The Taycan's eye-catching curves made it a delight to walk up to. Photo: Alan Neuhauser
It's time to buy your first Porsche: Do you start with a legacy name like the 911? Or skip that iconic engine growl and go electric?
Stunning stat: Roughly 40% of first-time Porsche drivers choose the all-electric Taycan, the German automaker tells Axios Pro.
The big picture: The four-door Taycan was among the first performance EVs in the U.S. and Europe, an effort Porsche launched in 2015 to prove that a battery-powered car can be more than a mere people-mover.
- The automaker aimed to swipe market share from Tesla, whose Model S sedan at the time was the only high-end EV in the U.S. and Europe.
- It was also racing rivals Audi, BMW, Jaguar and Mercedes.
Friction point: With electric motors transforming virtually any ride into a breakneck muscle car, engineering a distinctive ride worthy of the Porsche brand — let alone sticker price — was harder than it might seem.
Case in point: The first Taycan, introduced in 2019, had at least 12 safety recalls spanning everything from brake defects to battery fire issues. Porsche ultimately told dealers to stop selling the car.
The latest: The second-generation model — refreshed for 2025 with a nip/tuck to the exterior, lengthier driving range, and plenty of out-of-sight fixes — nails the assignment.
Zoom in: Every choice is considered.
- The Taycan's speed and cornering empower without inducing terror.
- Four doors, rapid charging, and cargo areas in both front and back make the car a "rational" family purchase, without sapping an ounce of indulgence from the car's supple seats and voluptuous curves.
The bottom line: The second-generation Taycan is a master sommelier or expert maître d', warmly ushering drivers toward the best choices behind the wheel, each feeling not just the right pick but, upon reflection, the only one.
Driving the Porsche Taycan
I picked up a fully charged Porsche Taycan 4S at the Vince Lombardi Service Area in Ridgefield, New Jersey, while driving home for Rosh Hashanah.
Why it's the BFD: "Does this car go very fast?" my 3-year-old daughter asked.
- Yes, it goes very fast.
By the numbers:
- Base price: $118,500
- Price as tested: $152,320
- Range: 315 miles. Impressive.
- Charge time: 18 minutes. Lightning fast.
Liked:
- Those curves. Walking up to this car doesn't get old.
- $400 selvedge jeans, a $5,000 suit, $1,500 ski boots — whatever the comparison, the cockpit felt molded for me alone.
- Steering is more precise than a hand surgeon.
- Wonderful sound system.
- Ample cargo space between the frunk and trunk.
- Charges as fast as it accelerates.
Disliked:
- The infotainment system is uncluttered, but needs refining. Surfing between radio presets involves too many button presses.
- Fitting four grown-ups — or three and a carseat — is a squeeze. Think of the Taycan as a large coupe that just happens to have four doors.
The bottom line: A thoughtfully designed electric thrill ride. This is the first EV loaner that had me reconsidering my life choices.
Parents' corner
The Taycan is the ultimate school drop-off car.
The big picture: Four doors instead of two make getting a kid into and out of their child seat a relative breeze.
Reality check: Once your little angels turn into surly teens, expect complaints from the backseat, at least on longer trips.
- And while the cargo space is excellent for a vehicle this size, a baby's pack-and-play fills one of the trunks alone. (And good luck finding a flat surface for a parking-lot diaper change.)
The bottom line: Ages 3 to 13 are the sweet spot.
Revised aspirations
Porsche this year tempered its plans to go mostly electric as its EV sales tanked.
Why it matters: The automaker previously aimed to make 80% of its sales electric by 2030.
State of play: Porsche last year trimmed Taycan production as the car's global sales plummeted 49% to just over 20,000 units.
- U.S. sales of the vehicle fell 40%, per Cox Automotive data.
Between the lines: The Taycan's refresh last year slowed production, Porsche has said. The first generation's safety issues likely also pushed shoppers away.
- The automaker's revised electric strategy reflects deeper changes in the EV market.
Zoom in: China, once a reliable sales engine for Porsche, is churning out high-end EVs that are blunting Taycan sales there.
- EV demand in Europe and the U.S., meanwhile, has cooled as countries have tightened consumer EV subsidies.
Yes, but: Even as American drivers buy fewer Taycans, they're snapping up the electric version of Porsche's Macan SUV.
By the numbers: Porsche through the first six months of this year sold 5,108 electric Macans — more than all the Taycans sold last year, and double Taycan sales through the first half of this year.
What we're watching: Porsche is pushing ahead with electric versions of its Boxster and Cayman two-doors. But it's also introducing — or reintroducing — internal combustion vehicles that had initially been envisioned as EVs, such as a forthcoming three-row SUV.
- We'll be keeping an eye on the EV timelines — and the sales.
How the sales stack up
Sales of the Porsche Taycan through the first six months of 2025 are roughly on par with the same period last year.
Yes, but: American drivers much prefer SUVs.
- Models such as the Tesla Model Y, Ford Mustang Mach-E, and Chevy Equinox are far outselling electric sedans and coupes.
Caveat: The one exception is the Tesla Model 3, which sold 101,323 models through the first half of the year — second only to the Model Y crossover.
That's it! Thank you to George Moriarty and Katie Lewis for edits. Stay tuned for more editions of Climate Wheels, coming soon.
