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Porsche teases Taycan trim levels, over $130,000 price for “Turbo” variant
Porsche is expected to start the production of the Taycan, its first all-electric car, sometime in 2019. As the carmaker prepares to dip its feet into the premium EV market, some details about the upcoming vehicle are now starting to emerge. Take, for one, the names of the Taycan’s trim levels, as well as their corresponding price range.
Auto journalist Alex Roy recently shared a message he received from a Porsche Global Brand Ambassador as a response to an inquiry about the Taycan. As noted by the journalist, Porsche appears to be adopting a rather unique naming scheme for its Tesla Model S rival, particularly for the vehicle’s top trim.
Following is an excerpt from Porsche’s message to the journalist.
“I am following up on your inquiry on the upcoming Porsche Taycan. We are expecting to see the new model in about one year from now. Porsche is going to build three models — the Taycan, the Taycan 4S, and (the) Taycan Turbo. Pricing will start in the low $90,000 for the Taycan, high $90,000 for the 4S, and over $130,000 for the Turbo before options.”
Immediately noticeable is Porsche’s use of the word “Turbo” to denote the high-performance version of the Taycan. Such a naming scheme is a bit unusual for an electric car, considering that the vehicle would not have a turbo per se. That said, Roy noted in an article on The Drive that Porsche does tend to use the “Turbo” brand as a means to distinguish a halo vehicle from other cars in its lineup.
Thus, as unusual as it might be, calling the top-tier electric car the Taycan Turbo might actually be a very strategic move for the German legacy carmaker. After all, using familiar terminology on the electric car could help the company’s dedicated fanbase be more open to Porsche’s transition towards electrified mobility. Apart from this, using the “Turbo” designation for the Taycan’s top trim also gives the impression that the vehicle is a flagship car — one that the company intends to support for years to come.
Pricing-wise, the Taycan appears to be starting at a price above the entry-level Tesla Model S 75D. If the information provided by the Porsche Global Brand Ambassador proves accurate, the entry-level Taycan will start roughly $12,000 more than the entry-level Model S, which starts at $78,000. The midrange Taycan 4S, though, appears to be directly aimed at the Model S 100D, which starts at $96,000 before incentives.
Quite interestingly, the Taycan Turbo’s $130,000 starting price actually undercuts the Model S P100D’s current $135,000 starting price. That said, if the specs that Porsche announced for the vehicle — such as a 0-60 mph time of 3.5 seconds, a top speed of 155 mph, and a range of 310 miles per charge — are true for the Taycan Turbo, the vehicle would be slower off the line and have a slightly shorter range than Tesla’s flagship performance sedan. This would make the Taycan Turbo’s specs, down to its proficiency on the track, more comparable to the Model 3 Performance, which starts at a far more affordable price of $64,000.
The Tesla Semi was spotted mounted with ground truth validation equipment as the company nears its looming launch. The Semi is Tesla’s Class 8 all-electric truck, and has been utilized in its earlier stages by many companies like PepsiCo. and Frito-Lay, who have been using it in a pilot program.
The Semi was spotted in Sunnyvale, California, and sports a typical ground truth validation unit that Tesla routinely uses on its vehicles. Ground truth validation is essentially the process of training supervised algorithms to ensure they can perform reliably. Tesla typically performs this on vehicles that are being released soon:
Spotted the new semi adorned with ground truthing equipment. Haven’t seen anyone post this so figured I’d share.
The future is autonomous!!@SawyerMerritt @wholemars pic.twitter.com/qkPDHPUQZ6
— Danny (@dannywinner1) June 21, 2026
The Semi being spotted with this type of validation rig is important because it means the company is working on solidifying a Full Self-Driving model for its commercial vehicle offering. This would be a massive development for not only Tesla but also the logistics industry as a whole.
There are strict regulations on driving hours for commercial truck drivers, and autonomy is a way to potentially combat these issues. FSD is already a widely effective way that owners of typical passenger vehicles take stress out of travel. Even launching a semi-autonomous platform for truck drivers to use to increase safety, reduce fatigue, and increase productivity would be a huge development.
Tesla Semi gets strange-but-understandable comparison from Jay Leno
The Semi has already proven to be an ideal solution for companies that use commercial logistics. It has increased efficiency and reduced operating costs for many companies that have been able to use it in pilot programs.
