Porsche Taycan review: the ultimate company car!
With a long range, savage performance and arguably the best handling of any four-door coupe – electric or otherwise – the Porsche Taycan is a landmark car
Pros
- Crazy acceleration
- Handling finesse
- Gorgeous interior
Cons
- Limited boot space
- Expensive to buy
- Endless options list
Range |
Wallbox charge time |
Rapid charge time |
230-318 miles |
11-13hrs 30mins (0-100%, 7.4kW) |
19-21mins (10-80%, 225-270kW) |
Porsche Taycan verdict
We don’t believe in magic here at DrivingElectric, however, the boffins at Stuttgart have certainly conjured up something pretty special when it comes to the Porsche Taycan. Despite weighing two tonnes and being powered by electricity, the zero-emissions Taycan is almost as good to drive as the iconic Porsche 911 sports car and offers even more savage and instant acceleration.
Tick a sufficient number of option boxes and the Taycan’s interior is something to behold, too, with several screens, a hunkered driving position plus exceptional material and build quality. It doesn’t come cheap and many of the Taycan’s rivals offer far superior range figures, but if performance is your priority, very few EVs come close to the Porsche.
Range details, specs and alternatives
If anyone was going to make a true electric driver’s car it was Porsche, and that’s exactly what the brand from Stuttgart did in 2019 when it launched its first-ever EV: the Taycan, a four-door sports saloon to rival the Tesla Model S. Now Porsche has a whole slate of electric cars in development, including zero-emissions replacements for its Boxster and Cayman sports cars, and Macan SUV.
For context, the Taycan is roughly the same size as the Porsche Panamera, but it’s not quite as practical as its more conventional saloon sibling due in part to the coupe-esque looks and no hatchback tailgate. However, if you need a bit more practicality, the Taycan line-up now includes two estates: the Taycan Sport Turismo and the slightly more rugged Cross Turismo, which we’ve reviewed separately.
The Taycan uses the same EV-dedicated underpinnings as the Audi e-tron GT, with several variants to choose from. The entry-level, rear-wheel drive Taycan and mid-range, four-wheel-drive Taycan 4S both offer a choice of 71kWh or 84kWh (usable) batteries, with claimed maximum ranges of between about 270 and 320 miles depending on the exact specification.
An 84kWh battery and four-wheel drive are standard in the most expensive GTS, Turbo and Turbo S models, which produce up to 751bhp and all deliver maximum ranges of around 300 miles thanks to some software updates Porsche has made over the years. Opting for any model with the larger batteries also increases the Taycan’s maximum charging speed to 270kW.
The base Taycan starts from a little under £80,000, although very few examples will leave the factory at this price given Porsche’s long list of optional extras. Standard kit includes 18-way power-adjustable sports seats, LED lights, two-zone climate control and sat-nav, however, the cheapest models don't include heated seats, power-folding mirrors or adaptive cruise control – things you’ll find as standard even on a £26,000 BYD Dolphin.
Our pick of the line-up is the entry-level Taycan with the larger 84kWh ‘Performance Battery Plus’, as it still offers the full Porsche sports car experience – 400bhp is more than sufficient for use on the road – and costs significantly less than range-topping models. If you’re really desperate for more power or four-wheel-drive grip for the winter months, the mid-spec Taycan 4S is a solid choice, too.
Click here to see why you can trust DrivingElectric reviews, or for a more detailed look at the Porsche Taycan, read on for the rest of our in-depth review…