The hot new Porsche Taycan is not a Tesla killer. As soon as it launched, or beforehand, many started comparing it to the Tesla Model S and debates online about which car was better ensued.
Comparisons aside, Porsche just did something for Tesla that many would pay them to do for their own businesses: Porsche put Tesla in the news again. People are researching Tesla’s products to compare with the Porsche Taycan.
Think about it from a marketing perspective. There is no need to buy advertising when your name is constantly in the news.
This is all free publicity for Tesla, and this is a great thing not just for Tesla itself, but those who support electric vehicles and renewable energy more broadly. This is a win for the environment.
We went for a ride in the all-new @Porsche Taycan EV and got out with a singular thought: This is a Tesla killer. https://t.co/Xz7N4jswT7 pic.twitter.com/ArZRetgqlc
— Edmunds (@edmunds) September 4, 2019
Many of the anti-Tesla groups and short sellers who vehemently hate the brand often focus on the idea of “Tesla killers,” a concept that has been thrown about for several years. My question is, if your alternative choice of a brand is so good, why do you have to even mention Tesla at all?
Answer: because Tesla creates a standard. Tesla set the bar very high for electric vehicles, but the idea that making a car that surpasses this high bar would “kill” Tesla is a bit presumptuous. Also, by many standards, the bar still hasn’t been touched.
Tesla isn’t just a brand. It’s a level of premium quality. It has been honing that quality in its hardware, software, and customer ecosystem for years.
A quick comparison of the Porsche Taycan Turbo S to the Tesla Performance Model S by Marques Brownlee shows that despite all of the hype over the Taycan, Tesla is still the better of the two, especially since it has Autopilot.
Tesla Model S Perf vs Porsche Taycan Turbo S
$105,990 $185,000
345mile range 280mile range
0-60 in 2.4s 0-60 in 2.6s
163mph 161mph
Autopilot pic.twitter.com/YCrWaGtlac— Marques Brownlee (@MKBHD) September 4, 2019
Porsche: "Pay us $150-250k for this." pic.twitter.com/iLLQDozT7w
— Nafnlaus (@enn_nafnlaus) September 5, 2019
The Tesla Model S Performance is faster, has more range, has faster acceleration, and is more economical than the Porsche Taycan.
Others have pointed out that even the Tesla Model 3 Performance beats the Taycan in what it offers as well:
Someone should break the news to Jim Chanos @wallstcynic that the $55,990 #Tesla Model 3 matches the performance of the $150,000 Taycan Turbo — almost triple the price — and has:
310 mi. range v. ~250
Autopilot
Supercharger network
Back seat that fits adults comfortably$tsla pic.twitter.com/Xd9kddJ28a— Not_an_Analyst (@facts_tesla) September 4, 2019
Ok – I'll admit it
This tweet👇was really unfair
To the Model 3
With options, Taycan Turbo comparably equipped to $56K #Tesla P3 is $163K
Pwr mirrors, pano roof, park assist, tacc, lane change assist, pwr chg port cover, charger, range manager are all extra $$$$tsla https://t.co/JbdUiA3sbc
— Not_an_Analyst (@facts_tesla) September 5, 2019
However, those who are diehards for their favorite brands may prefer the Taycan simply because of its maker. I know quite a few people who love their Cadillacs, Lexuses, and Mercedes-Benzes. No need to win over every Porsche fanatic — just good to get them driving electric.
Having other automakers create electric vehicles is a win for Tesla, whose goal is to accelerate our transition to sustainable energy. This is not a threat, but a success. Tesla’s endgame is accelerating the transition to sustainable energy, which benefits all of us globally.
Tesla’s mission is to accelerate the world’s transition to sustainable energy.
🌞⚡🚗🔋
(a thread)
— Tesla (@Tesla) May 9, 2019
When other competitors create their own electric vehicles, what many tout as “Tesla killers” are actually fossil vehicle killers. This is Tesla achieving its goals.
We recognize that we cannot achieve our mission alone, so we decided to open source Tesla patents, making them accessible to anyone who wants to design and build electric vehicles. https://t.co/cMIVRr8tKc
— Tesla (@Tesla) May 9, 2019
Tesla knows that it cannot do what is needed without other automakers joining in, fast. This is why Tesla made all of its patents available to anyone who wants to design and build electric vehicles. This is why the Porsche Taycan is not a Tesla killer, but rather, an ally. In fact, any company that is focusing on building electric vehicles should be seen as allies — if they are truly serious about joining the electric vehicle industry.
What I mean by this is that they encourage their dealers to sell electric vehicles and not try to talk customers into buying a gas-powered one.
Our true competition is not the small trickle of non-Tesla electric cars being produced, but rather the enormous flood of gasoline cars pouring out of the world’s factories every day
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 31, 2019
Instead of focusing on Tesla “killers,” we should focus on Tesla allies. Yes, it’s true that many auto companies have targeted Tesla in their ads and even mocked Elon Musk, but we should use this to our advantage: Tesla “killers” are unknowingly joining Tesla as allies in the EV revolution. Tesla and its allies will help us to fully function on sustainable energy. Without them all, we’re in big trouble.
Elon Musk has stated that “our true competition” is the “flood of gasoline cars pouring out of the world’s factories every day.” That’s the essence of it. When an automaker chooses to “compete” with Tesla, this is a good thing.
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