Porsche debuted the 2020 Taycan EV in Turbo and Turbo S trim, but we always knew the Taycan range would add variants below those top models eventually. That expansion has happened earlier than expected. Meet the Taycan 4S, the newest member of Porsche’s electric car lineup.
The 4S comes with two battery options. The Performance Battery and the Performance Battery Plus deliver 522 hp and 563 hp, respectively. The standard Performance Battery in the 4S has been slightly sized down to 79.2 kWh, but if you opt for the Performance Battery Plus you’ll get the same 93.4-kWh two-layer battery out of the Turbo and Turbo S. Like its more powerful counterparts, the 4S is all-wheel-drive thanks to two synchronous electric motors, one on each axle. No matter which battery you spec, the Taycan 4S will be able to sprint from 0 to 60 mph in as little as 3.8 seconds and will have a top speed of 155 mph.
This third version of the Taycan is the most affordable and least powerful variant we’ve seen to date, but that doesn’t mean it will be lacking in performance. The 800-volt architecture is still present in the Taycan 4S, as is the luxe interior with its plethora of screens and four-seat layout. Where the 4S differs from the Turbo and Turbo S mechanically is the size of the motor on the rear axle of the car. The permanent-magnet electric motor in the rear of the 4S uses a rotor that is 80mm smaller than the one in both the Turbo and Turbo S, resulting in what Porsche says is “more compact packaging and reduced weight.”
Porsche says that, if conditions are ideal (read: it’s cold outside), an 800-volt DC fast charging station will be able to charge the Taycan 4S from 5 to 80 percent in less than 23 minutes. It’s not a casual five-minute fill-up at the local gas station, but it’s proof that EVs are getting more usable every day. There’s currently no word on driving range estimates for the 4S models, but we expect they’ll come in lower than the Tesla Model S’ 345-370 miles per charge. Porsche says EPA range will be announced prior to launch in spring 2020. The Taycan 4S will start at $105,150, but opt for the Performance Battery Plus and the price jumps to $111,730. Still, those prices are slightly easier to swallow than the Taycan Turbo’s starting price of $152,250 and the $186,350 base price of the Turbo S.