News
Porsche Taycan gets three years free charging, 320 kW “Turbo Chargers” coming to dealer network
As Porsche prepares for the launch of its first all-electric car — the highly-anticipated Taycan — the carmaker has begun setting the stage for the vehicle’s rollout in the United States. On Monday, Porsche Cars North America, Inc. (PCNA) announced an agreement with Electrify America to provide the Taycan with three years of unlimited fast charging at public stations across the country. With this system in place, as well as Electrify America’s ongoing expansion, the Taycan would be capable of long-distance, coast-to-coast travel.
In a press release about the update, Porsche noted that the charging perk would be included in the Taycan’s selling price. Under the system, Taycan buyers would receive three years of unlimited 30-minute fast charging at Electrify America locations, which is comprised of over 300 highway stations in 42 states, on top of more than 180 sites in 17 select metro areas. The established carmaker stated that each Electrify America location would have an average of five charging stalls, while some sites would have enough support for up to 10 vehicles at once.
Apart from its deal with Electrify America, Porsche has also announced that its dealers would be installing their own fast-charge Turbo Charger kiosks for the company’s upcoming all-electric vehicle. Porsche would also be releasing products for home charging solutions. In a statement, Klaus Zellmer, President and CEO of PCNA, pointed out that this trifecta of charging systems — Electrify America’s infrastructure, Turbo Chargers in dealers, and home chargers — would ultimately free future Taycan owners from range anxiety.
“Every Porsche is a sports car with soul, and the Taycan is soul electrified. Together, Electrify America and our Porsche dealer network will provide a national infrastructure for DC fast charging that frees future Taycan owners from range anxiety. And Porsche home charging technology will turn the customer’s garage into the equivalent of a personal gas station,” the CEO said.
One thing that separates the Taycan from the conventional electric car is its capability to charge at an extremely rapid rate. Using 350 kW chargers, 800-volt technology, and the combined charging system (CCS) standard, the Taycan would be able to add more than 60 miles of range in just four minutes. That’s the fastest charging capabilities in the market today, roughly three times faster than Tesla’s expansive Supercharger Network.
To take advantage of the Taycan’s ultra-fast-charging capabilities, Electrify America’s highway stations would have a minimum of two 350 kW chargers per site, with additional stalls delivering up to 150 kW. Metro stations, on the other hand, would be capable of charging at speeds of up to 150 kW as well. Electrify America is expected to have 484 locations with 2,000 charging stalls completed or under construction by July 1, ahead of the Taycan’s release in late 2019.
-->
While free 3-year unlimited access to Electrify America’s chargers would undoubtedly be a notable selling point for the Taycan, Porsche’s dealers across the country would also be offering their own charging perk. The automaker has noted that all 191 of its US dealers would be installing DC fast-charging stations for the upcoming vehicle, 120 of which would feature Porsche Turbo Charging — the company’s proprietary DC/CCS charging system that delivers up to 320 kW. Porsche dealers without Turbo Chargers would feature 50 kW fast chargers on site.
The Porsche Experience Center (PEC) in Atlanta, GA already hosts the company’s first Turbo Chargers. More of Porsche’s own charging stations are expected to be installed at the PEC in Los Angeles, CA in the near future.
The Porsche Taycan is the first all-electric vehicle from the automaker. In true Porsche spirit, the Taycan boasts impressive specs, from a 0-60 mph time of 3.5 seconds, a top speed of 155 mph, and a range of 310 miles per charge. The company has also noted that just like its iconic vehicles like the legendary Porsche 911, the Taycan would be at home at the racetrack being driven to its limits. As noted by a Porsche brand ambassador in an email to an auto journalist last month, the Taycan would be offered in three models — an entry-level variant, the mid-range Taycan 4S, and the range-topping Taycan Turbo, which would likely cost over $130,000 before options.
Note from Editor:
Last Friday, Electrify America partially shut down its charging infrastructure due to safety concerns from HUBER+SUHNER, the supplier for the network’s charging cables. A spokesperson from Porsche Cars North America tells Teslarati some details on Electrify America’s partial network shutdown:
“Electrify America notified us immediately about the partial shutdown of their charging network due to a concern with one of their liquid-cooling cable suppliers. We are confident that Electrify America and their supplier will move quickly to complete an investigation and resolve this issue well in advance of our public launch of the Porsche Taycan late this year.”
