A cheaper Porsche Taycan EV is coming this year

Those looking for more competition in the premium EV space were surely glad to see the production version of the Porsche Taycan revealed late last week. The company's high-power, high-design electric sedan delivers some serious performance chops and competition to Tesla's Model S. However, with a starting price of $150,900, the Taycan Turbo is well out of reach for many.

Fear not, because there are cheaper flavors coming, and they'll be here soon. At the 2019 Frankfurt Motor Show on Tuesday, Klaus Zellmer, president and CEO of Porsche Cars North America, told me that we'll see a more-affordable Taycan before the year's end.

"Typically when we launch new model lines we launch top-down," Zellmer said, "because when the car and the demand is really hot, this is what people typically demand." And the top is certainly where the Taycan is now, with a Turbo S starting at $185,000 -- and, being a Porsche, you can surely spend a lot more than that if you like. However, there's also the potential to go a lot lower.

Watch this: 2020 Porsche Taycan is ready to tackle Tesla

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Using the Panamera as an example, Porsche's closest car in the current lineup, the Turbo variant starts at $153,000. The base Panamera, meanwhile, is close to half that cost, starting at the relative bargain price of $88,550. The Panamera 4S starts at $105,000.

It's too early to tell whether that kind of pricing structure will apply to Taycan, but we'll find out soon. "We're going to see the equivalent of a [Taycan] 4S this year," Zellmer said, "which obviously is something that will have an effect on affordability, on price."

And what comes after that? "If you look at our lineup typically in our family of cars... you know what our gameplan is. So expect some more family members." Members, perhaps, like the Taycan Cross Turismo, which Zellmer describes as: "A little more elevated, a little more off-road looking." That, Zellmer told me, is still on track for next year. 

2020 Porsche Taycan is a Tesla Model S fighter with up to 750 horsepower

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