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Porsche Taycan is here: 0-60 mph in 2.6 sec, 750 HP, good looks with a 911 price tag

The Porsche Taycan Turbo S. (Credit: Porsche AG)

Published

7 years ago

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The Porsche Taycan is here. In three simultaneous events in Canada, Germany, and China, the veteran automaker took the wraps off its first all-electric sports car. Addressing the audience at Niagara Falls, Porsche Executive Board Member for Sales and Marketing Detlev von Platen highlighted the importance of the Taycan to the company, particularly as it is a vehicle that is designed to carry Porsche into the electric age. 

“The Taycan links our heritage to the future. It carries forward the success story of our brand – a brand that has fascinated and thrilled people the world over for more than 70 years. This day marks the start of a new era,” he said. 

Porsche will be starting its electric car push with the Taycan’s top two configurations: the Taycan Turbo and the Taycan Turbo S. The base Taycan, as well as the midrange Taycan 4S, are expected to follow later this year, while the vehicle’s first derivative, the outdoor-themed Taycan Cross Turismo, is poised to be launched by the end of 2020. The company noted that by 2022, it would have invested over $6.6 billion in its electric vehicle initiatives.  

Following is an overview of the Taycan’s characteristics, from its design and performance to its safety features and price. 

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The Porsche Taycan Turbo and the Taycan Turbo S. (Credit: Porsche AG)

Design

Immediately noticeable from the production version of the Taycan is that the vehicle is very close to the appearance of the Mission E sedan. The Taycan is 1,966 mm (77.4 inches) wide but only 1,380 mm (54.33 inches) high, which gives the car a wide and flat look that is distinctly Porsche. It’s very low to the ground, being 40 mm (1.5 inches) lower than the Panamera. From the rear, the Taycan is shaped by a roofline that slopes downward to the rear, while its side sections are highly sculpted, giving the vehicle a wide and sporty stance. Overall, the Taycan has a length of 4,963 mm (195.39 inches) and a wheelbase of 2,900 mm (114.17 inches). The vehicle also has a 0.22 drag coefficient, which is currently the lowest of all cars Porsche has released to date. 

Performance

Porsche has only revealed the performance figures of the Taycan Turbo and Turbo S. With Launch Control, the Taycan Turbo S is capable of going from 0 to 60 mph in 2.6 seconds. The Taycan Turbo is only a fraction of a second behind, with its 0-60 mph time of 3.0 seconds. Quarter-mile times for each vehicle stand at 10.8 seconds for the Taycan Turbo S and 11.1 seconds for the Taycan Turbo. 

The secret to the Taycan’s speed lies in its two electric motors, the front of which has a max output of 190 kW for the Turbo S and 175 kW for the Turbo. The Taycan’s 335 kW rear motor, as well as its dedicated Launch Mode options with “Overboost,” ultimately allows the Taycan to have a maximum torque of 1,050 Nm for the Turbo S and 850 Nm for the Turbo variant. 

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The Porsche Taycan Turbo and the Taycan Turbo S. (Credit: Porsche AG)

Safety

The Taycan’s body is comprised of an aluminum chassis reinforced with hot-formed steel on pillars and doors. Porsche highlighted that the vehicle was designed with strict requirements to ensure that nothing can puncture the car’s battery pack. In the event of a frontal crash, the Taycan’s front assemblies slide away from the pack to prevent intrusions into the cabin. The Taycan is equipped with a suite of sensors as well, including front and rear radar, wide-angle cameras, a mono front camera, ultrasonic sensors, and long-range radar. 

Battery

Porsche opted to utilize a 100 kWh battery pack with the Taycan, though only 93 kWh of this is usable. The Taycan’s batteries are made from Li-ion pouch cells that are provided by LG Chem. The Taycan’s aluminum battery pack has a 2 mm thickness on the bottom, with cell modules resting on top of the cooling system on the battery pack. 

The automaker utilized its 800-volt architecture for the Taycan, which, Porsche noted, reduces the current needed to produce large amounts of power. The lower current also means that Porsche could use thinner cables for the vehicle, allowing the Taycan’s wiring system to be lighter. Ultimately, Porsche notes that the Taycan’s 800-volt tech enables higher continuous power and faster charging.

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The Porsche Taycan Turbo and the Taycan Turbo S. (Credit: Porsche AG)

Range

The Porsche Taycan has not been issued with an official EPA rating yet, though the Turbo S has been given a 388–412 km (241-256 miles) range per charge under the WLTP standard. The Taycan Turbo was given a higher max range rating by the WLTP, outlasting its more powerful sibling with an estimated range of 381-450 km (236.74-279.61 miles) per charge. 

