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Porsche Launches Taycan; First Fully Electric Road Car

Porsche takes the wraps off the Taycan, its first fully electric road car…

Photo: Porsche

Porsche launched the Taycan, its first fully electric road car, on Wednesday in a global event that comprised three simultaneous launches on three different continents.

The four-door sports sedan will be available in two different models: Taycan Turbo and Taycan Turbo S, both of which are among the most powerful production models in the brand’s range.

A less powerful version of these all-wheel-drive vehicles will follow later this year, and the Taycan Cross Turismo will launch with a different body style by the end of next year.

By 2022, Porsche will have invested more than €6 billion ($6.6 billion) in electromobility, with the Taycan at the forefront of this project.

“The Taycan links our heritage to the future,” said Oliver Blume, chairman of the executive board of Porsche AG.

“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. This day marks the start of a new era.”

The flagship Taycan Turbo S generates up to 560 kW (750 hp) of power, with a 0-62 mph time of 2.8 seconds. The top model has a range of 257 miles, which is extended to 279 miles in the Taycan Turbo.

It is the first production vehicle to use a system voltage of 800 volts instead of the usual 400 volts for electric cars, allowing for a fast charge of 62 miles range in just five minutes.

The charging time from 5-80 percent can be as little as 22.5 minutes under ideal conditions.

The launch took place simultaneously in Europe, North America and China; the three most important sales markets for the Taycan.

The event locations of Niagara Falls, a solar farm in Neuhardenberg near Berlin, and a wind farm on Pingtan Island near Fuzhou, China, were all chosen to represent sustainable energy management.

U.S. prices haven’t been released but the Taycan Turbo S is priced from £138,826 ($169,000) and the Taycan Turbo from £115,858 ($141,000) in the UK.

Jake Kilshaw is a UK-based journalist. He is a graduate of Politics and International Relations.

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