Porsche adds a cheaper, lighter Taycan to its electric lineup

• 

  As we expected, Porsche has introduced a single-motor, rear-wheel drive version of the Taycan electric vehicle to its lineup. [credit: Porsche ]

On Tuesday, Porsche filled out its Taycan electric vehicle lineup with a cheaper, lighter variant. It’s just called the Porsche Taycan—no S, no Turbo, not even any numbers—and it differentiates itself from the other Taycans by virtue of having just a single electric motor, which drives the rear wheels. It’s even keenly priced, for a Porsche. At $79,900 (before any tax credits or incentives) it’s almost $24,000 cheaper than the next variant in the range, the Taycan 4S.

As with the 4S, there is a choice of two batteries. The standard Taycan comes with a 79.2kWh (total capacity) pack, and a rear motor capable of 321hp (240kW) and 250lb-ft (339Nm), boosting up to 402hp (300kW) and 254lb-ft (344Nm) if you use launch control. Do so—exiting a highway tollbooth, for instance—and the Taycan will reach 60mph in 5.1 seconds. Find a derestricted stretch of German autobahn, and eventually the Taycan will call time at 143mph (230km/h). At 4,566lb (2,071kg) it’s the lightest Taycan, although the drag coefficient of 0.24 makes it slightly less slippery than the 4S or Turbo unless you add back the optional air suspension.

Thanks to Porsche’s 800V electrical architecture, fast recharging is indeed fast. Connected to a 350kW-capable DC fast charger, the Taycan will charge at up to 225kW and from 5-80 percent state of charge in 22.5 minutes, just like the more expensive Taycans. An official EPA range should be available in the next few weeks, so for now an EU figure of 28kWh/100km—which equates to 2.2 miles/kWh, with the understanding that the WLTP test is very different to the EPA’s, making direct comparison difficult—is all the information we have. (The Taycan is notorious for having a greater real world range than its EPA estimate.)