Tesla has shown there’s massive potential in the electric-vehicle (EV) market. As a result, an increasing number of car manufacturers are taking the hint.
Tesla TSLA, +3.33% has surely taken heed of EV competition that will arrive over the next few years. Today, I want to take a closer look at one of the cars on that list: Porsche’s Taycan (pronounced: tie-con). It means “lively young horse” in Turkish, and if you thought it has to do with Porsche’s crest, you’re right. The company invested 6 billion euros ($6.7 billion) and hired 1,200 employees for the launch of this model alone.
In firmly committing to electric mobility, the German sports-car manufacturer is undergoing a major change. For Porsche (a unit of Volkswagen VW, +3.07% VOW, -0.07% Taycan is more than just a car; it is positioned to be a part of its core lineup.
Clean design
Taycan is not the first EV made by Porsche; the company’s Panamera sedan offers a plug-in hybrid. But that model won’t be used as a foundation for the new car. Instead, Taycan will be built from scratch, atop of a custom platform that provides ample space for its bulky battery. The same platform will be used for other versions of the car, including a wagon-like crossover, dubbed “Mission E Cross Turismo,” and there are even rumors that Volkswagen’s Lamborghini will use it for its own EV.
Two battery versions will be available: 80 kWh (kilowatt hours) and 95 kWh. Needless to say, a bigger battery means more horsepower, and since this is a sports sedan, I can imagine you’ll want all the power you can get. Equipped with a special cooling system to keep the batteries operating at optimal temperature, the car will be able to deliver 250 miles of range after only 15 minutes of charging; if you’re in a pinch, over 60 miles in four minutes. To accomplish this, Porsche plans to use 800-volt chargers. In comparison, Tesla’s 480-volt chargers take 30 minutes to provide 170 miles of driving range. The Taycan, like all Teslas, can be plugged in at home.
Brutal power and speed
Automobile magazine reports the car will come in three variants: 402 horsepower (hp), 536 hp and 670 hp, enabling Taycan to hit 60 miles per hour (mph) in 3.5 seconds. Tesla’s Model S P100D, the company’s top-of-the-line offering, has 762 hp and goes 0 to 60 mph in a scorching 2.3 seconds using “Ludicrous” mode. Both cars feature dual motors and all-wheel-drive.
Taycan was first revealed to the public in 2015, under the concept name “Mission E.” While few production models retain their concept design, this “lively young horse” will look similar to its 2015 variant, above.
But it’s not just what’s on the outside that counts: Taycan is beautiful on the inside as well (from what we know so far):
Porsche AG
A rendering of the dashboard.
So it’s a powerful, high-tech electric beauty (and beast). But how much will it cost? An entry-level price of $90,000 and up to $130,000 for the top trim shows that Porsche is trying to be competitive with Tesla. The Model S starts at $75,000 and tops out at $122,000 with autopilot.
With the EV market heating up, it will be interesting to see how well Taycan will be received once it goes live later this year.
What do you think? Does Taycan stand a chance against Tesla’s Model S, currently in its seventh year of production? Please let me know in the comment section below.
Jurica Dujmovic writes about technology for MarketWatch. Follow him on Twitter.
