Official EPA figures aren’t all that rosy for Porsche’s four-door EV.
While other global range standards have been more generous toward the Taycan, official EPA figures peg the base model — the one below the 4S, Turbo and Turbo S versions — at right around 200 miles. That depends on the battery size, of course, as Porsche offers two. The entry-level 2021 Porsche Taycan with the smaller battery pack nets a 79.2 kWh capacity and, per the EPA, a range right at 200 miles. Step up to the “Performance Battery Plus” at 93.4 kWh, and that range increases to 225 miles.
As you may expect, that puts the least powerful Taycan in the running as the best price-to-capacity position among all the Taycan variants. But, you still can’t ignore the Tesla Model S-sized elephant in the room. Buy the Long Range version of that car, and you’ll manage at least double that figure, at 412 miles. For its part, Tesla’s entry-level Model S comes in below the Taycan’s $81,250 asking price (when factoring in Porsche’s destination fee).
Our friends over at Autoblog point out, however, that the actual real-world picture may not be all that bleak. The EPA rates every other Taycan variant just as poorly — with the quickest Turbo S managing 201 miles, per their figures. In other tests, like those from independent firm ACMI, the standard battery Taycan’s range came out to 252 miles on a charge. The larger Battery Performance Plus version? That one managed 282 miles.
In most applications, the more optimistic figure does help justify the Taycan as a daily driver, apart from the fact it’s just a solid car and a Porsche. Soon enough, you’ll even be able to get the Cross Turismo in your driveway — a wagon-like version you can’t get from Tesla. Still, though, stories like these are a good reminder that you should poke around real-world tests to corroborate EPA figures with what people are actually getting on their drives (same goes for Tesla) before you pull the trigger, if range is a major concern to you.
