Five Things to Know About the 2020 Porsche Taycan

Published on September 5, 2019 in Previews by Michel Deslauriers

We were waiting for this electric supercar for quite a while now, and the production version has finally been unveiled to the world. The Porsche Taycan will rival the Tesla Model S and the Aston Martin Rapide E, in addition to many other fully electric luxury sedans set to hit the market in coming years.

Here are five things to know about 2020 Porsche Taycan, the first units of which will arrive in Canada next year.

Four Levels of Power and Performance

At launch, the Taycan will be offered in Turbo and Turbo S variants, both equipped with an electric motor at the rear and one up front, creating an electronically controlled all-wheel drive system. The Taycan Turbo will produce up to 670 horsepower, while the Turbo S will boast up to 750 hp. The latter will be able to accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in 2.8 seconds.

And no, there aren’t any turbochargers aboard the Taycan, despite the names of its most potent versions. The automaker will soon add two less powerful variants, the 4S and base Taycan, whose technical specifications haven’t yet been revealed.

Reasonable Range

According to the Worldwide Harmonised Light Vehicle Test Protocol used in Europe, the Porsche Taycan Turbo offers a driving range of up to 450 kilometres, and the Turbo S, 412 km. In Canada, we must except lower numbers, which haven’t yet been officialised. In comparison, the Tesla Model S can cover a distance of up to 600 kilometres on a full charge. With a maximum charging input of 270 kW, we can fill the battery pack up to 80% of its capacity in as little as 22,5 minutes.

Pure Porsche Handling

Obviously, at Porsche, we made sure the Taycan would offer performance and handling on par with its other models. The electronic 4D Chassis Control system takes care of managing the air suspension, the adaptive dampers, torque vectoring and roll stability in curves. According to the company, 90% of the car’s braking is performed by the energy regeneration system, which greatly reduces wear on the conventional hydraulic brakes.

A Cockpit for Four

the 93.4-kWh battery located under the Taycan’s floor has two cut-out sections, allowing rear-seat occupants to enjoy enough foot space. By doing so, designers could keep a lower roofline in addition to help the car boast a drag coefficient of 0.22—making the Taycan one of the most aerodynamic cars currently on the market.

The dashboard and centre console house a strict minimum number of buttons, replaced by two touchscreens—or three touchscreens as an option. The driver instrument panel is also fully digital and curved in a semicircle shape. An interior layout composed uniquely of recycled materials is also available, replacing the traditional leather upholstery.