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Porsche exec discusses Taycan battery size, winter package, and final design
Porsche continues to provide exciting new details about the Taycan, the company’s first all-electric vehicle that’s expected to rival the Tesla Model S. Just recently, the established carmaker issued a press release discussing the vehicle’s upcoming charging infrastructure in North America, which would enable the Taycan to travel from coast to coast. In a recent interview, the chief of Porsche’s Electric Car Initiative outlined some exciting new details about the electric sedan, including its battery pack size, as well as some of the vehicle’s notable features.
In a recent email to Taycan reservation holders (credit to Jim Roger Johansen for providing Teslarati with a copy of the message), Stefan Weckbach, one of the veteran company’s leads on the development of the Taycan, answered some frequently asked questions about the upcoming electric sedan.
Considering that Porsche is yet to reveal the production version of the Taycan, questions remain about the vehicle’s final design. Weckbach, for his part, noted that the production car’s appearance would be very similar to that of the Mission E sedan concept car, though the exec stated that it would be “more suited for practical use” and optimized for aerodynamics. As such, the production Taycan would utilize conventional doors instead of the Mission E sedan concept’s stunning suicide doors.
Being a sports sedan, the Taycan would not be equipped with a tow hitch. In his response to the inquiry, Weckbach explained that the “demand for hitches in the (sports sedan) segment is low.” The Porsche exec also provided some details about the Taycan’s Winter Package, which would include heated seats in both front and rear, a heated steering wheel, and a heat pump. The Porsche exec noted that the Winter Package would be available as an option.
That said, perhaps the most interesting piece of information from Weckbach’s brief, written Q&A, are some tidbits about the Taycan’s battery pack. Porsche has noted that the upcoming electric car’s lithium-ion battery pack would be liquid cooled, enabling impressive performance and acceleration figures. The exec also noted that the size of the Taycan’s battery would be around 90 kWh, placing it just below the Model S’ largest battery pack to date and putting it in the same range as the Jaguar I-PACE.
The Porsche Taycan is the first all-electric car from the established carmaker. True to the company’s spirit, the Taycan boasts impressive specs, from its 0-60 mph time of 3.5 seconds, its top speed of 155 mph, and its range of 310 miles per charge. Just like its iconic vehicles like the legendary Porsche 911, the carmaker notes that the Taycan would be at home at the racetrack being driven hard around corners and bends. As pointed out 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 version, a mid-range variant called the Taycan 4S, and a range-topping version dubbed the Taycan Turbo, which would likely cost over $130,000 before options.
The Porsche Taycan is expected to start production sometime this year at the company’s Zuffenhausen site.
Elon Musk
Tesla looks to expand Robotaxi geofence once again with testing in new area
It looks as if Tesla is preparing for its next expansion of the geofence, potentially moving toward a much larger service area that could eclipse 150 square miles.
Tesla looks to be preparing for the potential expansion of the Robotaxi geofence once again, as the company was spotted testing the suite in an area well outside of the Austin service area.
After it first launched the Robotaxi platform on June 22, Tesla has managed to expand its geofence twice, essentially doubling the travel area both times.
The most recent expansion took the size of the geofence from 42 square miles to about 80 square miles, bringing new neighborhoods and regions of the city into the realm of where the driverless vehicles could take passengers.
However, it looks as if Tesla is preparing for its next expansion of the geofence, potentially moving toward a much larger service area that could eclipse 150 square miles.
Over the weekend, one fan noticed a Robotaxi validation vehicle testing in Bee Cave, Texas, which is roughly 25 minutes from the edge of the current geofence:
Tesla spotted doing Robotaxi validation testing in Bee Cave, Texas, about 15 miles west of Austin (20-25 minute drive from current edge of geofence). pic.twitter.com/JCOcoys8SJ
— Sawyer Merritt (@SawyerMerritt) August 23, 2025
Tesla has been testing vehicles in the western suburbs of Austin for some time, and it seems the company is laying some groundwork to push its geofence expansion into Plaid Mode as competition with Waymo continues to be at the forefront of the conversation.
Waymo has been expanding with Tesla for some time, as the pace of expansion for the two companies has been relatively accelerated for the past couple of months.
Tesla’s expansions of the geofence sent a clear message to competitors and doubters, but it is still aiming to keep things safe and not push the envelope too quickly.