There are expected to be some bumps along the way. Tesla saw some challenges with FSD on the Cybertruck, as it had never had a vehicle with cameras at that height, so some of the features with FSD were not immediately available. Just a week ago, Tesla launched Actually Smart Summon (ASS) for Cybertruck, nearly three years after the vehicle was first delivered to customers.
President Donald Trump unveiled an upgraded Boeing 747-8 at Joint Base Andrews on June 19, 2026, describing the Qatar-gifted aircraft as an interim Air Force One equipped with advanced communications systems, including Starlink, Elon Musk’s SpaceX satellite internet service.
The plane, valued at around $400 million and modified for presidential use, serves as a bridge until the delayed VC-25B replacements arrive. Trump highlighted its luxury features and new technology during remarks to service members.
Trump stated:
“We have communication equipment up there that nobody’s ever seen before. It’s the highest level and, uh, including Starlink. My friend Elon is going to be very happy, but, uh, Starlink and we have, uh, four or five different sets of double and triple communications like people haven’t seen.”
He added:
“And it represents what can happen with hard work, innovation, and aggressive timelines because we did this quickly and yet there’s never been communication like is on this plane.”
🚨 President Trump confirmed today that the new Air Force One is equipped with Starlink:
“We have communication equipment up there that nobody’s ever seen before, it’s the highest level and including Starlink…my friend Elon is going to be very happy.” pic.twitter.com/IhkDmtr5hL
— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) June 20, 2026
The aircraft features a redesigned red, white, and blue livery and has been outfitted with Starlink satellite connectivity alongside other secure systems.
Trump praised the plane’s uniqueness, calling it among the world’s most luxurious. The gift from Qatar and subsequent modifications have drawn attention, with the jet positioned as a solution for presidential travel. It is expected to support operations, including potential ceremonial roles such as Fourth of July flyovers.
The event marked the formal introduction of the converted jet, which will help maintain capabilities while the primary Air Force One fleet undergoes modernization. Defense observers note the inclusion of commercial satellite technology like Starlink as part of efforts to ensure resilient communications, crucial to keep the country running as the President is in the sky.
President Trump’s comments underscored appreciation for rapid upgrades and innovation in equipping the aircraft. The plane remains a U.S. government asset and is slated for eventual transfer related to presidential library purposes after its service.
Tesla just gave what is perhaps its biggest signal yet that the launch of the Cybercab, its autonomous ride-hailing-geared car, is imminent.
The Cybercab has been spotted outside of Gigafactory Texas in massive numbers over the past few days, with hundreds of units being stored on property just days after the vehicle received a Certificate of Conformity from the EPA.
Today, things were a bit different.
Cybercabs spotted on Giga Texas property today had an addition: a Cybercab decal on the side, reminiscent of the “Robotaxi” ones that were placed on Model Ys just as the company launched its ride-sharing platform about a year ago.
Giga Texas drone operator Joe Tegtmeyer noticed the change today:
Tesla Cybercabs are now getting “Cybercab” logos on the side of them!
Tesla did the same with Model Ys that were given “Robotaxi” logos: https://t.co/DanANtw1m7 pic.twitter.com/FqOhH0S9Ks
— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) June 19, 2026
Tesla could be signaling that the Cybercab is preparing to enter the Robotaxi fleet in the coming weeks or months with this move. It seems more symbolic than anything; Tesla is ready to throw Cybercabs in the ride-hailing platform just as it did with Model Ys last year.
The addition of the Certificate of Conformity awarded to the Cybercab is another major factor working to Tesla’s advantage. The company now has permission from the EPA to allow the vehicle to operate on public roads and enter the chain of commerce. It’s officially street legal.
Tesla Cybercab specs revealed: range, curb weight, range ratings, and more
The big question that remains is whether Tesla will be able to operate the car without a safety monitor, especially considering it plans to put the car out there without a steering wheel or pedals. With the Cybercab only having a seating capacity of two, it is hard to believe Tesla will even consider putting a Safety Monitor in the car.
It did recently self-certify as Level 4 and has the ability to operate driverless vehicles in the State of Texas under a law that took effect on May 28. You can read more about that here:
Tesla’s Robotaxi dreams just took a massive step toward reality
We’d imagine Cybercabs will be on the roads as soon as July, but August will likely be a better estimate of when the car will be entered into the Cybercab fleet. It all depends at where Tesla is, as they’ve truly prioritized safety with the rollout of the Robotaxi platform.
Tesla Semi spotted with ground truth validation equipment as launch looms
President Trump touts new Air Force One with Musk technology
