The electric vehicle segment is very competitive in China. Local offerings are strong from manufacturers such as BYD, NIO, and Xpeng, and that’s before accounting for outside EV automakers such as Tesla (which itself now produces some of its vehicles in China). With such a strong market for these vehicles, it’s no surprise that Porsche is debuting its entry-level Taycan in China.
Despite serving as the lowliest model on the Taycan totem pole, the rear-drive model is still a well-equipped luxury sedan that rides on a set of stylish—and standard—19-inch wheels. Like the Taycan 4S, the base Taycan comes standard with a 79-kWh battery pack. A 93-kWh pack is optionally available. With the smaller battery, the Taycan’s lone electric motor puts out as much as 402 hp and is capable of traveling an estimated 257 miles on a full charge on the NEDC cycle.
Opt for the bigger pack and power rises to 469 horses, while the car’s driving range increases to an NEDC-estimated 303 miles. Interestingly, Porsche states that—regardless of battery pack chosen—the standard Taycan hits 62 mph in 5.4 seconds and hits a top speed of 143 mph. Thanks to the absence of a front motor, the rear-drive model benefits from a slightly larger front trunk, too.
When or if we’ll see this entry-level Porsche EV remains to be seen. That said, we’d be surprised if the standard Taycan doesn’t find its way to our shores—likely with a starting price of around $80,000. That ought to help the Taycan better poach Tesla Model S customers, even if the German sedan’s driving range still falls short of its American competition.
The base Taycan with the bigger battery pack should still emerge as the Taycan model that can travel the furthest on a full charge, though. In fact, we’d wager a rating of 220 miles or more on the EPA cycle. We’re hoping Porsche brings the base Taycan to the U.S., if only so we can see if our EPA-estimated range prediction proves true.
