The most recent Porsche Taycan is evidence that the vehicle’s pinnacles lie at its boundaries. Get the Turbo S if you want performance that will blow your mind. This new entry point is the perfect purchase for the majority of customers who want a version with a great real-world range, its own distinctive character, and a greatly reduced price. An already outstanding EV lineup has been improved.
This is the brand-new Porsche Taycan that you are viewing. Since it is the new entry point for the high-performance line-up, the term “Taycan” is all that is needed to describe it. Prices begin at PS70,690 without options, which is fully PS12,890 less than the Taycan 4S, the following model in the lineup.
It’s difficult to notice what it loses on the surface. The dramatic body, driver-focused cockpit, and 79.2kWh battery from the 4S are all still present, with the enhanced Performance Battery Plus pack being installed here.
Two key aspects are absent from this base model, but it turns out that they are not much missed. The Taycan range has only ever featured four-wheel drive, with a motor driving each axle, up to this point. This updated model eliminates the front motor, making rear-wheel drive the only available choice. It has less power and torque than the 4S, which has 523 bhp and 640 nm while in launch control mode, with only 424 horsepower and 345 nm respectively. However, adding the Performance Battery Plus significantly increases those numbers to 469bhp and 357Nm.
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EV Performance, Power, and Motor
The majority of Taycan vehicles have two electric motors, one driving the front wheels and the other the back. They generate distinct outputs that differ based on trim level. With the lesser battery, the 4S produces 522 horsepower, and with the larger battery, 562 horsepower. The top models, the 670-hp Turbo and the 750-hp Turbo S, include the large juicer as standard equipment. Depending on the battery capacity, the base model’s horsepower ranges from 402 to 469, although it only has rear-wheel drive. The Taycan GTS with its 626 pound-feet of torque and 590 horsepower is the sweet spot. The unique two-speed transmission used in all Taycan models offers a thrilling shift under heavy acceleration. The Taycan 4S surprised us during our test drive with its quick acceleration (getting to 60 mph in 3.4 seconds) and point-and-shoot handling. However, given that Porsche decided against one-pedal driving, we wished it had a more sensitive brake pedal. The Turbo S’s rocket-ship takeoffs will astound anyone with a strong craving for speed. The one we tested completed the quarter-mile at 130 mph in 10.5 seconds and reached 60 mph in just 2.4 ticks. In Cheetah mode, a Model S Performance matched that blast to 60 mph; in acceleration, a Model S Plaid obliterated the Porsche. The Taycan stands out among electric vehicles thanks to its fierce acceleration, low-slung driving stance, and precision steering. Furthermore, it is comfy. Another Taycan Turbo S we tested, despite having 21-inch wheels and low-profile tires, never seemed harsh or rigid.
The entry-level Porsche Taycan costs $81,250 and has rear-wheel drive.
With up to 469 horsepower, the base Taycan EV from Porsche is available in pink.
The most recent Taycan from Porsche is also the most affordable. The entry-level EV, simply known as Taycan, officially joined Porsche’s US roster on Tuesday. It is priced from $81,250 (including $1,350 for shipping but excluding federal and local tax credits), placing it below the 4S, Turbo, and Turbo S models.
The primary feature that sets this Taycan apart from its siblings is its rear-wheel-drive design. While the standard Taycan has just one electric motor positioned at the rear axle, the 4S, Turbo, and Turbo S variants all include two motor setups that enable through-the-road all-wheel drive. This motor’s normal tuning generates 321 horsepower and 250 pound-feet of torque from a 79.2 kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery pack. These figures rise to 402 horsepower and 254 lb-ft of torque when operating at overboost while launch control is engaged, which is a feature of the Sport Chrono pack that is optional.
Customers can choose the Performance Battery Plus specification, which increases the battery’s capacity to 93.4 kWh, for an extra $5,780. This means that 375 horsepower and 250 pound-feet of torque are always accessible, and that they can increase to 469 horsepower and 263 pound-feet when launch control is engaged.
How is the Porsche Taycan RWD Driven in 2021?
