Upon its launch, Porsche Taycan came to be the only considerable competitor to the Tesla Model S. The German supercar manufacturer made sure it was, by pitching it against the Tesla Model S and the Model X. This was back when the Taycan Turbo carried its ¡®Mission E¡¯ concept moniker. Now that it is in production, Porsche denies Tesla as its competitor.
In a recent interview with Automotive News, Porsche R&D head Michael Steiner stated that he did not consider Tesla as a direct threat. This was because the US electric car maker is "targeting the volume model." Steiner was clear that Porsche would never compete in that segment.
"Although people like to play us off against each other, we do not consider Tesla to be a direct rival," Steiner says. "With the Model 3, it's clear that they are more aggressively targeting the volume segment."
While it seems like Porsche might be turning back on its words, what Steiner says makes sense. At the time, Porsche would have to have treated the Tesla Model S as a benchmark for performance indicators of electric cars. This would mean comparing it for the top speed, acceleration and range, which the Tesla car claimed to have the best of in its segment.
While reaching for the top performance figures, Porsche made itself exclusive by offering premium luxury in the Taycan Turbo S. True to the Porsche marquee, Taycan Turbo S is a visual and luxury treat. You can know all about it here.
Same can be observed from the prices of the two electric cars. While the Tesla Model S costs $79,990, Porsche Taycan Turbo S that is usually pitted against it costs $180,000.?
Steiner clears the air around any competition in another aspect. ¡°It's not our aspiration to be the leader in electric range," he said, as Porsche focuses on ¡°smaller, lighter, and therefore less expensive batteries that can be recharged more quickly.¡± As per Steiner, high capacity batteries as in a Tesla are ¡°not ideal in terms of sustainability.¡±
Competition or not, Tesla CEO Elon Musk has already tweeted that a [modified] Tesla Model S will be taking on the Taycan Turbo S¡¯ time on N¨¹rburgring. Tesla expects it to be at least 22 seconds faster than Porsche's. Unofficially, the company claims to have beaten the Taycan's time on the track already.