The Taycan Turbo has a power consumption of 25.7–24.5 kWh/100 km under the WLTP, which makes it more efficient compared to the Taycan Turbo S’ 26.7–23.0 kWh/100 km. Overall, the Taycan Turbo has a combined power consumption rating of 26.0 kWh/100 km under the NEDC, while the Turbo S variant is rated at 26.9 kWh/100 km. 

Features

The Porsche Taycan’s storage area is comprised of a rear trunk and a frunk. According to the vehicle’s official spec sheet released for North America, the Taycan’s frunk has 2.8 cubic feet of space, while its rear trunk has 12.9 cubic feet of space. The Taycan is also equipped with two charging ports. Interestingly, the Taycan has a nifty feature for times when its charging port door is stuck due to ice. In such instances, the Taycan’s charge port door will vibrate and gradually increase the force until the vibrations break the ice. This should help electric car owners charge their vehicles during winters. 

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Price

Porsche states that the Taycan is one of its most important vehicles since the 911. In this sense, the Taycan is priced in pretty much the same bracket as the flagship sports car. The Taycan Turbo starts at $150,900 ($153,310 at launch), which is comparable to the price of a 2019 Porsche 911 Turbo. For comparison, Porsche Fremont’s official website lists the 2019 911 Turbo with an MSRP of $161,800.

The Taycan Turbo S is Porsche’s flagship electric car to date, and it is priced as such. The vehicle starts at $185,000 ($187,610 at launch), making it comparable to the price of a 2019 Porsche 911 Turbo S, which is listed in the United States with an MSRP of $190,700. 

Watch the Porsche Taycan’s unveiling in the video below. 

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Simon is an experienced automotive reporter with a passion for electric cars and clean energy. Fascinated by the world envisioned by Elon Musk, he hopes to make it to Mars (at least as a tourist) someday. For stories or tips--or even to just say a simple hello--send a message to his email, simon@teslarati.com or his handle on X, @ResidentSponge.

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Tesla owner attempts resale of Model S Signature Edition for over $260k

Published

2 hours ago

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July 14, 2026

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Credit: Tesla

A Tesla owner who purchased a Model S Signature Edition, one of the final 250 units of the all-electric flagship vehicle that the company discontinued earlier this year, is attempting to sell the car despite a no-resale clause that prohibits reselling for the first year.

The car is being sold by J&S Autohaus in Ewing, New Jersey, and is priced at $260,490, well above the $159,420 that Tesla sold it for earlier this year.

To those who do not know, the Model S Signature was a highly exclusive, limited-run farewell variant of the Model S Plaid that was produced this year to mark the end of production of both the Model S and Model X, Tesla’s two flagship vehicles.

Limited to just 250 units with invite-only sales, it serves as a collector’s item celebrating the legacy of the Model S, which helped pioneer Tesla’s electric vehicle success since its 2012 launch.

It bundles top-tier performance with bespoke cosmetic and luxury upgrades, plus Tesla’s Luxe Package. Here’s what the Model S Signature has over the typical Model S Plaid:

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  • Exclusive Exterior – Unique Garnet Red Paint, matching door handles, gold Tesla “T” badges upfront, gold Plaid and Signature badging at the rear.
  • Premium Interior – White Alcantara upholstery with gold piping/accents, gold Plaid seat badges, Signature-marked door sills, individually numbered dashboard plaque, gold puddle lights, special interior lighting sequence, and a custom Signature key fob.
  • Performance Upgrades – Carbon-ceramic brakes with gold calipers
  • Bundled Luxe Package – Full Self-Driving (Supervised), four years of Premium Connectivity, free lifetime Supercharging
  • Performance Metrics – ~1,020 horsepower, sub-2-second 0-60 MPH, ~390-mile range

Tesla quickly introduced a No Resale Agreement for the Signature Editions of the Model S and Model X, which would penalize the seller for “the amount of $50,000 or the value received as consideration for the sale or transfer, whichever is greater.”

The company continues:

“If you sell or otherwise transfer the ownership of your Model S or Model X, the remainder of the Recommended Maintenance, Wheel and Tire Protection Plan, and Windshield Protection Plan will transfer automatically to the buyer. The Full Self-Driving (Supervised), Free Supercharging and Premium Connectivity will not transfer with the vehicle and will terminate once the ownership of the Model S or Model X is transferred.”

