Some Answers and Info From Canadian Taycan Launch Event

[struther]

I wasn’t expecting giveaways from the Toronto event but I like them. It is a little hard to read, but the bottle says “Your body is 60% water, the rest is soul” on one side and Soul Electrified on the other.

 

[ThomasDK]

- the base model will not be out for at least 2 years

- the smaller battery will most likely be delayed due to the virus, they need to keep up with the orders


- no word on the software update


- open vents on the manual port cover, for the power port cover is closed off. (But it has tiny holes for vent?)


-will most likely be next year


-yes it was a Porsche Vancouver event at the aquarium

THE VENTS with power port, then the vents with manual port, and also rear touch screen, without and with.

Thank you so much for the side vents pictures. Strange that it is not the same. Now I do not know wich to choose
Did you have a winner seeing both?
And did you also take a picture of the open vent from the door facing forward?

 

[epirali]

. I really don’t think turbo S is necessary. (Even if I had all the money in the world, just going from a more practical POV)

My basic statement is that neither the Turbo nor the Turbo S are necesary. In fact I would argue the Turbo S May he should not be sold as a street car, it is way too much. And yes if you are new to EVs any EV (including the Bolt) will be great fun, and the differences from Model 3P to Taycan S would not be apparent in a first drive. There is an overwhelm of the rapid drivetrain response coming from an ICE that swamps any other consideration.

But once you are past that the differences in the drive characteristics of a Taycan and any Tesla is night and day. The Teslas are detached, numb, delayed in response and not really a “driver” car (this includes the S and 3 performance models, although imho Model 3P is better, it is more like a sporty Japanese car). And if that is not something you look for then absolutely the money difference is crazy, get the Model 3P.

But I for one would not get any of the Teslas for driving, even with the price differential.

 

[TriTaycan]

But if you want bang for your buck I would get the base model 3, maybe even model 3 performance. I think for this amount of money you pay, you are getting a lot, maybe even more than what you’re paying for.

Part of the magic of TSLA is that they don't actually make any money, their margins are basically zero, possibly even negative. So yes, you get a lot relative to what you pay for. This is probably why other car companies have been so slow to compete with them . . . they prefer actually making money on the cars they sell, which is difficult or impossible at TSLA price points.

 

[porsche_coyote]

Part of the magic of TSLA is that they don't actually make any money, their margins are basically zero, possibly even negative. So yes, you get a lot relative to what you pay for. This is probably why other car companies have been so slow to compete with them . . . they prefer actually making money on the cars they sell, which is difficult or impossible at TSLA price points.

I'm not a Tesla fanboy (note the zero Teslas in my profile), but that statement simply isn't true. Teardowns of the Model 3 by Munro Associates have shown that it can clearly be built at a profit, and Tesla has actually been GAAP profitable for the past three quarters. Not huge margins, mind you, but some profit nevertheless.

 

[Reg]

and Tesla has actually been GAAP profitable for the past three quarters. Not huge margins, mind you, but some profit nevertheless.

No, only last 2 quarters.
Q1: -702M
Q2: -408M
Q3: +143M
Q4: +105M

so net for those three quarters is significantly negative, for the year, even worse.

If you strip out the EV credits they get (to look at the economics of the build, sell and service) for their cars, the picture is even worse.

Credits
Q1: 216M
Q2: 111M
Q3: 134M
Q4: 133M

 

[porsche_coyote]

No, only last 2 quarters.
Q1: -702M
Q2: -408M
Q3: +143M
Q4: +105M

so net for those three quarters is significantly negative, for the year, even worse.

If you strip out the EV credits they get (to look at the economics of the build, sell and service) for their cars, the picture is even worse.

Credits
Q1: 216M
Q2: 111M
Q3: 134M
Q4: 133M

Yep. I mis-remembered. That's what I get for trying to wing it. Thanks for getting the actual data.

That said, I don't know that the numbers (-$1.46 BN over 4 quarters with only one of them netting in the black) lead me to the conclusion that the Tesla cars can't be built profitably. Those deficit numbers are actually reasonable in the context of funding new factory construction in the US, and China during that period while also developing new models. They're skating close to the edge with no doubt (and I certainly wouldn't buy the stock), but I would probably trust the auto industry experts who've suggested that Tesla *can* build cars at a profit. We'll find out at some point...

 

[Reg]

Those deficit numbers are actually reasonable in the context of funding new factory construction in the US, and China during that period while also developing new models.

IIRC, they seriously whacked their capex spending in 2019 to levels just about 2016 levels when they were doing a lot less. Significantly below 2018 and 2017.

There is a big difference between building a car at a profit, and selling, delivering and supporting a car at a profit. Besides, a tear down says little about the about the actually cost of assembly, waste, etc, especially in a world of alien dreadnoughts and failed flufferbots.

We'll find out at some point...

We find that out every quarter

Edit. Sorry. I won’t do the Tesla talk anymore. So many other places on internet to do that.

map back to our show!

 

[Dawse]

I wasn’t expecting giveaways from the Toronto event but I like them. It is a little hard to read, but the bottle says “Your body is 60% water, the rest is soul” on one side and Soul Electrified on the other.

Hmmm. So they're telling us that our body is 60% water and the rest is soul. I hope their command of science is more fact-based with the Taycan than it is with human biology! Otherwise I'll be giving back my 4S when it arrives next month

 

[Brassfactory]

‘They’ are marketing. I doubt the engineers talk that way.

 

[MissionC]

Did anyone ask why there are only fixed roof options and no sunroof? I get that a sunroof would impact aerodynamics and reduce range, but it’s curious that every other Porsche model (maybe not Cayman?) has a sunroof option.

 

[felixtb]

Did anyone ask why there are only fixed roof options and no sunroof? I get that a sunroof would impact aerodynamics and reduce range, but it’s curious that every other Porsche model (maybe not Cayman?) has a sunroof option.

I suspect it is for the reason you mentioned… Tesla used to have a sun roof on the S but it has disappeared as an option because of the miles that it eats……. And as todays batteries are like a VERY SMALL gas tank coupled to a very efficient motor any added drag will really hurt your range...

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