Porsche rolls out first electric vehicle

German automaker Porsche unveiled its first electric sports car, known as the Taycan, on Wednesday as it accelerates into the alternative-energy vehicle market.

The Volkswagen’s luxury subsidiary said that it would invest 6 billion euros (US$6.7 billion)  to develop electric vehicles by 2022.

The new Porsche Taycan will enter the Chinese market at the beginning of 2020 and further enrich the company's product line in the world's largest electric vehicle market.

“We promised a true Porsche for the age of electromobility — a fascinating sports car that not only excites in terms of its technology and driving dynamics, but also sparks a passion in people all over the world. Now we are delivering on this promise,” said Michael Steiner, member of the Executive Board of Porsche AG Research and Development.

The four-door Taycan will be available in two trim levels: the Turbo and Turbo S.

The Taycan Turbo S can go from zero to 100 km/h in 2.8 seconds, while the Taycan Turbo completes the same acceleration in 3.2 seconds. 

Both two versions have a range of up to 465 kilometers, according to the New European Driving Cycle. With a system voltage of 800 volts, the electric car's battery can be recharged using direct current from a high-power charging network for a range of up to 100 kilometers in just over five minutes, the carmaker said.

The Taycan Turbo is priced at 1.498 million yuan (US$210,115) and Taycan Turbo S is priced at 1.798 million yuan.