Skip to main content

Porsche renames its all-electric Mission E vehicle the Taycan

Porsche renames its all-electric Mission E vehicle the Taycan

/

Pronounced ‘tie-con,’ as in ‘Porsche would like to be Taycan seriously with this new name’

Share this story

Porsche

Last year, Porsche unveiled the production version of the Mission E — an all-electric four-door that looked like a worthy rival to Tesla’s Model S. But rather than stick with that alluring and mysterious moniker, the Volkswagen-owned performance automaker opted for a new name: the Taycan.

The name, which was announced at an event celebrating the automaker’s 70th anniversary, roughly translates to “lively young horse” in German, a reference to the leaping horse at the heart of the company’s crest. Also, it’s apparently pronounced “tie-con,” but it’s probably already doomed to a lifetime of mispronunciations.

“lively young horse” in German

“Our new electric sports car is strong and dependable; it’s a vehicle that can consistently cover long distances and that epitomizes freedom,” Porsche AG chief Oliver Blume said in a statement.

The internet, as it is wont to do, immediately started dragging Porsche for the new name.

Set to be released in 2019, the Taycan has two electric motors (one at the front and one at the rear), which give it more than 600 horsepower and can sprint from 0 to 60 mph in less than 3.5 seconds. The car also has a range of just under 300 miles and is compatible with Europe’s growing fast-charging network.

Porsche is part of the Volkswagen Group, and like many of its corporate brethren, it was caught up in the massive emissions cheating scandal that broke in 2015. The company even recalled 22,000 of its diesel SUVs this summer for containing the so-called “defeat devices” that were used to skirt emissions tests. And as countries and other automakers increasingly push toward electric vehicles, the pressure is on to take a big foothold in that section of the market. For both Porsche and fans of electric vehicles, the Taycan can’t come soon enough — even if it does sound kind of like a Liam Neeson movie.