More Details Surface On Porsche's Tesla Killing Taycan

They will never make enough cars to be a "Tesla killer" and I doubt they are planning to go more low market since they would be competing with Audi and VW. They will sell a ton for sure and if anything help expand the EV market to more buyers. I wish they kept the Mission E design since it doesn't look so unique and special anymore.

as much as i like Porsche, in this particular case, Porsche is defending its turf more than "competing". different cars, same buyers, same cost.

They do not need a lot of cars to be a Tesla killer. Those who will spend $70K plus for the newest thing only have the 7 year old Tesla S. The Porshe will be all new, better interior and a better overall experience.
Tesla makes a lot more profit from the S than the 3. They are strapped for cash.
From this perspective it may not be a Tesla killer, but it will certainly make it more difficult for them.

Actually, the margins are pretty similar. 25% on the Model S and 20% on the Model 3. However, in the long run they can sell 10 times as many Model 3s as they can the Model S.

Tesla was foolish to give up the premium EV segment.

Damn! I agree with you! :)

A much better move than the Model 3 would have been a Tesla challenger to the S Class. Tesla also desperately needs an ultra-conventional, three-row SUV in the X7/GLS/Navigator/Escalade price range.

Consider how the Panamera is a hard sell for Porsche and sells in very low numbers, I will be interested to see how many Taycan's actually get sold. If the Panamera was a great success, I would have more faith.

for Porsche its all about the profit margin... they sell enough to make very high percentage of profit... as long as that keeps working...

Panamera wagon is a 5,000lb car. What do you think the Taycan will weigh when it is packed with batteries? 5,500lbs? 6,000lbs? It will have quite a few so it drives like a Porsche should.

The first gen Panamera is a rolling turd of a design and the second gen isn't much gooder. The Toy-can is much more handsome and Porsche like and will sell like hotcakes. Porsche has pedigree and snob appeal. Teslas litter the streets with bumpers.

I was initially interested in buying one but I need more space like a e-Cayenne if they built one and the range was good and pricing not too goofy but that is hard with the Krauts. Mainly I want one just so I can use the stupid HOV lanes around Toronto legally for a change as the time savings would pay for the ride eventually...

@qwertyfla I did not know there was a Panamera TRD. Learn something new every day.

Hell will freeze over ... I agree with SanJose

I'm sure it will be a great car and a huge success for Porsche but hardly a Tesla killer.

Porsche will win because it has the clout of being a Porsche. Tesla has the clout of being an appliance.

Both Porsche and Tesla represent choices for luxury/sport sedan buyers of the path not taken. Buyers see themselves as different and unique and an S-Class, 7 Series or A8 just will not do.

With the recent news from Audi about their battery supply woes it seems reality has hit the Germans straight on the head about EV manufacturing. The pros at Tesla lead the way with huge battery manufacturing capacity of their own in Nevada churning out battery packs at an industrial scale. Audi and Porsche on the other hand contract out their battery packs and are at the whims of 3rd party dreams of how many and at what cost the few battery packs that actually make it out of the factory can be utilized in real life. Efforts at real EV’s and battery supplies have been pure amateur hour up to now, including Porsche. Time will tell if they can actually deliver real life battery packs in any real numbers since their own jead honchos play down the effects of EV’s in the market at every opportunity.

Legacy automakers and financial pundits have been laughing at Tesla's "suicidal" strategy of building out the Supercharging network and Gigafactory. Now they are biting the bullets and begin to realize all is not easy as it seems. As much as I like to see more EV offerings available, it's amusing to see top dogs such as Porsche and Audi struggle with their own ego.

I don't think one model from any maker will necessarily kill Tesla. It will instead be the Germans that together end up hurting or killing Tesla because they will offer a full range of EVs across the spectrum from full luxury (Mercedes-Benz) to balanced (Audi and BMW) to full sport (Porsche).

Tesla simply doesn't have the capital, facilities or production capacity to challenge the Germans on a global scale. Sure, Tesla has enjoyed record success but that's because no one else has been around. Unfortunately for Tesla, now Audi will have two SUVs, Porsche is readying the Taycan and Mercedes-Benz is launching the EQC.

The competition is arrived and this problematic for Tesla since it has no concrete advantage in anything buyers consider important. Design, materials quality, technology, servicing, dealership network etc. are all matched or in some cases far exceeded by the Germans in addition to the advantages outlined above.

The fact that Tesla is the only fully owned foreign automaker in China tells a different story about its ability to compete on a global scale, and its acceptance outside of the US. The Made in the USA Model 3 Performance is priced at least 50% less than BMW M3 or MB C63 and shows that Tesla is already competitive on price in China, in addition to its commanding lead in performance. There is no doubt the Model 3 will crush sales of German cars in China, much the same way it did in the US.

This year will tell how the Model 3 competes against the German makes in their own turf. If the Model S can serve as a reference, I'll say Tesla will compete well there also.

Come 2020 when the Model Y is built both in the US and China, Tesla will be the force other automakers have to contend with.

*The competition has arrived and this is problematic for

Well there is a cost factor especially on the battery technology. VAG has already has indicated that there will never ever be low cost new EV cars in the 10 to 10K range. I would not be surprised over time that VAG buys a battery company.

With Tesla opening the first fully mfg owned plant in China, do not be surprised if in the future Chinese money finds its way into the hands of Tesla. They have billions and Tesla will need funding to get volume up and launch the model Y, Pick up and Semi Truck.

Yes, but Mercedes-Benz and Audi both have joint-venture partnerships in China and they sell a lot more vehicles in China than Tesla does. It would be more beneficial to China to get capital in the hands of companies that have joint-ventures with its own manufacturers.

Not for long.