The geofence expansion is impressive, but Tesla is also focusing on expanding its vehicle fleet in both Austin and the Bay Area, where it launched a ride-hailing service in July.
Tesla Bay Area autonomous fleet to grow to over 100 units: Elon Musk
Still, safety is the priority at the current time.
“We are being very cautious. We do not want to take any chances, so we are going to go cautiously. But the service areas and the number of vehicles in operation will increase at a hyper-exponential rate,” CEO Elon Musk said during the Q2 Earnings Call.
News
Tesla considers making a big move with Model Y pricing as demand is skyrocketing
“Trending toward a need to expedite output even further, which could mean adjusting pricing upward in the coming days. Trying hard not to, will see.”
Tesla is considering making a big move with Model Y pricing as demand is skyrocketing due to the EV tax credit expiring in just over a month.
With the $7,500 EV tax credit set to be removed on September 30, Tesla is experiencing increased demand for its Model 3 and Model Y. Customers are doing whatever they can to take delivery of the car they ordered as soon as possible.
The IRS recently adjusted the EV tax credit’s rules slightly.
Previously, the vehicle had to be delivered by September 30, but a slight tweak the agency made last week will now allow customers to enter a legally binding contract along with a marginal down payment by that date. The delivery can occur after September 30, and the car can still qualify for the credit.
However, demand is getting so crazy for the Model Y that Tesla is considering a price increase on the all-electric crossover, as well as a potential boost in production output to keep up with orders.
Inventory is dwindling in several markets across the United States, a good sign for the company, as it could have one of its best quarters in recent history in terms of deliveries.
However, Tesla is thinking of bumping the price slightly, Raj Jegannathan, the company’s VP of IT, AI Infrastructure, Apps, Infosec, and Vehicle Service Operations, said on X:
Trending toward a need to expedite output even further, which could mean adjusting pricing upward in the coming days. Trying hard not to, will see.
— Raj Jegannathan (@r_jegaa) August 25, 2025
The price adjustment would come as a response to increasing production output, Jegannathan’s response seems to indicate.
The bump would help Tesla’s margins, but the idea that the company could adjust pricing by increasing it would not be popular with potential car buyers. It might encourage some buyers to put their orders in sooner, hoping to avoid a new, higher price.
However, it could also steer some buyers away from putting an order in on a vehicle, especially if the price increase is more than a few hundred dollars.
Tesla boosted the price of the Model S, Model X, and Cybertruck recently, but brought in a “Luxe Package” to help justify it.
It comes with Free Full Self-Driving, Free lifetime Supercharging, four years of premium service, and lifetime Premium Connectivity.
Tesla has produced its 100,000th new Model Y at Gigafactory Berlin. The milestone was announced by the electric vehicle maker through its official Tesla Manufacturing account on social media platform X.
New Tesla Model Y milestone
The milestone was announced by Tesla on X, when the company wrote “Today, we built the 100,000th New Model Y at Giga Berlin!” The announcement was accompanied by an image of a new Model Y coming off the line.
The milestone was received warmly by members of the Tesla community, many of whom expressed excitement at the further progress of the new Model Y program at Giga Berlin. The facility, after all, only produces Model Y units, which would make it the perfect site to produce new variants like the Model Y Performance and possibly even the Model Y L, which was recently launched in China.
New Model Y ramp
As noted in a previous report from electrive, the initial production of the new Model Y started in Giga Berlin around mid-January 2025. Since the new Model Y involved a changeover from the legacy Y to the new variant, the ramp of the new Model Y’s production at the Germany-based facility was likely a gradual process over the past months.
It would then be no surprise if the next 100,000 new Model Y units would be produced in Giga Berlin in a shorter period. Giga Berlin could become an even bigger factor in Tesla’s global sales, after all, especially if it becomes the site that produces the Model Y Performance and the Model Y L for Europe and other territories. Giga Berlin, if any, seems to be quite busy recently, with aerial videos of the facility showing a fleet of mysteriously covered Model Y units being stored within the complex.
Tesla looks to expand Robotaxi geofence once again with testing in new area
Tesla considers making a big move with Model Y pricing as demand is skyrocketing
Tesla produces 100,000th new Model Y in Giga Berlin
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