Porsche really changed the EV game by giving us the Taycan. It is Porsches first electric saloon which is outstandingly comfortable, quiet, hugely capable, well built and also handles like a dream – just like Porsche should. All the other EVs lack in at least one of those areas, so I think it is safe to say, that Porsche Taycan is curently the most complete and therefore the best electric car on the market. Even Top Gear gave it their ‘Car of the Year 2020’ award and not just in the electric cars category, it won the whole lot. Not without its price tho. By costing way above 100.000€ even in its most base spec, you could say that it just has to be that good, and also begs the question, are faster and even more expensive versions even worth the extra money?
My humble opinion is that probably not. It’s not that Turbo and Turbo S versions are not good and ludicrusly fast, it’s just that even 4S is more than capable enough for luxury saloon and is also a lot less expensive – perfect if you want a rent a car porsche. Having a 4 seconds flat from 0 to 100 km/h and a 250 km/h top speed is not to be laughed at, and the way it dispatches all that 530 horsepower from its two electric motors is simply mind blowing. By having less powerfull electric motor at the back than its more powerfull siblings, it will also give you a bit more range which in EV world is a huge bonus. With Performance Battery Plus it will easily give you 350 km of real motorway driving range, even more if you are careful with the GO pedal. All that for 40% less money than the bonkers 761 HP Turbo S model. Talking about consumer advice.
What about the famous Porsche handling, steering and brake feel? Happy to report, they are all still here, even after the electricity took over. The way Taycan can carve through the corners really shouldn’t be possible for something weighing more that 2,3 tones. Especially when you set the adaptive dampers in Sport Plus mode, the body control is just amazing. It obviously has its limits because you just can’t cheat physics, but Porsche tried, and almost made it.
Still the most impressive thing is its brake pedal feel. You might wonder why, because Porsche is known for making its brake pedal feel just perfect. The answer to why I think of this to be such an amazing achievement is in two words – regenerative braking. Let me explain. Many carmakers integrate so called one pedal driving to their EVs, where as soon as you step off accelerator pedal, the regenerative braking kicks in, and you begin to slow down which is sometimes really annoying. Not here. In Taycan when you lift off accelerator the car just coasts with an impressive grace, loosing very little speed doing it. Only when you press the brake pedal it starts regenerating up to 260kW of power from slowing the car down. You even have a dial showing you how much regenerative braking you are using, and with so much on offer, you rarely even use the real brakes even though the feel of the pedal is as if you are using one of good old classic porsche brakes. To make brake by wire system with all that regenerative braking technology behind it feel so natural to a driver, is something only Porsche can pull through. In reality, this is just the tip of Taycans technological iceberg, with many things being patented for the first time.
What about the other, more relaxed side of EV driving? Well you could say that it likes easy cross country driving even more than it likes canyon carving. It offers a very comfortable, quiet and relaxed driving experience, with pleasant interior, and space for 4 passengers, although the 2 rear passengers will find very limited head room. On the whole it is an interesting luxury interior, but not to a point of the larger Porsche Panamera wich is also in our rent a car porsche fleet. Some plastics on B pillars are not really up to a six figure price tag, and I would personaly love some more buttons, but other than that you can’t really fault it.
Porsche really made a winner with the Taycan, which is already showing in its sales figures. In 2020 Porsche sold more Taycans than any other model, which is surprising, given that there is a new 911 in town. Impressive stuff. As for our question at the beggining – yes I really believe that Taycan 4S with Performance Battery Plus upgrade is truly the ‘pick of the bunch’ in current Porsche Taycan lineup by being the cheapest, having the longest range and by still being fast enough.
Do you want rent a car Porsche Taycan? Call us or write us an email.
