Porsche Taycan review

What separates the Taycan from what’s gone before is its 800V architecture – double the norm. Higher voltage means lower current; lower current means less heat in the batteries, motors and electronics, repeatable performance, faster charging and a thinner, lighter wiring loom that can snake around other components more easily for tighter packaging. Circles don’t get more virtuous. It was an expensive decision, says Porsche, but once every other manufacturer cottons on, prices for 800V components should tumble.

Clearly this is not a cheap car, However the perks are many: zero road-tax, the ability to charge at home for a fraction of the cost of a tank of petrol and peace of mind that you’re not polluting the immediate air around you. Set-up a ‘My Porsche’ account, give them your bank details and Porsche will take much of the headache out of using the tangle of different public charging points by issuing you a single charge card, and sending a consolidated bill to your account.

Just a note on consumption. During our day with the Taycan Turbo S, we averaged 2.6miles/kWh driving without a consideration for economy. Air-con and stereo on, stomping on the throttle when the road allowed, stomping on the brakes safely now and then – all in the name of thorough road-testing. That’s really very good. A fortnight and a day with the Taycan 4S and rear-drive Taycan respectively yielded similar results.