Porsche Taycan Turbo S Runs 146 Miles Per Charge With High-Intensity Driving

The Porsche Taycan Turbo S—the EV's top-tier variant--ran for 146 miles after going through high-intensity driving by former MotorTrend writer Jason Cammisa. Porsche has been put through the wringer because of the Taycan Turbo’s limited range of 201 miles per charge. Unfortunately, the Turbo S variant seems to have the same issue.

Jason Cammisa took the Taycan Turbo S out for a spin recently and shared his thoughts about Porsche’s all-electric vehicle via Instagram. The Taycan lives up to its Porsche badge based on Cammisa’s opinions.

Porsche Taycan Turbo S does 0-60 in 2.6 seconds. With a passenger. On All-Season tires. VBox-verified.⁣ ⁣ Those non-ideal conditions (and "only" 90% battery SoC) mean I wouldn't publish this as an official time in a magazine — those will likely be a couple tenths quicker— but this thing RIPS.⁣ ⁣ (2.64 seconds is, magazine-style, with 1-foot rollout.)⁣ ⁣ Everything you've heard about it so far is true: drives very well. Precise steering, beautifully natural handling, good brake feel but no one-pedal driving, obscenely terrible economy. ⁣ ⁣ My average efficiency on was 574 Wh/mi, which matches the car's lifetime average of 572. That corresponds to an average range (from the 83.7-kWh battery) of just 146 miles. ⁣ ⁣ Meanwhile, after 36 miles, the computer was looking at me with a straight face, predicting a 186 more miles of range. Not likely.⁣ ⁣ Sure, I did a few 0-60 runs, and this poor car has likely been abused every rolling minute. But the fact is, most EVs don't reach their EPA range (this one's is 192) and I don't think this thing is an exception. ⁣ ⁣ Very strange to feel a gear-shift in an EV but it's noticeable if you pay attention to it — especially with the active sound enhancer on. Then, you really hear it, too.⁣ ⁣ Thanks to the 2nd gear on the rear motor, the thing just doesn't stop pulling, even at outrageous speeds. ⁣ ⁣ Some great touches to the interior (curved dash screen) and some that aren't exactly fitting for this price point. And for how big it is on the outside, the trunks and interior are all quite small.⁣ ⁣ At $207k, this Turbo S is a hard sell. Especially with the severely compromised space and range. Looking forward to driving a Turbo — and then, of course, the forthcoming lesser models. I think that's the sweet spot. ⁣ ⁣ Then again, 0-60 in 2.6 seconds with a passenger on all-seasons? Try THAT in a Chiron. Or Aventador. Or anything else, really. ⁣ ⁣ #CammisaVerdict #Porsche #Taycan #PorscheTaycan #TaycanTurboS #EV #FastEV #TurboS #0to60 #CarsOfInstagram #Car #Cars #ElectricCars #SilentButDeadly

A post shared by Jason Cammisa (@jasoncammisa) on Jan 9, 2020 at 2:31pm PST

Porsche’s top-tier EV does 0-60 mph in an impressive 2.6 seconds with a passenger, all-season tires, and only 90 percent SoC. Just like any other vehicle under the luxury brand, it handles quite well or “beautifully,” as Cammisa put it.

“Everything you’ve heard about is so far is true: drives very well. Precise steering, beautifully natural handling, good brake feel…,” wrote the former MotorTrend writer on his Instagram post. One significant issue Cammissa found with the Taycan Turbo S was its range and energy consumption. “…but no one-pedal driving, obscenely terrible economy,” he said.

Cammissa reported an average efficiency of 574Wh/mi. In terms of range, its average efficiency corresponded to 146 miles before its battery needed a recharge. This is below the EPA's estimated range for the Taycan Turbo S, which stands at 192 miles per charge. These results were calculated after Cammissa did 0-60mph runs with the Turbo S several times.

The Porsche Taycan has been pitted against the Tesla Model S. In this case, the Turbo S would be up against the "Raven" Model S Performance, which is capable of doing 0-60mph in 2.4 seconds. The Model S Performance's energy consumption is 32 kWh/100mil with 19-inch sports wheels, according to Fuel Economy.

When it comes to efficiency, Tesla’s top-tier full-sized sedan takes the cake with an MPGe of 104 on city roads and highways combined. In comparison, the Turbo S’ MPGe is 68 on city roads and highways combined. The Model S is also superior in range, with the Long Range version reaching 373 miles and the more power-intensive Performance variant hitting 348 miles per charge. 

In terms of handling, the Taycan has been deemed the winner because it is built for speed and track driving. In the Raven, speed is just a plus. The Model S, in general, wasn’t actually made for the race track. It was made to be a stepping stone towards more affordable EVs--which is partly why it is significantly lower in price than the Taycan. Tesla’s full-size sedan is fast—no doubt about that—but it was made to for daily driving, which the Taycan can’t compete with because of its range and efficiency.

Credit: Fuel Economy

It is no surprise that the Taycan handles high-speed drives well since Porsche has mastered the art of making high-performance sports cars. However, with that in mind, the actual competition for the Taycan should really be the upcoming 2020 Tesla Roadster, which is actually designed for speed and the racetrack. The 2020 Roadster’s range will be 620 miles, which is bad news for Porsche’s all-electric vehicle. 

If Tesla does manage to achieve its 620-mile range goal for the next Roadster, it will not just be a “fast car,” but also one that can be a daily driver. The one factor that the Porsche Taycan can compete with in its upcoming battle with Tesla’s 2020 Roadster is price.

The Roadster will start at US$200K, and the top-tier variant with the SpaceX package will likely be more than that. Meanwhile, the Taycan 4S starts at US$104K, the mid-tier Turbo starts at US$150K, and the top-tier Turbo S starts at US$185K. Porsche clearly has an edge in terms of price, which it doesn’t have when it is compared to the Tesla Model S—either the Long Range variant or the Raven Performance.

As such, the clash between the Taycan line and the 2020 Roadster line will come down to the consumer’s needs and desires in an EV sports car. On one hand, buying a Porsche brings a consumer everything that comes with driving a car from a luxury brand, but not the range needed for long trips.

The 2020 Roadster would be the more practical buy--hands down. However, consumers looking for the prestige that comes with buying a Porsche may still find the Taycan an attractive proposition nonetheless.

 Featured Image Credit: Jason Cammisa/Instagram