Tesla will likely come after the seller, especially as it has been about two months since Tesla launched deliveries.

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Tesla Full Self-Driving v14.3.5 Early Impressions: new features and early performance

Published

5 hours ago

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July 14, 2026

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Credit: TESLARATI

Tesla rolled out Full Self-Driving (Supervised) v14.3.5 yesterday, and about fifty miles of driving on the new version has given me enough time to highlight what seems to be strong about the release and what is not.

Additionally, Tesla has added a few new features with this specific update, which we’ll highlight as well.

Tesla Full Self-Driving v14.3.5 Performance

The new update is business as usual. Things seem to be running completely normal and necessary, but there are a few things that we’ve seemed to pick up on based on our own experience with v14.3.5, as well as what other users are seeing.

Initially, it seems to be more aware of its surroundings, making moves that are incredibly courteous to other drives and operating just a tad more reserved than what the suite might have done previously.

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We had two instances where it showed this, the first being FSD needing to pass a Flagger Force vehicle that was placing down signage for the day. Their work truck was right at the front corner of a right-hand turn; typically where most cars travel when they take that turn.

FSD v14.3.5 recognized this, slowed down, and took the turn wide with no issues:

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Additionally, v14.3.5 backed up for a semi truck that was making a wide turn onto a road my car was on. This is not new, but it seemed to be backing up for courtesy; it didn’t seem completely necessary, but it might have put some peace of mind in the truck driver’s head:

X user Mike P, also a Pennsylvania native like myself, shared three clips of his Tesla running v14.3.5 performing similar maneuvers. He said:

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“FSD turns right into a small alley that only fits one car at a time, sees oncoming car, reverses out of alley to make space, realizes oncoming car is actually parking, re-enters alley.”

Check it out here:

It seems like Speed Profiles are still in need of some tweaking; I am adjusting what Speed Profile I’m in frequently, constantly changing it to get it to travel at the correct speed. This was an issue for me on v14.3.4. It seems like they’re just a little inconsistent.

Terrible Parking

Parking attempts on v14.3.5 were not good. There are quite a few people who have said this:

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David Moss, the Tesla owner who has taken multiple coast-to-coast drives without any interventions, also has had some issues with parking early on with v14.3.5:

New Features

Tesla has added the ability to open Camera Preview at any time. Previously, it was only available in Park. Here’s what that feature looks like in action:

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Check back later this week for a longer review of what we’ve noticed on Full Self-Driving v14.3.5.

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Tesla makes the cut on California’s newest EV Rebate program

California just signed a $270 million EV rebate into law and it starts this summer.

Published

10 hours ago

on

July 13, 2026

By

tesla fremont

California Governor Gavin Newsom signed SB 168 into law on Monday, July 13, 2026, creating a $270 million EV rebate program that delivers money directly at the dealership rather than as a tax credit applied months later. The program, called MyFirstEV, is funded equally by California’s state budget and participating automakers, with each contributing $135.5 million to make the math work.

The timing is directly tied to the loss of federal support when the $7,500 federal EV tax credit ended, removing the most significant consumer incentive that had driven EV adoption in the U.S. California, which accounts for roughly one-third of all EVs sold nationally, moved to fill that gap with a state-level replacement.

The rebate structure is straightforward. First-time EV buyers can receive $3,500 off any new battery-electric vehicle with an MSRP up to $50,000. Used EVs priced at $25,000 or below qualify for a $1,750 rebate. The credit is applied at the point of sale, which removes the friction of the old federal system where buyers had to wait for tax season to see the benefit. The program goes live later this summer, with the California Air Resources Board expected to release full participation details next month.

California hits Tesla Cybercab and Robotaxi driverless cars with new law

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For Tesla buyers, the implications are mixed. The Tesla Model 3 RWD at $42,490 and the Model 3 Long Range at $47,490 both fall under the $50,000 cap and would qualify for the full $3,500 rebate for first-time buyers. The Model Y, which starts at $44,990 after Tesla’s recent price adjustment, also qualifies. The Model X, Model S, and Cybertruck all exceed the cap and receive no benefit. As Teslarati has reported, the program also includes a carve-out exempting California-based automakers like Rivian and Lucid from the price cap entirely, a provision that puts Tesla at a disadvantage since it relocated its headquarters to Texas in 2021.

Other qualifying vehicles include the Chevrolet Equinox EV, Ford Mustang Mach-E, Hyundai Ioniq 5, Kia EV6, and Volkswagen ID.4.

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