Porsche Drive Subscription Service Now Includes Taycan, But It's Pricey

Automakers continue to broaden the scope of vehicle subscription services, and Porsche is no exception. Numerous models are already available to subscribers at a range of prices, and now, the all-electric Taycan is part of the program. It does command a hefty monthly sum, however, with pricing that starts at $2,500. More on this in a bit.

As a refresher, the service is called the Porsche Drive Subscription and Rental program. The base Taycan with rear-wheel drive is the entry model in this instance, with the Taycan 4S checking in at $3,250 per month. That places it among the priciest offerings in the service, but if a monthly commitment is too much, Porsche will also let subscribers rent the Taycan 4S at a rate of $335 per day for up to three days, or $295 if you go four days or more. It joins a fleet that includes everything from the 911 to the Macan.

Unfortunately, Porsche won't offer the Taycan 4S in its Multi-Vehicle Subscription Plan, so if you want to sample EV power you'll have to commit to it for at least a little while. However, the rear-wheel-drive Taycan will eventually come to the multi-car plan, allowing subscribers to switch from electricity to internal-combustion power at will. The automaker is also expanding the subscription service to additional cities, which now covers Atlanta, Houston, Phoenix, and a smorgasbord of California locations including Irvine, Los Angeles, San Jose, San Diego, and San Francisco.

As for the hefty price, it's important to remember the subscription service bundles all operating costs into one fee. That includes full insurance coverage and any maintenance, leaving subscribers responsible only for fuel, or in this case, charging expenses. Porsche says the subscription price works out to approximately 20 percent more than a typical two-year lease.

"Think of Porsche Drive as sports car-as-a-service, a convenient digital way to access the Porsche experience," said Kjell Gruner, President and CEO of Porsche in North America. "In three years of testing and growing the concept, together with our dealers, we have created a solution for people who prefer shorter-term and more flexible access. We always want to welcome new friends to our brand, and the fact that 80 percent of Drive customers are new to Porsche is a mark of the program’s success."