The Porsche Taycan's Poor Range Is Not an Issue, here's why
- Matthew
- Jan 10, 2020
- 3 min read
Hello and welcome to your daily Charge Smart blog where we keep you on the pulse with everything that's trending in the EV world! Today, we'll be taking a look at the Porsche Taycan and talking about why its poor range is not an issue.
Above: The Taycan is electric but it's a proper Porsche, no doubt
The Taycan is the car to rival Tesla’s Model S and other fast EV sedans. It marks Porsche’s first foray into the electric car world and we can’t wait for it! It’s already generated so much of noise thanks to its incredible Nurburgring run among other things. However now, the Environmental Protection Agency or EPA for short have given the Taycan a range rating of 201 miles which roughly translates to 323 kilometres. That range is miles behind the competition (apologies for the pun). It really is when you consider that the Tesla Model S has a range of around 560 kilometres and the Jag I-Pace which could also be seen as one of Porsche’s competitors has a range of 376 kilometres, a figure which will increase shortly once Jaguar implement their research from the I-Pace E-trophy series. Naturally, A lot of people were not pleased about the Taycan’s low range and they’ve called the figure disappointing and poor among other things but is it really?!
When you think of Porsche, what do you think of? The 911, turbos, fast cars, Le Mans and racing all come to mind, right?! They are not a brand that you would associate with good fuel efficiency and mile munching daily drivers. Sure, they have the Cayenne, Macan and the Panamera to some extent that can be used as daily drivers but no one buys those for their efficiency on fuel. Instead they purchase them for the brand value and sporting credentials. So why should we treat the Taycan any different? It may be an electric, but it is still a Porsche.
Above: The Taycan stays true to Porsche's motorsport roots
In fact, Porsche themselves said they weren’t disappointed at all by the low EPA rating. The company’s spokesperson said that “they sought to build a true Porsche” and they tried to balance their famous sporting credentials with a reasonable range. The company says that they stand by the Taycan as it was built to drive like a Porsche. The EPA range was for the Taycan Turbo S which by contrast to the name, doesn’t actually have a turbo but instead functions as the sporty model of the Taycan range. The base model Taycan 4S is around $120,000 NZD cheaper than the Turbo S and it is also lighter so one can expect it to have a better range than the sporty models.
The downside of this being the fact that the 4S is slower than the Turbo S but it’s still a Porsche!
Above: The Taycan brings that signature Porsche design and performance to EVs
Porsche isn’t fazed by the EPA range and we don’t think their customers will be either. When was the last time you looked at a 911 and thought about the fuel efficiency it returns! We’re all too busy staring at the gorgeous design or serenaded by the noise. The same principle applies to the Taycan, the only difference is that it is electric. And if electric cars are the way of the future then that’s the new normal for Porsche. Porsche have clearly come to accept that their Taycan is still very much a performance car and we should be willing to accept that fact as well!
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