Now That the 2020 Porsche Taycan Turbo and Turbo S Are Here, What's Next for Porsche's First EV?

A few years ago I was working on a piece about the Porsche 911 991, and I had to count the number of available versions of it. I stopped at 25. It is a somewhat similar story with the Porsche Panamera, which is, right now, available in 18 different guises. Why am I telling you this then?

Well, the Porsche Taycan is available in only two guises for a start - the Taycan Turbo and the Taycan Turbo S - I wonder how many more versions can we expect?

Porsche Taycan May Come In At Least Five More Guises

As the first electric car to come from Porsche since 1901, the Porsche Taycan is, for now, available in only two guises. My extensive research about this issue revealed that the Taycan should, in fact, come in several different guises. The most interesting one is the RWD-only model with one rear motor, slightly smaller battery (80 kWh), and far more affordable price than the current offering. That will be the first car that sits the Taycan in a rather peculiar position - to match the price of certain Tesla Model S cars.

As a more premium alternative to the Tesla cars, the cheapest Taycan - the one with the 80 kWh battery, RWD, and one electric motor - should start at less than $90,000. This, of course, makes it about ten grand more expensive compared to the entry-level Tesla Model S.

Don't think, however, that this entry-level Taycan will be as quick as the Tesla Model S Long Range. That one can reach 60 mph in 3.7 seconds, cover 370 miles on one charge, and reach a top speed of 155 mph. With a likely 375 horsepower rear electric motor, the base, RWD-only Porsche Taycan S should do 60 in less than 5 seconds. It will be able to reach 155 mph, but I am afraid that its 80-kWh battery cannot provide as convincing range values as the Model S Long Range. It is a Porsche, however - with the exceptional build quality and excellent customer service. That means a lot.

The Porsche Taycan 4S, on the other hand, has a front electric motor for all-wheel-drive capabilities, a total power output of more than 430 horsepower, and a likely price of a tad more than $120,000.

We are building here a classic Porsche model. Apart from the already available for order Taycan Turbo and Taycan Turbo S, Porsche is likely to offer the Taycan S and the Taycan 4S. Down the line, I would not be surprised to see some lightened Turbo S, and, definitely, the Taycan GTS. That one will sit between the Porsche Taycan 4S and the Porsche Taycan Turbo. I reckon it will be a 500+ horsepower car with sharp performance. As is the case with basically all the GTS models in Porsche range, I guess, it will be the most appealing.

The Case for the Porsche Taycan Cross Turismo

Apart from the standard Taycan, Porsche showcased its more adventurous brother as well. Called the Porsche Cross Turismo, it is a wagon version of the Taycan with a 2-inch higher ground clearance, and, I believe, a tad more suspension tweaks.

We've known about the Cross Turismo for quite some time, but it seems that we will not see it before the end of the next year at the earliest. Furthermore, the Cross Turismo may not feature all the versions as the standard Taycan. I firmly believe that it will actually sport a two-electric-motor setup in each version - for an all-wheel-drive system, of course.

However, that is just the beginning of the electric vehicle story at Porsche. This very platform and the 800-volt system shall spawn at least three more cars. A 928 may be in the cards, as well as some sort of convertible, and even an SUV. The technology, in itself, is adaptable to a wide range of automobiles. That is where it gets really interesting.

Read our full speculative review on the 2022 Porsche Taycan Cross Turismo

Audi E-Tron GT

While the Porsche Taycan represents the super-premium side of the electric things that will sell at considerably more money compared to, say, a Tesla car, the Audi sporting the same platform may be the one to disrupt the market. Audi E-Tron GT, and its Sportback brother will, most likely, share the same features with the Porsche Taycan.

Priced considerably lower, Audi's electric E-Tron GT and E-Tron Sportback are the real threat to Tesla. They will cost the same as the Tesla cars, but they will have a Volkswagen conglomerate to back them if need be.

The Taycan platform could grow even further to reach anything - from Bentleys to Volkswagens. We will have to wait at least five years before something as radical as that happens.

Read our full speculative review on the 2020 Audi E-Tron GT