2020 Porsche Taycan 4S arrives in US as more affordable EV [Updated]
Porsche's most affordable all-electric car, the 2020 Taycan 4S, has arrived at dealers and will begin shipping to customers imminently, the German automaker has confirmed. Third iteration of Porsche's Taycan range, the new EV may be the de-facto entry-level model right now, but it'll still do 0-60 mph in as little as 3.8 seconds.
Porsche kicked off Taycan sales with its high-end versions, unsurprisingly, with the Taycan Turbo and Taycan Turbo S coming in at $150,900 and $185,000 respectively (plus $1,350 destination). This new 2020 Taycan 4S iteration still isn't cheap – it starts at $103,800 plus destination after all – but it does give a more attainable option to those who need a Porsche badge on the nose of their EV.
Range with the 93.4 kWh Performance Battery Plus is EPA-rated at 203 miles. That's been a point of contention for Porsche, which was clearly hoping for bigger numbers. The automaker says it'll have the results of its own testing available soon, but its independent tests for the more powerful Taycan Turbo clocked in at 275 miles for combined city/highway driving, versus the EPA's 201 mile rating.
Update: Porsche's independent testing partner, AMCI Testing, has released its numbers for the Taycan 4S, and as expected they differ wildly from those of the EPA. AMCI suggests the EV should be capable of 290 miles of city driving.
It's worth noting that, right now, Porsche is putting some limits on customization. The standard aluminum roof, for example, plus the 79.2 kWh Performance Battery along with the Porsche Mobile Charger Plus aren't currently available on vehicles in production at the moment, the automaker says. They're not expected to be available until Taycans rolling down the line in late 2020.
It means that, if you order now, you'll automatically have to add the fixed panoramic glass roof, along with the Porsche Mobile Charger Connect, and the 93.4 kWh Performance Battery Plus. That takes the starting price of a 2020 Taycan 4S you can order today to $114,340.
With that more potent battery and dual motors, the Taycan 4S will get 562 horsepower with overboost and launch control activated. Top speed is 155 mph.
As for delivery itself, Porsche dealers are taking no chances in the age of coronavirus. There's the option of contactless home delivery, which will see the new cars dropped off without any in-person interaction with the dealer themselves.
EPA headaches aside, Porsche is having a good time with the Taycan. The EV took two titles in the 2020 World Car Awards, in the best luxury model category and the best performance model category.