Porsche and Bill Nye the Science Guy show off the Taycan EV – Roadshow [CNET]

Porsche’s Taycan is an incredible electric vehicle. It’s one of Roadshow’s very favorite EVs, and it’s by far our top pick for EVs to drive in a, shall we say, spirited manner.

A large part of the Taycan’s character comes from how it does things differently from other electric cars. To help explain those differences in an easy-to-understand and entertaining fashion, Porsche turned to the one person best suited to the task: Bill Nye.

Yes, that’s right. The Science Guy himself is starring in a series of short videos that individually break down the Taycan’s unique engineering features in a way that’s easy to understand and fun to watch. These include explainers on the Taycan’s two-speed transmission, its 800-volt battery system, its extremely robust regenerative braking system and its slippery aerodynamic profile.

The videos were filmed at Porsche’s Experience Center near Los Angeles, and in addition to having a big handling circuit to play with, Bill also experiences the skidpad and even found time to build a demonstration rig to help explain why an 800-volt battery can charge faster than a 400-volt battery. The fact that Nye is also a huge proponent of electric vehicles adds to the whole experience, too.

The one area in which the Taycan really struggles is with its EPA-rated range. While the range is totally adequate for most people (and easily exceeded in everyday driving, in our experience), folks shopping for a fast luxury EV might not give the Taycan a chance based on that fact alone, which is a bummer. Maybe seeing Bill Nye get stoked on the first Porsche EV will be enough to change some minds.

2021 Porsche Taycan is a good-driving EV in an awesome pink wrapper

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