Taycan

Make
Porsche
Segment
Sedan

This September at the 2019 Frankfurt Motor Show, Porsche will unveil its highly anticipated all-electric Taycan. Based on numerous sets of spy shots, renderings, and the Mission E concept, we have an excellent overall idea what the production version will look like, at least from the outside. Interior details are slightly vaguer but, generally speaking, it'll closely resemble what's found in the Mission E. The big mystery, however, is how will the Taycan drive? We know its most direct competitor, the Tesla Model S, is seriously fast but outright speed isn't what driving a Porsche is necessarily about.

Porsche has always branded itself as an enthusiast driver's brand and that's not about to change – even with a pure electric drivetrain. Speaking with Handelsblatt, Porsche CEO Oliver Blume admitted he is so confident of the Taycan's driving capabilities and overall feel that he stated outright it will "drive like the 911." Yes indeed, that is a very bold claim.

"I was recently on our racetrack in Italy. And I'm still excited. We have the advantage in electric mobility that we have a lower center of gravity with the battery than the 911. That means the vehicle is even more saturated on the road. In addition, we regulate five times faster than a combustion engine, have no clutch and no cardan (drive) shaft. This, together with our chassis know-how, brings a huge advantage, especially in the driving dynamics in the bends. In addition, unlike other vehicles on the market, we have a gearbox that delivers even more thrust from 150 kilometers (93 mph) per hour."

Given the hype Porsche is about to unleash prior to the Taycan's debut, Blume's words should relax any leftover naysayers. If Porsche didn't believe it could design and build an EV that has the necessary driving feel requirements, then it likely wouldn't have done so, at least not until the technology was ready.

Taycan production is also slated to begin the same month it's revealed, though Blume emphasized that "The annual production will be well over 20,000. But we do not have a number yet. This year, we start slowly with less than 10,000 units." Reservations are already being taken for Taycans and Porsche will know very soon what outsiders (media and buyers) think of this revolutionary new vehicle and the battery tech it incorporates.