After years of teasing concepts and pre-production previews, Porsche finally delivered the 2020 Porsche Taycan: the brand's first fully electric production car and a vehicle that had to answer one of the most loaded questions in automotive history. Could Porsche make an electric car that still felt like a Porsche?
Porsche Taycan: Key Performance Numbers
The base Taycan 4S launches from 0 to 100 km/h in 4 seconds. Step up to the Taycan Turbo and that drops to 3.2 seconds. The flagship Taycan Turbo S covers the sprint in 2.8 seconds, with a combined output of 761 hp available during overboost. Range on the Taycan Turbo S reaches up to 435 km on the WLTP cycle with the Performance Battery Plus, and the 800-volt charging architecture means an 80 percent charge in approximately 22.5 minutes at a high-power DC charger.
That 800-volt system is not marketing language. It is a genuine engineering choice that reduces cable weight, improves charging speed, and allows for more consistent power delivery under sustained track use, something a 400-volt system struggles to match.
The Taycan Turbo: No Physical Turbo, All the Performance
Porsche's decision to retain their Turbo naming convention for the top Taycan variants was deliberate. The Turbo badge on a Porsche does not describe the presence of a forced-induction device; it signals the highest-output variant in the range. The Taycan Turbo produces 680 hp in standard mode and 670 hp in the overboost mode available during launch control. It covers 0 to 100 km/h in 3.2 seconds and reaches a top speed of 260 km/h.
Why the Taycan Matters for Electric Cars
The Taycan arrived at a moment when the electric car market needed proof that premium electric vehicles could compete on dynamics, not just efficiency. Porsche delivered a car that charges faster, handles more predictably, and sounds more interesting under acceleration than most of its rivals. The flat-six is gone, but the DNA remains. A Porsche Taycan 0 to 100 run feels nothing like a Tesla; it feels like a Porsche, which was always the point.
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Further reading: Official Porsche Taycan specifications and EV Database: Porsche Taycan Turbo S full range and charge data.
