- porsche has introduced a new rear-wheel-drive base model to the taycan electric sedan lineup.
- the new taycan is powered by a standard 79.2-kwh battery and a rear permanent-magnet synchronous electric motor that makes 402 horsepower, though a 93.4-kwh battery is an option.
- the base taycan starts at $81,250, and its epa-estimated range will be announced by spring.
porsche has added an entry-level taycan model with rear-wheel drive to its electric sedan lineup, and it will arrive in the u.s. in the spring starting at $81,250. the base model shares its rear motor with the $105,150 all-wheel-drive 4s model, and it's also 215 pounds lighter.
the base taycan is equipped with a 79.2-kwh battery pack and permanent-magnet synchronous electric motor that powers the rear axle and produces 402 horsepower and 254 pound-feet of torque. a 93.4-kwh battery is also available that increases output to 469 horsepower and 263 lb-ft of torque. porsche claims a zero-to-60-mph sprint of 5.1 seconds and a top speed of 143 mph for both configurations. the top-dog taycan turbo s has 750 horsepower and reached 60 mph in 2.4 seconds during car and driver testing.
both units support dc fast charging, and regenerative braking is standard. porsche didn't release range estimates, so we don't yet know how close this rear-wheel-drive base taycan comes to the tesla model s. however, the heavier taycan 4s with the same 79.2-kwh battery achieves only 199 miles of range. with the 93.4-kwh battery, its epa-estimated range is 227 miles, the longest of any taycan. the cheapest model s currently available, the long range plus, costs $10,630 less than the base taycan and has an epa-estimated 402 miles of range.
porsche's adaptive dampers are standard across the board, including the base model, with an air suspension available. a set of 19-inch silver taycan aero wheels with black calipers (pictured above) are standard on the base taycan, while the 4s model is differentiated by polished wheels with black spokes and red brakes. the 20- and 21-inch wheels are also available on the base model.
standard tech includes apple carplay capability, apple music, plug and charge automatic payments, over-the-air updates, and three years of free electrify america charging, plus a 19.2-kwh onboard charger and a head-up display. the 2021 porsche taycan is available to order now and will arrive in the u.s. in the spring.