EV of the Year 2025

ONCE AGAIN, a bevy of the automotive industry's newest electric vehicles descended upon an unassuming office in Ann Arbor.

- Andrew Krok

And once again, a single nameplate rose to the top like a layer of sweet cream in heterogeneous milk. It represents the application of the latest technology in interesting ways, superlative fulfillment of its mission, and, importantly, a lineup that is simply fun to drive. After many near-silent laps around our local evaluation loop, the Porsche Taycan emerged with a crown on its hood.

The Porsche Taycan needs little introduction. The German automaker's first dedicated EV went on sale for 2020. However, first-run models weren't quite up to snuff in the efficiency department. In the Taycan's first appearance at our EV of the Year test—with range anxiety dominating the EV ecosphere—it lost to the Ford Mustang Mach-E. But we love a good redemption arc, and the changes Porsche made for 2025 address the original Taycan's shortcomings.

Subtle styling tweaks to the bumpers, headlights, and fenders freshen up the looks of the low-slung Taycan, but the real juice hides under the low-slung silhouette. Porsche has improved the Taycan's batteries and fast-charging capabilities. The base battery now packs 82 kWh of usable capacity, while the Performance Battery Plus version boosts capacity to 97 kWh. EPA range estimates stretch from a minimum of 261 miles (in the Turbo S Cross Turismo) to as much as 318 miles in the rear-drive sedan with the larger battery. Last year, the EPA estimate for the longest-range Taycan configuration was a mere 246 miles.