18 Surprising Facts About The Porsche Taycan Execs Want Tesla Drivers To Know

Tesla has maintained a stranglehold on the EV market for the past few years, as Elon Musk has successfully led the global charge into the next evolutionary step for the automotive industry. But other manufacturers have caught on and are catching up with some impressive offerings slated to hit the streets in the next few months and years.

Few electric vehicles have arguably attracted as much buzz as Porsche’s, which was formerly known as the Mission E but is now called the Taycan. In the wake of well-publicized and impressive performance stats from Tesla, Porsche had to build a serious competitor that would live up to the brand’s storied name.

Pre-orders for the Taycan have already been taken and the lucky few who can afford such a wild product are waiting anxiously to learn more about the cars in the interim between putting down their names and receiving the vehicles.

But Porsche also needs to market the Taycan to existing Tesla owners. Keep scrolling for 18 facts about the Taycan that Porsche executives want every Tesla driver to know.

18 – FRONT AND REAR MOTORS

Plenty of Tesla drivers are proud of the fact that their cars have electric motors at both axles providing power, as well as all-wheel drive. Porsche, however, wasn’t about to be outdone and their executives definitely want any potential customers to know that the Taycan uses front and rear electric motors to provide all-wheel drive.

17 – 16.8-INCH CURVED DISPLAY

Of course, one of the main selling points of any Tesla model is that the cars are super advanced, with a simple and futuristic-looking interior highlighted by a massive touchscreen infotainment system. Porsche obviously had to one-up Tesla on that front, and the company website reinforces that they’ve used a 16.8-inch glass display that’s curved for viewing pleasure.

16 – OVERBOOST

While Porsche hasn’t announced a Taycan that can beat Tesla’s claimed 1.9-second 0-60 time for the forthcoming Roadster, Porsche does hope that the Taycan will beat the more similarly-sized Tesla Model S in just about every fashion. To achieve the 560kW rating, Porsche brags about an overboost setting that can be employed during spirited driving.

15 – TAYCAN 4S

Tesla has the Model S, the Model 3, and the Model X currently, with the first-gen Roadster still on the roads and a successor on the way soon. Porsche also has a few different variants of the Taycan on tap, with the lowest-end model named the Taycan 4S. Starting at $103,800 base, Porsche claims the 4S can do 0-60 in 3.8 seconds thanks to a 390kW powerplant.

14 – TWO-SPEED TRANSMISSION

One of the major elements where Porsche believes the Taycan is superior to Tesla models is the transmission. As described by Car and Driver, the Taycan uses a two-speed gearbox, where every Tesla so far uses a single-speed transmission. This allows for more efficient driving, though Tesla owners may wonder how the two-speed fares in terms of reliability.

13 – A TRUE PERFORMANCE EV

Much of Tesla’s earned media coverage revolves around the impressive acceleration stats made possible by the instantaneous torque of electric motors. Porsche’s website clearly wants everyone who might be considering the Taycan to know that this large sedan also takes full advantage of low-end grunt, with the Turbo S model capable of a 2.6-second sprint to 60 miles per hour when using Launch Control.

12 – TAYCAN TURBO

Next up from the 4S is the Taycan Turbo, which features slight revisions on the exterior to match an upgraded powertrain. Of course, this is an electric car, so the Turbo is a turbo in name only (much like the new 911 uses turbos in non-Turbo variants). The Taycan Turbo starts at $150,900 and Porsche claims a 0-60 time of only three seconds.

11 – 800V PERFORMANCE BATTERY

Tesla’s battery-powered cars certainly seem impressive, providing some of the best performance, the longest range, and impressive charge times. To take the EV world by storm, Porsche had to beat Tesla in every way.

One of the big selling points for the Taycan is its 800-volt performance battery—compared to 403 volts for the Model S, according to the Tesla Owners Club

10 – TAYCAN TURBO S

The Turbo S, as mentioned above, has the best performance stats of the entire Taycan range. It starts at $185,000 and can easily creep above $200,000 when fully optioned. Under the hood, a 560kW battery produces the equivalent of 750 horsepower and 774 lb-ft of torque, according to Porsche’s literature on the model.

9 – EXCELLENT CHARGING TIMES

One of the most important considerations for anyone in the market to purchase an electric vehicle is the distance their car can travel on a charge—and how long it takes to charge.

Porsche’s Taycan looks to be pretty impressive in both facets of EV performance, with the car able to be charged from 5% to 80% charge in only 22.5 minutes, according to Porsche.

8 – PORSCHE EXLUSIVE MANUFAKTUR

Many Tesla owners have had to endure long wait times after placing their orders and down payments online. Porsche hopes to create a more curated purchasing experience that goes in line with the brand’s luxury and performance spirit. Much like European delivery and paint-to-sample options for the rest of the Porsche lineup, the Taycan will also be available as part of Porsche’s Exclusive Manufaktur custom ordering system.

7 – ELECTRIC SPORT SOUND

Anyone who’s ridden a bicycle in a large city or stopped in and parked at a Whole Foods knows to keep their ears pricked for the tell-tale whine of the electric motors in Teslas and other EV models, as well as hybrids. But there’s something satisfying about the roar of an internal combustion engine, which Porsche has helped to ameliorate by equipping the Taycan with their Electric Sport Sound.

6 – INTELLIGENT RANGE MANAGER

To help Taycan owners maximize the range of their electric vehicle, Porsche has developed a proprietary Intelligent Range Manager system. The result is that the incredibly powerful Taycan Turbo S, with its 2.6-second 0-60 time, is also impressively capable of driving long distances. Porsche claims a range of just under 280 miles.

5 – OPTIONAL FIFTH SEAT

One major advantage of Tesla’s automotive engineering and design is that the cars have very spacious interiors because the battery is essentially the floor and the electric motors are much more compact than internal combustion engines. Car and Driver reports that though the Taycan doesn’t feel as roomy as the Model S, it’s available with a fifth seat option.

4 – APPLE MUSIC

Interior amenities help set Porsche’s cars apart from other performance automobiles, especially as the company has pivoted to roomy luxury products such as the Cayenne and Panamera.

While Tesla definitely commands the most attention for their tech-heavy models currently, Porsche hopes to take over the market with features such as Apple Music, which is native in the Taycan and does not require a smartphone to be connected.

3 – OPTIONAL FOURTH SCREEN

Porsche’s cars have always been about the options and packages, with vintage 911 owners still bragging about their sunroofs, limited-slip differentials, and factory sport seats.

The Taycan looks to be no different, with options available to bump up the price tag immensely. Perhaps the wildest mentioned by Car and Driver is the $1,130 fourth infotainment screen that’s available in the passenger-side dashboard.

2 – IMPRESSIVE WARRANTY

As cars become more and more tech-heavy, plenty of consumers have become concerned over their vehicles’ reliability as, like an iPhone, it needs to be updated and replaced regularly.

Planned obsolescence is not part of Porsche’s plan, however, as the company offers a standard four-year/50,000 mile warranty, plus a battery warranty that guarantees 70% charge capacity for up to eight years and 100,000 miles.

1 – PANORAMIC ROOF

Tesla’s cars have spacious interiors that are only augmented by the enormous glass panels that extend across much of the roof. Porsche caught onto that trend, as well, and the Taycan has a panoramic roof—though as of now, no plans for a Targa-style retracting roof like the fan rendering above seem to be on the horizon.

Article Credit: Torstein Salvesen
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