Potential buyers for the Porsche Taycan electric sports car may have balked at its US$103,800 starting price, but need no longer worry. The automaker has introduced a new Taycan entry-level model priced just below $80,000, to appease those with tighter wallets.
The new Taycan model is an all-electric sports saloon like its brethren, but is priced lower than the Taycan 4S, Turbo, and Turbo S models. It has two battery options, starting with a 300-kW (408-PS) Performance Battery and a 350-kW (476-PS) Performance Battery Plus option. Listed numbers are outputs in "overboost mode," a temporary high-speed output for the car. Nominal power is 240 kW and 280 kW (326 and 380 PS), respectively.
The base model Taycan comes with the Plug and Charge function built into the other Taycan models, allowing for plugging in and immediate charging and payment without need for cards or an app at many charging locations. The car itself establishes an encrypted communications channel with the charging station and fulfills the payment requirements without further driver intervention. Other standard features include partial leather, eight-way adjustable front seating, a 10.9-inch infotainment display, and two luggage compartments.
The car comes with a 79.2-kWh battery as standard, and an option for a 93.4-kWh upgrade battery. The gross capacity of these batteries allows for 431 or 484 km (268 or 301 mi) of range per charge. Both batteries can charge from five to 80 percent in about 23 minutes at a DC fast charger – drivers can add another 100 km (62 mi) of range in just five more minutes.
The batteries in the Taycan run to a permanently-excited synchronous motor on the rear axle, making the car rear-wheel drive. An inverter, also mounted on the rear axle, operates at up to 600 amps. A two-speed transmission aids the motors’ thrust to the wheels. Energy consumption is further improved with the Taycan’s drag coefficient of just 0.22 and braking recuperation of up to 256 kW.
The new Porsche Taycan base model is available now globally.
Source: Porsche