-->
Elon Musk said in late November that he’s “tried to warn” legacy automakers and “even offered to license Tesla Full Self-Driving, but they don’t want it,” expressing frustration with companies that refuse to adopt the company’s suite, which will eventually be autonomous.
Tesla has long established itself as the leader in self-driving technology, especially in the United States. Although there are formidable competitors, Tesla’s FSD suite is the most robust and is not limited to certain areas or roadways. It operates anywhere and everywhere.
The company’s current position as the leader in self-driving tech is being ignored by legacy automakers, a parallel to what Tesla’s position was with EV development over a decade ago, which was also ignored by competitors.
The reluctance mirrors how legacy automakers initially dismissed EVs, only to scramble in catch-up mode years later–a pattern that highlights their historical underestimation of disruptive innovations from Tesla.
Elon Musk’s Self-Driving Licensing Attempts
Musk and Tesla have tried to push Full Self-Driving to other car companies, with no true suitors, despite ongoing conversations for years. Tesla’s FSD is aiming to become more robust through comprehensive data collection and a larger fleet, something the company has tried to establish through a subscription program, free trials, and other strategies.
-->Tesla CEO Elon Musk sends rivals dire warning about Full Self-Driving
However, competing companies have not wanted to license FSD for a handful of speculative reasons: competitive pride, regulatory concerns, high costs, or preference for in-house development.
Déjà vu All Over Again
Tesla tried to portray the importance of EVs long ago, as in the 2010s, executives from companies like Ford and GM downplayed the importance of sustainable powertrains as niche or unprofitable.
Musk once said in a 2014 interview that rivals woke up to electric powertrains when the Model S started to disrupt things and gained some market share. Things got really serious upon the launch of the Model 3 in 2017, as a mass-market vehicle was what Tesla was missing from its lineup.
This caused legacy companies to truly wake up; they were losing market share to Tesla’s new and exciting tech that offered less maintenance, a fresh take on passenger auto, and other advantages. They were late to the party, and although they have all launched vehicles of their own, they still lag in two major areas: sales and infrastructure, leaning on Tesla for the latter.
-->I’ve tried to warn them and even offered to license Tesla FSD, but they don’t want it! Crazy …
When legacy auto does occasionally reach out, they tepidly discuss implementing FSD for a tiny program in 5 years with unworkable requirements for Tesla, so pointless. 🤷♂️
🦕 🦕
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 24, 2025
Musk’s past warnings have been plentiful. In 2017, he responded to critics who stated Tesla was chasing subsidies. He responded, “Few people know that we started Tesla when GM forcibly recalled all electric cars from customers in 2003 and then crushed them in a junkyard,” adding that “they would be doing nothing” on EVs without Tesla’s efforts.
-->Companies laughed off Tesla’s prowess with EVs, only to realize they had made a grave mistake later on.
It looks to be happening once again.
A Pattern of Underestimation
Both EVs and self-driving tech represent major paradigm shifts that legacy players view as threats to their established business models; it’s hard to change. However, these early push-aways from new tech only result in reactive strategies later on, usually resulting in what pains they are facing now.
Ford is scaling back its EV efforts, and GM’s projects are hurting. Although they both have in-house self-driving projects, they are falling well behind the progress of Tesla and even other competitors.
It is getting to a point where short-term risk will become a long-term setback, and they may have to rely on a company to pull them out of a tough situation later on, just as it did with Tesla and EV charging infrastructure.
-->Tesla has continued to innovate, while legacy automakers have lagged behind, and it has cost them dearly.
Implications and Future Outlook
Moving forward, Tesla’s progress will continue to accelerate, while a dismissive attitude by other companies will continue to penalize them, especially as time goes on. Falling further behind in self-driving could eventually lead to market share erosion, as autonomy could be a crucial part of vehicle marketing within the next few years.
Eventually, companies could be forced into joint partnerships as economic pressures mount. Some companies did this with EVs, but it has not resulted in very much.
Self-driving efforts are not only a strength for companies themselves, but they also contribute to other things, like affordability and safety.
Tesla has exhibited data that specifically shows its self-driving tech is safer than human drivers, most recently by a considerable margin. This would help with eliminating accidents and making roads safer.
-->Tesla’s new Safety Report shows Autopilot is nine times safer than humans
Additionally, competition in the market is a good thing, as it drives costs down and helps innovation continue on an upward trend.
Conclusion
The parallels are unmistakable: a decade ago, legacy automakers laughed off electric vehicles as toys for tree-huggers, crushed their own EV programs, and bet everything on the internal-combustion status quo–only to watch Tesla redefine the industry while they scrambled for billions in catch-up capital.
