The Porsche vs Tesla debate was once again triggered when Bill Gates bought a Porsche Taycan, and it didn’t sit well with fellow billionaire and Tesla founder, Elon Musk.
In fact, when Musk heard about Gate’s car purchase, it didn’t take him long to Tweet his snarky response – further igniting the perpetuating debate of Porsche vs Tesla.
“My conversations with Gates have been underwhelming tbh.”
As you can guess, the Porsche Taycan is something of a sensitive topic for Musk. Maybe it’s because the Taycan Turbo set the Four Door Electric Sports Car lap record at Nürburgring racetrack in Germany.
So you might be wondering, which is a better car, the Taycan or the Tesla?
Well, let’s start with some history.
Did you know that Dr. Ferdinand Porsche and Nikola Tesla were peers? That’s right: They lived and did their research work at the same period in history very close to one another in Germany and Austria. And while Nikola Tesla is known for his work with semiconductors, he is also the famous namesake for the popular EV known as the Tesla.
What you may not know is that Dr. Ferdinand Porsche beat Tesla to the EV market by approximately 120 years. In fact, the first Porsche ever made was the Porsche P1 EV in 1898.
Need a sign that buying a Porsche is the right choice? Read: Tesla Model S vs Porsche Taycan
What else does Porsche offer you that Tesla does not? Let’s take a look!
The Tesla Model S or the Porsche Taycan?
You be the judge in the Porsche vs Tesla debate.
For starters, that’s one of the first questions people ask when they hear about the all-electric Porsche Taycan. In fact, one dealership in Canada has been so comfortable with that question that it’s actually lending out a Taycan so people can compare it alongside the 4S. So, what’s the deal? Is Tesla’s range really that much better than other comparable EVs? And is the Taycan so fabulous in terms of design and handling that it’s worth the price? According to Greencars.com, the two mighty gladiators of EVs are going toe-to-toe and only one is coming out as the winner. So which one should you buy? Greencar did what it calls a good old-fashioned “shootout” between the two luxury EVs. They focused on range, charging, acceleration, handling, and interior/exterior design as well as price and value for your money.
Here’s what they and other bloggers have found:
Range and Charging
Porsche Taycan vs Tesla?
The benchmark for the charging of electric cars is thought to be 200 miles between charges. That gives you plenty of miles for getting to and from work, running errands, and leisure driving. Unreliable EPA ratings aside, the auto blogs have reported the Taycan will go anywhere up to 300 miles between charges. Tesla Model S Long Range Plus mode, on the other hand, has a range of up to 391 miles. But while Tesla may win for range, both cars are getting easier and easier to charge. Porsche, for instance, has installed high-speed chargers at all of its dealerships and has partnered with Electrify America to provide over 1,700 chargers at 350 stations all across the United States.
Acceleration
Tesla vs Porsche
Both cars are two of the quickest on the road. When it comes to acceleration they are both faster than the fastest race cars and supercars thanks to those high-powered electric motors. Both offer amazing zero to 60 mph times. The Taycan Turbo S will take you from zero to 60mph in 2.6 seconds, though Motor Trend and others have clocked it at 2.4 seconds. The Tesla comes in at 2.3 seconds – so just a tiny difference.
Handling
Taycan vs Model S
Here’s where things get interesting. Nothing Tesla has done to improve its drive in the last few years can touch Porsche’s superior handling derived from decades of German engineering. So according to Greencar and others, the Taycan is by far the more rewarding car to drive. And on twists and turns the Taycan always feels solid despite its 5,100 pounds of weight compared to the Tesla’s 4,900 pounds. So for handling and agility, Porsche takes the lead here.
Relatable: Tesla price cuts
Design
When it comes to design the Taycan is a blast of fresh air borrowing a bit from another Porsche, the Panamera. The Taycan is edgier than the Tesla and features the biggest brakes – both rotors and calipers. The exterior of the 4S has been around for a while and is starting to look a bit staid by comparison. And on the inside, the Taycan is the clear winner, according to Greencar. It’s got perfectly ergonomic leather seats and ample room for four adults, and the Turbo S also sports a gorgeous tinted glass roof and superior design throughout. From a technology perspective, you’ll love having more than 41″ of digital displays and controls throughout your world-class cabin – something not true with the Tesla. And the Porsche Taycan gives you nearly two dozen leather and Race-Tex color combinations for your seat surfaces. If you prefer limited pleather seating in black, white, or tan, then the Tesla Model S might work fine. So Porsche takes this round as well.
Price
The Taycan 4S begins at $103,800 plus delivery charges. Options such as Porsche’s InnoDrive active safety suite will cost an additional $3,600 and the performance package increases the price by $6,400 – so your total is going to be closer to $113,800 with those options. Also, there are many more available from Porsche to enhance your Taycan. The Base Tesla Model S Long Range starts at $79,990 plus delivery. But there are far fewer options to add to a Tesla compared to the Porsche. According to Greencar’s tally: Premium paint, interior, and wheels will add $8,500 while the addition of Tesla’s self-driving tech is another $8,000. That brings the total to about $96,490. However, the Porsche Taycan is the more premium-looking and handling car by far. And you can expect to pay a little extra for that superior design. “If price were no object, we’d all be driving the new Taycan,” Greencar concludes.
Other facts to consider when you think about the question What else does Porsche offer you that Tesla does not? Here’s a list that will easily put an end to the Porsche vs Tesla discourse:
- A signature brand value of the German automaker is the care that designers take to make you feel like a god when you are behind the wheel. Tesla just devalued its brand and prices by slashing prices. That won’t happen at Porsche.
- You can personalize your Porsche Taycan with other incredible features like adaptive seating, massage seating, and a palette of 17 exterior colors, including favorites like Carrara White, Frozen Berry, and Miami Blue, among others.
- Tesla offers you only five color choices. With the Taycan, you get eight-wheel options. With Tesla, that number comes down to two.
- Porsche edges out the Model S when it comes to charging speed. At a rapid-charging station, the Porsche Taycan can recharge from zero to 80 percent capacity in as little as 22 minutes. The Tesla Model S takes about 30 minutes to do the same.
- Tesla promises anywhere between 400 and 500 miles of cruising range. However, recent third-party testing shows that real-world results are about half of that. The Porsche Taycan is estimated by the EPA to offer a conclusive and repeatable 201 miles of cruising.
So when it comes down to it you’ll have to ask yourself if you’re actually getting what you’re paying for.
Check out our fantastic Porsche Inventory below.
