News
Porsche releases Taycan 4S: Price, performance, battery options, and more
Just over a month after launching the first two variants of the Taycan, Porsche has announced another version of its flagship all-electric sports car, the dual-motor Taycan 4S. Priced below the Taycan Turbo, the midrange variant of the electric sports car could very well hit the sweet spot for buyers who prefer to have the full Porsche experience without spending over $150,000.
Here’s a quick look at the Porsche Taycan 4S’s details.
Design and Battery Sizes
A look at the Taycan 4S shows that the vehicle is just as stunning as the Turbo and Turbo S variant that preceded it. The Taycan 4S’ dimensions are identical to the vehicle’s top two versions, though its wheels are a touch smaller at 19″ compared to the Turbo’s 20″ and the Turbo S’ 21″ wheels. The 4S is also equipped with red six-piston fixed-calipers on the front axle and four-piston calipers on the rear axle with internally vented cast-iron brake rotors.
The Taycan 4S will be released with two available battery sizes: the standard Performance battery that delivers up to 522 hp (390 kW) and the Performance Battery Plus that up to 563 hp (420 kW). The Performance Battery has a capacity of 79.2 kWh as standard, while the Performance Battery Plus features the same 93.4 kW battery that is fitted on the Taycan Turbo and Turbo S.
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- The Porsche Taycan 4S. (Credit: Porsche AG)
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- The Porsche Taycan 4S. (Credit: Porsche AG)
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- The Porsche Taycan 4S. (Credit: Porsche AG)
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- The Porsche Taycan 4S. (Credit: Porsche AG)
The Porsche Taycan 4S. (Credit: Porsche AG)
-->Performance, Charging, and Interior
Yet despite the differing battery sizes, Porsche notes that the Taycan 4S will have a 0-60 mph time of 3.8 seconds. The top speed of the vehicle is listed at 155 mph. US EPA range estimates for the Taycan 4S are yet to be announced.
Under ideal conditions, the Porsche Taycan 4S could charge from 5% to 80% state of charge can occur in as little as 22.5 minutes for both the Performance and Performance Plus battery, at least when the vehicle is plugged into an 800-volt high-speed DC charging station. The maximum charging capacity (peak) is 225 kW for the Performance Battery or 270 kW for the Performance Battery Plus.
Being part of the Taycan family, the 4S is available with multiple interior options, though Porsche underscores the company’s use of recycled materials for the vehicle. A partial leather interior comes standard with the midrange all-electric car.
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- The Porsche Taycan 4S. (Credit: Porsche AG)
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- The Porsche Taycan 4S. (Credit: Porsche AG)
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- The Porsche Taycan 4S. (Credit: Porsche AG)
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- The Porsche Taycan 4S. (Credit: Porsche AG)
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- The Porsche Taycan 4S. (Credit: Porsche AG)
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- The Porsche Taycan 4S. (Credit: Porsche AG)
The Porsche Taycan 4S. (Credit: Porsche AG)
Price
In a way, the Porsche Taycan 4S could very well be the bang-for-your-buck version of the German automaker’s flagship electric sports car line. Apart from having the same battery size as the Taycan Turbo and Turbo S, the 4S is also equipped with the same Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motor (PSM) as the vehicle’s top two trims.
-->Granted, the vehicle’s maximum power stands at 563 hp with launch control compared to the Taycan Turbo’s 670 hp and the Turbo S’ 750 hp with launch control, but the vehicle is also priced significantly less. The Taycan 4S with Performance Battery starts at $103,800 ($106,410 at launch), while the 4S with Performance Battery Plus starts at $110,380 ($112,990 at launch).
That’s around $40,000-$46,000 less than the Taycan Turbo, which starts at $150,900 ($153,510 at launch), and over $74,000-$80,000 less than the Taycan Turbo S, which starts at $185,000 ($187,610 at launch).
Here’s a full comparison of Porsche’s current lineup for its flagship electric car.
Porsche Taycan Technical Spec Sheet by Simon Alvarez on Scribd
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News
Tesla starts rolling out FSD V14.2.1 to AI4 vehicles including Cybertruck
FSD V14.2.1 was released just about a week after the initial FSD V14.2 update was rolled out.
It appears that the Tesla AI team burned the midnight oil, allowing them to release FSD V14.2.1 on Thanksgiving. The update has been reported by Tesla owners with AI4 vehicles, as well as Cybertruck owners.
For the Tesla AI team, at least, it appears that work really does not stop.
FSD V14.2.1
Initial posts about FSD V14.2.1 were shared by Tesla owners on social media platform X. As per the Tesla owners, V14.2.1 appears to be a point update that’s designed to polish the features and capacities that have been available in FSD V14. A look at the release notes for FSD V14.2.1, however, shows that an extra line has been added.
“Camera visibility can lead to increased attention monitoring sensitivity.”
Whether this could lead to more drivers being alerted to pay attention to the roads more remains to be seen. This would likely become evident as soon as the first batch of videos from Tesla owners who received V14.21 start sharing their first drive impressions of the update. Despite the update being released on Thanksgiving, it would not be surprising if first impressions videos of FSD V14.2.1 are shared today, just the same.
