Georg Kacher has written a featured article in the November issue of Car Magazine on the new Taycan. Overall, he is impressed with Porsche's latest foray into the EV space but remains a bit surprised that the Taycan doesn't move the target far enough away from the elderly Tesla Model S. Pluses on the Taycan include fit and finish, as expected, as well as acceleration. Minuses, of course, focus on range versus that of the Model S.
Kacher's comment on the Taycan only being an incremental improvement on the Tesla's performance isn't unexpected as an EV's overall efficiency puts these cars at the ragged edge of tire generated tractive forces. Instantaneous maximum torque at zero RPM means that it is far easier to work a tire to the end of its performance envelop while an ICE needs to build torque over its rev range. This means that the characteristics that defined an ICE-based car is fleeting and replaced almost with a commodity-like performance of an electric machine.
This commoditization is something that the legacy automakers will need to address in order to maintain brand equity. However, with the move toward software and touchscreens in the interior it is becoming more and more difficult. This is essentially what Kacher basically states in less-than-clear statement. Looking at Volkswagen Group's EV strategy, the organization seems to understand the move towards sustained profitability in a near perfectly competitive environment; only time will reveal if Volkswagen really understands the nuisances of this brave new EV world. Likewise, Tesla's Q3 earnings statement in a few days will also determine if this company is a longtime survivor.
Finally, Nick posted a few days ago a question about Tesla not licensing its platform to other makers, unlike Volkswagen with Ford. Last week a YouTuber in the States posted a disassembly video of a salvage Tesla powertrain unit. One was surprised by the archaic design of its inverter. Upon researching the inverter design of the Model S/X, one uncovered that the design dates back to that of AC Propulsion in the early 1990s. Tesla literally licensed that technology from AC Propulsion, which probably limited its ability to sublicense that technology to other automakers. The Model 3, however, deviates from Tesla's initial entrants.