Today, the same companies are turning down repeated offers to license Tesla’s Full Self-Driving technology, insisting they can build better autonomy in-house, even as their own programs stumble through recalls, layoffs, and missed milestones. History is not merely rhyming; it is repeating almost note-for-note.
Elon Musk has spent twenty years warning that the auto industry’s bureaucratic inertia and short-term thinking will leave it stranded on the wrong side of technological revolutions. The question is no longer whether Tesla is ahead–it is whether the giants of Detroit, Stuttgart, and Toyota will finally listen before the next wave leaves them watching another leader pull away in the rear-view mirror.
-->This time, the stakes are not just market share; they are the very definition of what a car will be in the decades ahead.
News
Waymo driverless taxi drives directly into active LAPD standoff
No injuries occurred, and the passengers inside the vehicle were safely transported to their destination, as per a Waymo representative.
A video posted on social media has shown an occupied Waymo driverless taxi driving directly into the middle of an active LAPD standoff in downtown Los Angeles.
As could be seen in the short video, which was initially posted on Instagram by user Alex Choi, a Waymo driverless taxi drove directly into the middle of an active LAPD standoff in downtown Los Angeles.
The driverless taxi made an unprotected left turn despite what appeared to be a red light, briefly entering a police perimeter. At the time, officers seemed to be giving commands to a prone suspect on the ground, who looked quite surprised at the sudden presence of the driverless vehicle.
People on the sidewalk, including the person who was filming the video, could be heard chuckling at the Waymo’s strange behavior.
The Waymo reportedly cleared the area within seconds. No injuries occurred, and the passengers inside the vehicle were safely transported to their destination, as per a Waymo representative. Still, the video spread across social media, with numerous netizens poking fun at the gaffe.
-->Others also pointed out that such a gaffe would have resulted in widespread controversy had the vehicle involved been a Tesla on FSD. Tesla is constantly under scrutiny, with TSLA shorts and similar groups actively trying to put down the company’s FSD program.
A Tesla on FSD or Robotaxi accidentally driving into an active police standoff would likely cause lawsuits, nonstop media coverage, and calls for a worldwide ban, at the least.
This was one of the reasons why even minor traffic infractions committed by the company’s Robotaxis during their initial rollout in Austin received nationwide media attention. This particular Waymo incident, however, will likely not receive as much coverage.
Tesla Model Y demand in China is through the roof, and new delivery dates show the company has already sold out its allocation of the all-electric crossover for 2025.
The Model Y has been the most popular vehicle in the world in both of the last two years, outpacing incredibly popular vehicles like the Toyota RAV 4. In China, the EV market is substantially more saturated, with more competitors than in any other market.
However, Tesla has been kind to the Chinese market, as it has launched trim levels for the Model Y in the country that are not available anywhere else. Demand has been strong for the Model Y in China; it ranks in the top 5 of all EVs in the country, trailing the BYD Seagull, Wuling Hongguang Mini EV, and the Geely Galaxy Xingyuan.
The other three models ahead of the Model Y are priced substantially lower.
Tesla is still dealing with strong demand for the Model Y, and the company is now pushing delivery dates to early 2026, meaning the vehicle is sold out for the year:
NEWS: New orders for all four Tesla Model Y trims in China are now officially sold out for 2025, as the factory’s remaining production capacity for the year has been fully allocated.
Estimated delivery dates for new orders now show January-February 2026. pic.twitter.com/Dfnu7yY58N
— Sawyer Merritt (@SawyerMerritt) December 1, 2025
Tesla experienced a 9.9 percent year-over-year rise in its China-made EV sales for November, meaning there is some serious potential for the automaker moving into next year despite increased competition.
There have been a lot of questions surrounding how Tesla would perform globally with more competition, but it seems to have a good grasp of various markets because of its vehicles, its charging infrastructure, and its Full Self-Driving (FSD) suite, which has been expanding to more countries as of late.
Tesla Model Y is still China’s best-selling premium EV through October
Tesla holds a dominating lead in the United States with EV registrations, and performs incredibly well in several European countries.
With demand in China looking strong, it will be interesting to see how the company ends the year in terms of global deliveries.
Elon Musk’s warning to legacy automakers: Tesla FSD licensing snub echoes EV dismissal
Waymo driverless taxi drives directly into active LAPD standoff