Compared to the Taycan 4S, the new Performance Plus-equipped Taycan has 54–93 fewer horsepower and two driven wheels, but overall it doesn’t feel like a big loss. You don’t miss the additional power and performance of the Taycan 4S or Turbo variants when put to the test while driving about town, on the interstate, or at a rapid pace on a good road. The Taycan RWD’s solitary rear motor produces power rapidly, and neither it nor the two-speed transmission ever experience a malfunction.
On a nice winding road, you’d anticipate the base Taycan’s rear-wheel-drive setup to give it an advantage over its all-wheel-drive siblings, but in practice it’s kind of a wash. The 2021 Porsche Taycan RWD is equipped with air suspension ($2,200; standard on other models) and four-wheel steering ($1,620), making it just as capable, amiable, and composed as the all-wheel-drive versions. The torque-vectoring all-wheel-drive systems in the other Taycans nullify any potential RWD advantage, albeit it may be marginally simpler to get the rear-drive electric Porsche’s nose pointed with throttle input.
Under hard acceleration is when the Taycan RWD conveys the power imbalance the greatest. I’ll never forget the harsh, Tesla Model S P100D-like launch I experienced with the Taycan Turbo S. However, I wasn’t quite prepared for my laptop, water bottle, and walkie-talkie to fly past my face and into the back seat as the vehicle accelerated to 60 mph in 2.4 seconds.
The exhilaration we’ve grown accustomed to with performance EVs is absent from the 2021 Porsche Taycan RWD. The Taycan doesn’t take off with the same level of aggression or violence as the Taycan 4S or Turbo, or even competitors like the Tesla Model S and Model 3. Whether this is due to the Porsche actively managing traction at the rear wheels (where there is no observable slip during a forceful launch) or if it is just a matter of the power disparity is difficult to say for sure, but I guess it may be a combination of the two. Porsche claims the standard Taycan can accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in 5.1 seconds with either battery, but I predict we could reduce that time to around 4.8 seconds in practice.
The Porsche Taycan is all-wheel drive, right?
The Taycan’s dual-motor, all-wheel-drive 4S, Turbo, and Turbo S models start beyond $100,000 but provide time-bending performance and Porsche driving concentration. Porsche will sell the Taycan as a single-motor, rear-wheel-drive model starting in 2021 under the name Taycan.
Taycan GTS has all four wheels.
Porsche is aiming its GTS models at a target market that is especially sporty-inclined yet does not want to forgo everyday utility. The front and rear axles of the Taycan GTS are each powered by a separate electric motor. This indicates that all-wheel drive is included as standard equipment. The GTS’s electric motors are specially modified versions of the electric motors utilized in Taycan Turbo variants.
The GTS features a particularly effective drivetrain because it is a member of the most recent Taycan generation. The front electric motor is almost entirely disconnected and de-energized in the partial load range when driving in Normal and Range modes. There is no drive torque on either axle while coasting or at a stop. Frictional drag losses are reduced by this electric freewheel. These technical improvements were included in the updates for the new model year for the other Taycan derivatives. This expands the operational range practically.
The GTS has a power overboost of up to 440 kW when Launch Control is engaged (598 PS). Both variations can sprint from 0 to 100 km/h in less than 3.7 seconds. The two vehicles may travel at a top speed of 250 km/h. Based on WLTP estimates, the basic Performance Battery Plus’s 93.4 kWh total capacity allows for a range of up to 504 km. 275 kW is the maximum recovery output.
The GTS has a unique adaptation of the adaptive air suspension, featuring Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM), for improved lateral handling. Even more sporty is the configuration of the optional rear-axle steering. The new GTS model’s personality is highlighted by the deeper sound pattern of the upgraded Porsche Electric Sport Sound.
Along with the required stopwatch, the Sport Chrono Package is included as standard equipment. The GT multifunction sports steering wheel houses the mode switch for choosing between the several driving modes (Range, Normal, Sport, Sport Plus, and Individual). In comparison to other Taycan models, the Sport mode has been engineered to be significantly more energetic.
Taycan Turbo S has all-wheel drive, right?
