Porsche Taycan review - Range, charging and running costs
The Taycan features efficient motors and a large battery pack for a range of nearly 300 miles
Thanks to a large battery pack, the Porsche Taycan can travel nearly 300 miles on a single charge, which is comparable to a sports car with a full tank of petrol. Admittedly, recharging the Taycan takes longer than refuelling a 911, but rapid charging means an 80 per cent charge is available in just 20 minutes.
The 2021 Taycan is available with a ‘plug and charge’ feature. It means payment is collected automatically when charging at Ionity stations in Europe and the UK – the car acts as authentication.
The entry-level Taycan 4S has a 79.2kWh battery with a usable capacity of 71.0kWh. This provides a range of 208 to 254 miles. Opting for the 93.4kWh Performance Battery Plus ups the usable capacity to 83.7kWh and increases the range to between 242 and 288 miles. This is the longest of any Taycan model.
Opt for the more powerful Turbo and the 93.4kWh battery comes as standard, delivering an electric range of between 238 and 281 miles. Finally, the Turbo S features the same 93.4kWh battery and offers a range of between 242 and 258 miles. All of these figures are based on the WLTP standard. What you achieve in the real world will depend on factors such as the weather, accessories used within the car and how hard you drive.
Charging on the 4S is a little slower than the other models, with a maximum rate of 225kW. Opt for the Performance Battery Plus and this increases to 270kW, which is the same as the Turbo and Turbo S models. This is the fastest charging capacity of any electric car for sale in the UK.
At 270kW, the Taycan will charge from 20 to 80 per cent in less than 20 minutes, with a 50kW charger completing the job in about 90 minutes. A 150kW charger will perform the same task on a larger battery in around 35 minutes.
You’ll need to invest in a £300 150kW DC on-board charger to take advantage of a 100-150kW DC charger. This and a Type 2 charging cable (a £210 option) should be standard on a car of this price.
Charging at home using a domestic wall box should take between 9 and 10.5 hours, depending on the charger.
Insurance groups
All versions of the Porsche Taycan slot into insurance group 50, which places it alongside the world’s fastest and most expensive supercars. It’s the same for the Tesla Model S, while the Jaguar I-Pace, which offers nothing like the performance of the Taycan, is in groups 49 and 50.
Depreciation
Early electric cars suffered from horrendous depreciation, but greater awareness, improved battery technology and a more robust charging infrastructure mean things are improving.
According to our sister site Driving Electric, the Porsche Taycan Turbo S is the slowest-depreciating electric car you can buy. Despite costing £140,000, the Turbo S will hold on to an impressive 77 per cent of its initial price after three years or 36,000 miles. That’s better than any Tesla model.
