The first electric car from Porsche is here! Meet the new Porsche Taycan

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Two electric motors and a maximum power figure of 761 hp

Porsche presented its first fully-electric sports car to the public today with a spectacular world premiere held simultaneously on three continents.

Three events, in Berlin, Canada and China hosted the reveal of the new Porsche Taycan.

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"The Taycan links our heritage to the future. It carries forward the success story of our brand – a brand that has fascinated and thrilled people the world over for more than 70 years," said Oliver Blume, Chairman of the Executive Board of Porsche AG, who opened the world premiere in Berlin: "This day marks the start of a new era."

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The first models in the new series are the Taycan Turbo S and Taycan Turbo. They are the top versions of Porsche E-Performance range and are among the most powerful production models made by the German brand. Less powerful variants of these all-wheel drive vehicles will follow this year. The first derivative to be added will be the Taycan Cross Turismo at the end of next year. By 2022, Porsche will have invested more than six billion euros in electromobility.

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Even if Taycan is a full-electric car, Porsche has decided to keep the traditional Turbo and Turbo S names for the top versions. This will stir some confusion!

The flagship Turbo S version of the Taycan can generate up to 560 kW (761 PS) overboost power in combination with Launch Control, and the Taycan Turbo up to 500 kW (680 PS). The Taycan Turbo S accelerates from zero to 100 km/h in 2.8 seconds, while the Taycan Turbo completes this sprint in 3.2 seconds. The Turbo S has a range of up to 412 kilometres, and the Turbo a range of up to 450 kilometres (according to WLTP in each case). The top speed of both all-wheel-drive models is 260 km/h.

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The Taycan is the first production vehicle with a system voltage of 800 volts instead of the usual 400 volts for electric cars. The charging time for five to 80 percent SoC (state of charge) is 22.5 minutes for charging under ideal conditions, and the maximum charging power is 270 kW. The overall capacity of the Performance Battery Plus is 93.4 kWh. Taycan drivers can charge their cars with up to eleven kW of alternating current (AC) at home.

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The Porsche Taycan Turbo S and Porsche Taycan Turbo are now available to order and cost 185,456 euros and 152,136 euros respectively in Germany, including country-specific equipment and VAT.

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Design-wise, Taycan is quite similar with the Mission E concept car. There are innovative elements like the glass-effect Porsche logo, which has been integrated into the light bar at the rear and the new headlights.

The interior can accommodate four passengers and has a completely digital cockpit. A central, 10.9-inch infotainment display and an optional passenger display are combined to form an integrated glass band in a black-panel look. All user interfaces have been completely newly designed for the Taycan. The number of classic hardware controls such as switches and buttons has been reduced. Instead, control is intuitive by using touch operation or the voice control function, which responds to the command "Hey Porsche".

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Taycan uses two electric motors, one for each axle making the car all-wheel drive. The two-speed transmission installed on the rear axle is an innovation developed by Porsche. First gear gives the Taycan even more acceleration from a standing start, while second gear with a long gear ratio ensures high efficiency and high power reserves. This also applies at very high speeds.

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Four driving modes are available: "Range", "Normal", "Sport" and "Sport Plus". In addition, individual systems can be configured as required in the "Individual" mode.