A less expensive Taycan might be on the way.

A new teaser on Facebook has Porsche promising a new variant of the Taycan EV. The shadowy, accompanying image seems to reveal the model’s identity if you know what you’re looking for.

The Taycan on the left in the image wears a color that looks nearly identical to the rose gold shade that Porsche calls Frozen Berry. It is the trademark color for the rear-wheel-drive variant that’s currently exclusive to China. Since Porsche tends to have a specific hue that the company uses when displaying each model, the teaser might indicate wider availability of the single-motor Taycan.

In China, the rear-drive Taycan comes standard with a 79.2-kilowatt-hour battery that offers an NEDC range of 256 miles or an optional pack with 93.4 kWh that boosts the driving distance to 303 miles. In comparison, the existing Taycan 4S with the larger battery pack has an EPA rating of 227 miles. Taking the NEDC rating and dividing by 1.43 is the rough method for converting the number to the EPA score, so if the rear-drive model comes to the US, expect a range score of about 212 miles.

Gallery: Porsche Taycan Basic Model In China

The rear-drive Taycan offers up to 469 horsepower (350 kilowatts). This is enough for the model to reach 62 miles per hour (100 kilometers per hour) in 5.4 seconds. The top speed is 143 mph (230 kph).

The Taycan 4S in the US retails for $103,800. The rear-drive Taycan costs 23 percent less than that model in China. Assuming there’s a similar price difference if the model is coming to the US, then it could start at $79,926. Plus, buyers are eligible for a $7,500 federal tax credit.

Assuming Porsche is really preparing to broaden the availability of the rear-drive Taycan, the teaser doesn’t make it clear when the model debuts. The “Stay tuned” statement in the teaser suggests there should be more info soon.

Source:

Porsche via Facebook

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