The Taycan has a brand-new all-wheel-drive system with battery-electric power and permanent magnet synchronous motors on each axle. A single-speed gearbox at the front (8.05:1) and a two-speed transmission with a limited slip differential at the back transmit power to the wheels, respectively. The gearbox has a long-ratio second gear (8.05:1) that offers high speed and efficiency, and a short planetary first gear (15.5:1) that provides maximum acceleration.
A 630 kg (1,389 lb) lithium-ion battery pack weighing 93 kWh provides power while also serving as a structural chassis element to keep the center of gravity low. Recesses in the battery pack known as “foot garages” have been added to boost legroom in the backseat. The 723-volt battery includes 33 modules with 12 LG Chempouch cells apiece, for a total of 396 cells (835 volts when fully charged, 610 volts when empty).
The highest-output engines (Turbo and Turbo S), which can be differentiated by the bigger inverter on the Turbo S, were offered from launch. Later, the 4S powertrain was introduced; output was decreased by using a weaker rear motor, but the front motor was the same on all three (4S, Turbo, and Turbo S). Early in 2021, a base model was released with a smaller 79.2 kW-hr battery and without the front motor. The base model of the Cross Turismo body, which had the same outputs as the Taycan’s rear-motor, was given the model number 4, and it utilised the larger battery and two-motor all-wheel drive. The bigger 93 kW-hr “Performance Battery Plus” and a single-motor version of the 4 Cross Turismo powertrain became available for the standard Taycan in fall 2021. In order to bridge the gap between the 4S and the Turbo, the GTS powertrain, which was unveiled in November 2021 along with the Sport Turismo body, uses the larger battery and a more potent set of motors. The smaller battery comes standard on the 4S Sport Turismo, although the larger battery is also available.
What is a Porsche Taycan’s actual driving range?
Only the second EV to surpass its EPA range in C/D testing was the basic Taycan with the bigger battery, which covered 280 miles in our 75 mph highway test.
- In our actual 75 mph highway range test, the base-model Porsche Taycan earned a 280-mile range and 97 MPGe.
- The EPA predicts that our test vehicle’s optional 83.7-kWh Performance Battery Plus will provide 225 miles of range on a single charge.
- The Porsche outperformed its EPA-estimated range by a substantial margin, making the Taycan just the second vehicle we’ve tested to do so.
Porsche has expanded its Taycan inventory to include a rear-wheel-drive base model in addition to 4S, Turbo, and Turbo S variations. The Taycan base model has a range that the EPA expects to be up to 225 miles, but in our real-world 75 mph highway test, it achieved a remarkable 280 miles and 97 MPGe, making it the second electric vehicle to surpass the EPA’s expectations.
We put an 83.7-kWh battery pack, Porsche’s optional “Performance Battery Plus” (a $5,780 extra), to the test in a Frozen Berry Metallic model. On the base model, the standard pack has a capacity of 71.0 kWh and a range rating of 200 miles. Michelin Pilot Sport 4 tires covered 19-inch aero wheels on our test vehicle.
According to this finding, the basic Taycan is the EV that exceeded its EPA-estimated range in our testing by the greatest margin, adding an additional 55 miles or 24 percent. We assume that the Taycan’s two-speed transmission on the rear axle, which enables the motor to spin at a lower and more efficient speed while traveling at highway speeds, contributes to some of its exceptional range. Only one other EV, the 2020 Audi e-tron Sportback, has ever outperformed its EPA rating in our 75-mph test. It exceeded the EPA range by by two miles, traveling 220 miles. For comparison, the Tesla Model S Long Range Plus was the EV we tested with the greatest range. It completed 320 miles at 75 mph, making it the first EV to surpass 300 miles in our tests. However, it was well below the 402 miles the EPA had predicted.
Porsche’s range predictions, which have historically been on the conservative side, were somewhat raised for the 2021 model year. The Taycan 4S, which had the larger battery pack, also underwent our 75 mph highway test; it only made it 180 miles, falling 23 miles shy of its EPA-estimated range. It has all-wheel drive, however it is 308 pounds more than the base model.
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