When car shoppers weigh the pros and cons of electric vehicles, two things usually play a key role in which model they buy. The first is the purchase price. The second is the EV’s range. A major concern is that the vehicle’s actual range will be shorter than the estimates, making it difficult to count on the vehicle for long trips. But one EV, the 2020 Porsche Taycan 4S, actually outperformed its range estimate.

Determining EVs’ range

The folks at InsideEVs conducted tests they use to estimate the range of various EVs. Though they admit their range tests aren’t perfect, they still provide a pretty good idea of how many miles you can expect a vehicle to travel on a single charge.

When they conduct a range test, one of the first things they do is check the vehicle’s tires to ensure the air pressure meets the manufacturer’s recommendation. Too much or too little air can affect the vehicle’s total range. They also use a GPS to cross-check the speedometer. The final step is ensuring the EV’s battery is fully charged. Whenever possible, they like to use an identical second car on a different course to average the range test results, providing a more accurate total range.

The interesting thing about the range tests is that once the EVs drive in real-world situations, some, such as the 2019 Tesla Model 3 AWD, underperform. But others, like the 2020 Porsche Taycan 4S, exceed the estimated range.

The 2020 Porsche Taycan 4S’s range

The 2020 Porsche Taycan 4S carries a 79.2 kWh battery. But don’t be fooled by the fact that the 4S’s battery is smaller than the Turbo model’s battery. The 4S does just fine on long drives. 

For the range test, InsideEVs used a Taycan 4S equipped with a “Performance Battery Plus.” Going into the range test, the 4S had an EPA-estimated range of 203 miles. InsideEVs’ driver managed to boost that performance by an impressive 37 percent and drove the vehicle for 277.9 miles before the battery lost all power.

“We’re still a little puzzled at how the Taycan continues to consistently beat its EPA range rating whenever an InsideEVs staff member gets behind the wheel of one,” Tom Moloughney of InsideEVs wrote.

Other experts have confirmed the Porsche Taycan 4S’s actual range

InsideEVs isn’t the only automotive publication that noticed the 2020 Porsche Taycan 4S traveled farther than the estimated range. 

Alex Roy of The Drive said the EPA estimate felt conservative and decided he needed to take the 2020 Taycan 4S for a drive to find out how far the EV could go on a single charge. One of the reasons he believed the Taycan’s EPA range might not be accurate was because he had noticed Porsche had a long history of remaining conservative with its estimates. 

He arranged to drive a borrowed Taycan 4S roundtrip from Santa Monica, California, to Phoenix, Arizona. It’s about an 800-mile trip, and he estimated he would need to stop four times to charge the battery. He used various driving modes during the trip. With the vehicle in Range Mode, it reached 297 miles. At that point, the Taycan still had some juice in the battery, but because Roy was near a charging station, he opted to err on the side of caution.

Also, Motor1 reports it should take only about 22.5 minutes to charge the battery from 5 percent to 80 percent.