Porsche Taycan is the Tesla Fighter that We All Wanted
Taycan falls short of Tesla in some areas, but buyers are all-but-guaranteed to love the company’s first EV.
We have been talking about the Porsche Taycan – originally named the Mission E – since the concept version debuted four years ago, and after all of that waiting, the first all-electric vehicle from the German automaker made its world debut today. Sure, we knew that the car looked like long ago, but with today’s formal introduction comes our first look at the actual performance figures for the Porsche Taycan and when you put them all together, this car is likely to be the best, most exciting electric vehicle sold in the world.
Today, we bring you a first look at the official performance figures of the Porsche Taycan and how this EV compares to the current segment leader, the Tesla Model S.
Taycan Turbo, Turbo S Performance
This morning, two variants of the 2020 Porsche Taycan were introduced with specifications; the Turbo and the Turbo S. Yes, these performance models are still called “Turbo” like the other vehicles from Porsche, even though it is an all-electric vehicle that can’t actually make use of a turbocharger. Both the Turbo and Turbo S are powered by a twin permanent-magnet synchronous electric motor setup that is energized by a 93.4 kWh battery pack and both models utilized an all-wheel-drive design, with a single speed gearbox at the front axle and a dual speed unit at the rear axle that helps with low-end acceleration in the Sport modes.
In normal driving mode, the both versions of the Taycan offer 616 horsepower while the Turbo offers 627 lb-ft of torque while the Turbo S packs 774 lb-ft. However, when you engage Launch Mode, you get 2.5 seconds of increased power via an “overboost” system, lifting the output of the Turbo to 670 horsepower while the Turbo S climbs to 750 horsepower. Torque levels remain unchanged in Launch Mode, but with 627 to 774 lb-ft, it is hard to complain.
The key issue with the Porsche Taycan and most performance-minded electric vehicles is the weight, with the Turbo and Turbo S both tipping the scales at just over 5,100 pounds. Fortunately, that doesn’t have much of a negative impact on performance, as both are still very quick. When utilizing the overboost feature, the Turbo will dash to 60 in three seconds flat while the Turbo S gets there in 2.6 seconds. In the quarter mile, the Taycan Turbo runs an 11.1 and the Turbo S runs a 10.8.
The company hasn’t ignored handling, as proven by the Taycan’s efforts at the Nurburgring, with adjust-on-the-fly air suspension, an advanced all-wheel-drive system, rear-wheel steering, a torque-vectoring rear axle and monster brakes ensuring that this car corners as well as it accelerates. Speaking of the monster brakes, the Taycan Turbo features 10-piston calipers with 16.3-inch rotors up front and 4-piston calipers and 14.3-inch rotors in the rear while the Turbo S has 16.5-inch carbon ceramic rotors up front, 16.1-inch rotors out back, sharing the same calipers from the Turbo model.
Charging Figures
While performance is clearly a key concern with any vehicle sporting the Porsche badge, this is an electric vehicle and they come with their own key specifications. This includes driving range and charging time, both of which are measures of the usefulness as a daily driver. Official range numbers haven’t been announced for the United States market yet, but in Europe, the Turbo is expected to go about 279 miles while the Turbo S will cover 256 miles on a single charge, with the difference in range stemming from the larger, heavier wheels on the S.
Fortunately, Porsche designed an 800-watt charging system for the Taycan, which when coupled with a 270-kW charging station will boost the battery pack from 5% to 80% in just 22.5 minutes. Based on the estimated range of 256 miles for the Turbo S, 80% of range would equal roughly 204 miles, so a half-hour stop at a quality charging station will lead to over 200 miles of range and that makes it a pretty solid option for a long road trip. For those charging at home, the charging dock will completely fill the battery pack in about 11 hours with a normal residential electrical system, so if you absolutely cannot get to a high capacity charging station, you can still charge the Taycan from near-dead to full while you sleep.
Taycan Versus Tesla
All of those numbers about sound great and there is no question that the Porsche Taycan will prove to be an excellent alternative to the Tesla for consumers who want a company that can sustain itself without government subsidies or an endless stream of investor money, but how well will it stand up to the Tesla Model S, which is the best-selling EV in the American market?
In terms of performance, the Tesla Model S P100D has the advantage in every category, sprinting from a stop to 60 in just 2.4 seconds and the a quarter mile pass takes 10.6 seconds compared to 2.6 seconds and 10.8 seconds for the Porsche. Also, the Model S has a top speed of 163 miles per hour while the Taycan Turbo and Turbo S both top out at 162. In other words, when we compare the two premium performance models of the two electric sport sedans, the Tesla has a narrow advantage across the board. Of course, this doesn’t take handling into consideration and we would bet a pretty penny that the Taycan will crush a Model S around any road course.
When we look at range, Tesla also has an advantage, with the Model S Performance going 365 miles (based on European standards, since that is all that we currently have for the Taycan), beating the electric Porsche by nearly 100 miles. However, the Model S takes longer to charge, both when using a fast-charging public system and when plugging into an outlet at home.
Finally, the area in which the two electric sport sedans vary the most is price. The Taycan Turbo starts at $150,900 without destination and the Turbo S starts at $185,000. For comparison, the Model S Performance starts at $99,990, so at nearly double the price, anyone looking for a bargain is likely to lean towards the Tesla while buyers who want an electric vehicle from a stable, profitable and proven automaker will likely pay more for the quality of the Porsche brand.
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