp) during overboost. Power comes from one front and one rear mounted engine. This means that the Taycan is all wheel drive. 0 to 100 km/h is done in 3.2 s. Switch up to the Turbo S and you get 560 kW (761 hp) and a 0-100 km/h in 2.8 s. The battery power is the same in both with 99 kwh. In other words, less than the Tesla.

The 800 volt system is supposed to give mega fast charging capabilities. It will take 22.5 minutes to charge from 5 to 80 percent. However, there are not many charging stations in the world that can support this level of charge. The Turbos range is 450 km and the Turbo S range is 412 km, according to the WLTP driving cycle.

There is a strong similarity to the Porsche Panamera. 4 door, sleek and unmistakably Porsche. The interior has, sorry for the Porsche purists, a digital dash and Taycan successfully blends the future and the classic together. The interior deserves its own novel to describe it all. But personally, I like the less simplified interior of the Taycan compared to the minimalized interior of the Tesla.   

One very unique detail of the Taycan is the gearbox, which has two gears. The first gear is used for low speed acceleration, and the second gear for higher efficiency during increase speeds. Porsche has been adamant that the performance is repeatable. Meaning no overheated components and the possibility of focus on track use. The weight of 2.4 tons is the same as a full size pickup truck and begs the question. How will the car feel like to drive fast when you are not going straight?

The price for the Turbo starts at 170 000 euro and the Turbo S at 208 000 euro and is set to be at the dealers some time in 2020.