Building a cheaper electric car has been one of the many hurdles being faced in the EV market, which is why so many aim for the premium car market to start off with. But even Porsche, with their incredible Taycan have to face the fact that a cheaper car will get them more sales, even if their customers tend to appreciate the finer things in life.
Which is why halfway through last year, the company released a base model Taycan in China called the Taycan RWD. As the name suggests, it omits the front motor for some cost savings. Now, that Taycan RWD has come to the USA.
In the US, this new base model will bring its starting price down to US$79,900. That’s exactly the same price as a base model 2020 Tesla Model S Long Range Plus. This could finally give some US customers a reason to switch over. I mean, a Tesla is cool and all, but who can deny the brand appeal of a Porsche?
Here’s the press release with more.
PRESS RELEASE
A new variant of Porsche’s electric sports car is set to launch – joining the Taycan 4S, Taycan Turbo and Taycan Turbo S. Simply called the Taycan, the new model is now on sale in the United States. This variant differentiates itself through its rear-wheel-drive layout – removing the front power unit takes approximately 200 pounds of weight from the front of the car.
The MSRP for the new 2021 Taycan is $79,900, not including the $1,350 delivery, processing and handling fee. Like all other Taycan models, it also qualifies for a federal tax credit of up to $7,500. EPA estimated range will be available before model launch. The 2021 Taycan is expected to arrive at U.S. dealerships starting early Spring 2021.
Power unit
The Taycan shares the same rear power unit and battery architecture as the Taycan 4S, and utilizes a permanent magnet synchronous electric motor with a rotor diameter of 245 mm and length of 130 mm, as well as a 600-amp pulse inverter. Like all other Taycan variants, the Taycan benefits from a two-speed transaxle to provide strong and seamless acceleration, with efficient highway cruising.
Two battery configurations are available. The Performance Battery features a gross capacity of 79.2 kWh and can charge at up to 225 kW. The larger Performance Battery Plus weighs approximately 170 pounds more, features a gross capacity of 93.4 kWh and can charge at up to 270 kW. Regardless of size, both take just 22.5 minutes to charge from 5% to 80% when the appropriate battery state of charge and temperature are met, and the car is connected to a compatible high-speed DC fast charger.
These two battery configurations also determine performance potential. The standard Performance Battery provides the power to produce up to 402 horsepower (300 kW) and 254 pound-feet of torque from the Taycan’s single rear motor. When equipped with the optional Performance Battery Plus, the motor can produce up to 469 hp (350 kW) and 263 lb-ft of torque. Regardless of battery configuration, the Taycan can accelerate from 0-60 mph in just 5.1 seconds and has a top track speed of 143 mph. With the standard battery, the Taycan covers the quarter mile in 13.7 seconds, while the larger pack shortens the sprint to 13.5 seconds.
Brakes and chassis systems
The Taycan comes standard with 19-inch Taycan Aero wheels, six-piston front brakes and four-piston rear brakes. This setup is similar to the Taycan 4S, but the color of the wheels and the calipers differ. The Taycan will feature black calipers and alloy wheels painted in brilliant silver as standard, while the 4S is equipped with red calipers and polished alloy wheels with high gloss black spokes. As on other Porsche Taycan models, Porsche Surface Coated Brakes and Porsche Ceramic Coated Brakes, as well as 20- and 21-inch wheels are optional. Regenerative braking via the brake pedal remains, as does its class-leading 265 kW recuperation rate.
Typical of Porsche sports cars, Porsche Active Suspension Management is standard. This function serves to adjust the dampers to suit the ride from soft for comfortable highway cruising to stiff for the track or mountain road. For maximum flexibility, the suspension setting can be controlled independently via the touch screen or dash button or together with powertrain calibration via the touch screen or optional steering wheel mounted mode dial. Adaptive air suspension can be ordered as an option.
Typical Taycan
Even in rear-wheel drive layout, the Taycan still expresses all the performance attributes of its more powerful siblings. With a coefficient of drag of just 0.24, it remains the most aerodynamically efficient production Porsche (when equipped with the optional air suspension the figure drops to 0.22). The low-slung battery gives the Taycan the lowest center of gravity of any road-legal Porsche. And the rear-wheel drive Taycan adds one more superlative: it is the most powerful standard model variant Porsche has made.
The same features found on other Taycan variants are all here: Porsche Connect with Apple CarPlay, Function on Demand, Plug and Charge, Apple Music, over the air updates, and three-years of free Electrify America charging—all included with the car as standard. Additional optional equipment such as Porsche InnoDrive with Traffic Jam Assist, a 19.2 kW on-board charger, Head Up Display, 14-way seats with massage functionality, upgraded audio systems, and multiple exterior colors and interior trims are available to choose from- all in a Porsche typical sports car drive train layout. Taycan buyers will be able to track the progress of their car from their smartphone, from build to delivery, through the Porsche Track Your Dream service, also available for the 911.
