Porsche has launched the Porsche Taycan, its first electric car, at a two-day event for the first time in the UK. The Porsche Soul Electrified event took place at Canning Town’s English National Ballet space on December 13 and December 14.
“Without a doubt a real Porsche,” CEO Oliver Blume said in the automobile manufacturer’s website. “By 2022 we will have invested some € 6 billion in e-mobility,” he added.
‘I think it’s a great car and it’s definitely the future of the automotive industry. We’ll see a lot more of electric cars’, attendee and racecar driver Mario Fiamingo said.
People at the venue said the release date is not confirmed yet and that ‘it keeps changing’, but it is likely to be released in Europe at some point in January this year.
Porsche’s electric car is often compared to the Tesla Model S. Business Insider noted that the two ‘are playing in different parts of the market’ as the price of the former is well above the Tesla. Yet, on Twitter it seems to be a real ‘battle’.
Take the Porsche Taycan for example. Traditional motoring journalists seem to love it, but tech publications are critical of its relatively poor range compared to the closest Tesla equivalent.
— Matthew Beedham (@mattbeedham) January 17, 2020
The question is how many laps do you need to go. Tesla might have nice specs, but Porsche Taycan might still get you there faster over a certain distance. And if you are going really far no battery car can compete on travel speed.
— Aasulv Wolf Austad (@wolf_and_cub) January 20, 2020
I wish Porsche Taycan would have Tesla tech and range, or Tesla the design from Taycan.
Until then Tesla design remains dull (except Cybertruck) and Taycan, with 300km range, a joke.
— Dragos Lupascu (@lupascuco) January 15, 2020
https://twitter.com/BlackAlex58/status/1219697101338222598
Shares in Porsche increased notably after unveiling the Taycan Turbo and Taycan Turbo S in September. Porsche is also planning to increase its Taycan workforce from 1,500 to 2,000, according to its website.
The event was completely free but tickets were sold out after a few hours.