-->Rapid FSD releases
What is rather interesting and impressive is the fact that FSD V14.2.1 was released just about a week after the initial FSD V14.2 update was rolled out. This bodes well for Tesla’s FSD users, especially since CEO Elon Musk has stated in the past that the V14.2 series will be for “widespread use.”
FSD V14 has so far received numerous positive reviews from Tesla owners, with numerous drivers noting that the system now drives better than most human drivers because it is cautious, confident, and considerate at the same time. The only question now, really, is if the V14.2 series does make it to the company’s wide FSD fleet, which is still populated by numerous HW3 vehicles.
News
Waymo rider data hints that Tesla’s Cybercab strategy might be the smartest, after all
These observations all but validate Tesla’s controversial two-seat Cybercab strategy, which has caught a lot of criticism since it was unveiled last year.
Toyota Connected Europe designer Karim Dia Toubajie has highlighted a particular trend that became evident in Waymo’s Q3 2025 occupancy stats. As it turned out, 90% of the trips taken by the driverless taxis carried two or fewer passengers.
These observations all but validate Tesla’s controversial two-seat Cybercab strategy, which has caught a lot of criticism since it was unveiled last year.
Toyota designer observes a trend
Karim Dia Toubajie, Lead Product Designer (Sustainable Mobility) at Toyota Connected Europe, analyzed Waymo’s latest California Public Utilities Commission filings and posted the results on LinkedIn this week.
“90% of robotaxi trips have 2 or less passengers, so why are we using 5-seater vehicles?” Toubajie asked. He continued: “90% of trips have 2 or less people, 75% of trips have 1 or less people.” He accompanied his comments with a graphic showing Waymo’s occupancy rates, which showed 71% of trips having one passenger, 15% of trips having two passengers, 6% of trips having three passengers, 5% of trips having zero passengers, and only 3% of trips having four passengers.
The data excludes operational trips like depot runs or charging, though Toubajie pointed out that most of the time, Waymo’s massive self-driving taxis are really just transporting 1 or 2 people, at times even no passengers at all. “This means that most of the time, the vehicle being used significantly outweighs the needs of the trip,” the Toyota designer wrote in his post.
-->Cybercab suddenly looks perfectly sized
Toubajie gave a nod to Tesla’s approach. “The Tesla Cybercab announced in 2024, is a 2-seater robotaxi with a 50kWh battery but I still believe this is on the larger side of what’s required for most trips,” he wrote.
With Waymo’s own numbers now proving 90% of demand fits two seats or fewer, the wheel-less, lidar-free Cybercab now looks like the smartest play in the room. The Cybercab is designed to be easy to produce, with CEO Elon Musk commenting that its product line would resemble a consumer electronics factory more than an automotive plant. This means that the Cybercab could saturate the roads quickly once it is deployed.
While the Cybercab will likely take the lion’s share of Tesla’s ride-hailing passengers, the Model 3 sedan and Model Y crossover would be perfect for the remaining 9% of riders who require larger vehicles. This should be easy to implement for Tesla, as the Model Y and Model 3 are both mass-market vehicles.
Elon Musk
Elon Musk and James Cameron find middle ground in space and AI despite political differences
Musk responded with some positive words for the director on X.
Avatar director James Cameron has stated that he can still agree with Elon Musk on space exploration and AI safety despite their stark political differences.
In an interview with Puck’s The Town podcast, the liberal director praised Musk’s SpaceX achievements and said higher priorities must unite them, such as space travel and artificial intelligence. Musk responded with some positive words for the director on X.
A longtime mutual respect
Cameron and Musk have bonded over technology for years. As far back as 2011, Cameron told NBC News that “Elon is making very strong strides. I think he’s the likeliest person to step into the shoes of the shuttle program and actually provide human access to low Earth orbit. So… go, Elon.” Cameron was right, as SpaceX would go on to become the dominant force in spaceflight over the years.
Even after Musk’s embrace of conservative politics and his roles as senior advisor and former DOGE head, Cameron refused to cancel his relationship with the CEO. “I can separate a person and their politics from the things that they want to accomplish if they’re aligned with what I think are good goals,” Cameron said. Musk appreciated the director’s comments, stating that “Jim understands physics, which is rare in Hollywood.”
Shared AI warnings
Both men have stated that artificial intelligence could be an existential threat to humanity, though Musk has noted that Tesla’s products such as Optimus could usher in an era of sustainable abundance. Musk recently predicted that money and jobs could become irrelevant with advancing AI, while Cameron warned of a deeper crisis, as noted in a Fox News report.
-->“Because the overall risk of AI in general… is that we lose purpose as people. We lose jobs. We lose a sense of, ‘Well, what are we here for?’” Cameron said. “We are these flawed biological machines, and a computer can be theoretically more precise, more correct, faster, all of those things. And that’s going to be a threshold existential issue.”
He concluded: “I just think it’s important for us as a human civilization to prioritize. We’ve got to make this Earth our spaceship. That’s really what we need to be thinking.”
Tesla starts rolling out FSD V14.2.1 to AI4 vehicles including Cybertruck
Waymo rider data hints that Tesla’s Cybercab strategy might be the smartest, after all
