Autoblog Puts the Porsche Taycan’s Range to the Test
In a test that utilizes two distinctly different routes the Porsche Taycan Turbo easily exceeds the range given to it by the EPA.
The Porsche Taycan has been one of the most anticipated cars from any manufacturer, let alone from Porsche. The German automaker’s first fully electric vehicle was a very big deal for a company that made its name making fast gasoline-fueled sports cars. So far the Taycan has been very well received. The driving experience it provides has impressed pretty much every professional car reviewer who has climbed behind the electric sedan’s wheel. The positive reviews have definitely allayed fears that an electric Porsche wouldn’t be fun to drive. Just check out Matt Farah’s ebullient impression of the top end Taycan Turbo S in his video review.
But like all-electric vehicles, potential buyers (and automotive journalists) are obsessed with one major aspect of the Taycan. And that is the range of the car. Consumer concern with an EV’s range has even given rise to the phrase range anxiety. Autoblog writer Dan Edmunds performed a deep dive into the Taycan’s potential range and came away pretty impressed.
The point of the feature is to answer two questions on everyone’s mind when it comes to the Taycan. “Is the Taycan Turbo’s 201-mile range achievable in the real world?” Asks Edmunds. “Can you travel out of town and have a little fun along the way without fretting over range?” Edmunds splits the test into two different sessions. The first involves a suburban driving cycle that he calls his “Lap of Orange County.” One lap of the route is 104.5 miles, so theoretically two would surpass the Taycan’s advertised range by 8 miles. After two laps of the first route, the Porsche has 78 miles of range left. Based on Edmund’s calculations the Taycan had a projected range of 287.2 miles. Edmunds notes that that’s 43-percent better than the EPA rating. Impressive.
“This result is significant because this is the first time I’ve seen a car crush it by over 40 percent,” he adds. Edmunds also notes that the Taycan is fitted with pretty big Michelin Pilot Sport 4 summer performance tires. Most EVs and hybrids use all-season tires for better range.
In the second session, the Taycan is driven on some beautiful backroads. Despite driving the sedan more aggressively than in the first test, Edmunds is equally as impressed. The Taycan achieves a projected range of 253.5 miles. “It’s now abundantly clear to me that the Taycan Turbo’s real-world range is easily better than the number the EPA gave it,” says Edmunds. “My result of 287 miles of projected range in around-town driving shows that there’s ample cushion if you drive normally.”
It seems that Porsche has brilliantly undersold the Taycan’s range. Which is good news for anyone on the fence about purchasing one due to a case of range anxiety. “So let’s agree to stop wringing our collective hands about the 2020 Porsche Taycan Turbo’s range,” Edmunds concludes at the end of the article. “It’s more than fine.”
Photos: Porsche