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Richard Nunn rides in Porsche’s new all-electric Taycan

New electric model packs the power of legendary roadsters

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Straight from the house of Zuffenhausen is true Porsche innovation and performance in a fully electric vehicle. The 2021 Taycan is the first production electric vehicle with an 800-volt power plant. It is also the first with a multispeed transaxle. Combined, this means faster charging times and hypercar performance.

Coming in at a base price of around $80,000, the electric sedan is considered the entry-level Porsche. It’s one of many vehicles featured at the 2021 Jacksonville International Auto Show.

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“This is an 800-volt architecture which is double the rest of the EV market. Because of this 800-volt architecture, a couple of really unique things happened with the Taycan. One, the car remains incredibly cool which is important for performance. So, from a performance standpoint we can have a lot of fun with this car and two, that performance is repeatable time after time after time,” said Chad Gilbert, a certified brand ambassador at Porsche Jacksonville.

Did we mention rear wheel drive? Yes, the price tag is high, but what you get for the money is all Porsche, with an electrified punch. The Taycan comes with a 79.2 kWh battery with a rear mounted permanent-magnet synchronous motor that delivers 402 horsepower and 254 pounds-feet of torque. In typical Porsche fashion, there is an optional 93.4 kWh battery available that brings the numbers up to 469 and 263. Oddly enough, Porsche claims the same 0-60 times with both configurations of 5.1 seconds.

“In minutes with this 800-volt system, you have a few different ways that you can charge this. It’s the only EV on the market that you can charge level one, which is a typical household plug. Level two, which is like a dryer plug by 240 volts, and then you also have DC fast charging, not just 400 volts but supercharging 800 volts to your charging time, can actually be as short as 23 minutes,” Gilbert said.

Battery range is 199 miles with the standard set up and 227 with the upgrade. Even with the upgraded power plant, the Tesla Model S can top 400 miles and comes in around 10 thousand dollars less.

“The new rear-wheel drive PT icon comes in at just under $80,000 and again is highly customizable just like the rest of the Porsche lineup. That’s a fantastic price point, especially when you compare it to the rest of the EV market,” Gilbert said.

While Porsche may lack in mileage it makes up for in charging times. The standard 800-volt platform can go from a 5 percent charge to 80 percent in less than a half hour with a fast charge. If you can’t find a fast-charging station, a more common 50 kilowatts unit can perform the same charge in 93 minutes.

Some compare the Taycan styling to the Panamera. At first glance, the four doors may sway you that way, but put it next to a 911 and you will see the lines of legacy. Styling doesn’t end there, inside is a sleek, open cockpit reminiscent of early 911s. Wide open floors in the front with plenty of legroom.

The dash is an array of screens and because of this, void of knobs. The main display is 16.8 inches for the gauges which can be configured to driver’s choice. There are also two centrally located touch screens that control the infotainment systems. The top one is easily controlled by the passenger and measures almost 11 inches while the second screen closer to the console, measuring around 8 inches, controls car comfort, battery settings and connected devices.

As far as performance, it’s a Porsche and it’s electric. It is instantly quick with torque that won’t quit. The acceleration off the line will make you rethink what fast is. The two-speed transmission offers the punch of the famed PDK in Sport Mode. The only thing that was missing was the flat six sound.


About the Author
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Richard Nunn is the Weather Authority Chief Meteorologist

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