Summary
- EPA testing cycle for EVs includes 55% city driving and 45% highway driving
- 2025 Porsche Taycan with long-range battery exceeds EPA range of 318 miles
- Base-model Taycan with long-range battery goes 367 miles in 70-mph highway test
- Taycan has no hidden buffer beyond 0% indicated range
- Taycan offers real performance and range that surpasses expectations, providing a comfortable road trip experience for EV users and reduced range anxiety
Article
The EPA testing cycle consists of 55% city driving and 45% highway driving, so it is not surprising that an electric vehicle may not match its advertised range during a highway-only test. However, the 2025 Porsche Taycan has proven itself to live up to Porsche’s reputation of under-promising and over-delivering, with the base-model, rear-wheel-drive Taycan with the big battery achieving a range of 367 miles in a recent test, exceeding its EPA range of 318 miles.
While range figures alone may not tell the whole story, charging speed is also an important factor to consider when evaluating the performance of an electric vehicle. Despite the Taycan’s EPA-rated range of 318 miles not sounding impressive, its real-world performance in a recent test conducted by Out Of Spec showed exceptional results. EVs are more efficient at lower speeds, and their regenerative braking systems improve efficiency in city driving, making them perform better in those conditions compared to highway driving where efficiency decreases with speed.
To capture how far an electric vehicle can travel on a road trip, tests are often conducted at 70 mph, a speed closer to the norm outside of city driving. In these tests, the Taycan models have consistently exceeded their advertised ranges, with the base-model Taycan with the big battery achieving a range of 367 miles at 70 mph before requiring a reduced-power mode. Despite the cold conditions during testing, the Taycan still exceeded expectations, indicating even better range in fair weather conditions.
Unlike some other EVs and gas cars that have a hidden buffer beyond 0%, the Taycan’s indicated 0-mile range is accurate, with no additional capacity beyond that point. While this may be preferred by some, it may pose a challenge for those accustomed to having a margin of error in their range calculations. For first-time EV users experiencing range anxiety, having a safety net like a buffer beyond 0% may provide added comfort and reassurance during road trips.
As more mainstream EVs become more efficient and charging speeds improve, range anxiety may become a thing of the past for electric vehicle owners. The base-model Taycan’s impressive highway endurance of 367 miles and rapid charging capabilities that can provide an additional 193 miles of range in just 15 minutes make it a reliable option for road trips. With companies like Tesla continuing to provide safety nets for EV users, the transition to electric vehicles may become even smoother for individuals looking to make the switch from traditional gas cars.
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