As the Porsche Mission E continues to get closer to production, we figured the name Porsche has used for its first fully electric model was already set in stone. Instead, Porsche has announced that the production Mission E will actually use a new name: Taycan. Roughly translated, the word means "lively young horse" in German, which likely references the horse in the Porsche crest. "Our new electric sports car is strong and dependable; it's a vehicle that can consistently cover long distances and that epitomizes freedom," Porsche chief Oliver Blume said in a statement.

The Taycan has been one of the most hotly anticipated cars of the decade, and this new name only makes us even more excited. The most powerful variant will use two synchronous electric motors producing more than 600 horsepower. Porsche expects the Taycan to do 0 to 60 mph in less than 3.5 seconds, and have a driving range of more than 300 miles on a single charge. There will likely be different versions of the Taycan, including one based on the Mission E Cross Turismo Concept. The Taycan will be Porsche's first all-electric model, which will be followed up by more electrified cars. By 2025, 25% of all Porsche cars will be fully-electric or hybrid.

The name change from Mission E to Taycan makes a lot of sense. Mission E sounded cool, but it didn't share much connection with the rest of the Porsche lineup. The name Taycan will fit in nicely with the Macan, Cayenne, Cayman, Boxster, and Panamera, while the 911 retains in its own unique numeric naming scheme.