Rent-a-Porsche has arrived in Australia: How to try the Taycan before you buy

Rent-a-Porsche has arrived in Australia. The EV curious are now able try a Porsche Taycan before they commit, with Porsche launching a rental service in Melbourne that covers everything from its EV rocket to the iconic 911.

But, as you might have guessed, the service is not cheap. The Porsche Taycan 4S – which wears a list price of $194,700 – can be yours for $899 per 24-hour period. But it does include complementary charging.

While that seems a steep price, it might be a worthy investment for someone deciding on whether a $200k EV is the right fit for their lifestyle.

Despite being the lowest-powered option in the initial Taycan range, the 4S produces an impressive 390kW and 640Nm, which is enough to rocket to 100km/h in a claimed 4.0secs. A 79.2kWh “Performance Battery” completes the story, which Porsche says should unlock a driving range of some 365km between charges.

Called Porsche Drive Rental, the service already exists in other countries, but this is the first time it has been offered in Australia, with the Melbourne introduction labelled a Pilot Program by the company.

The Taycan is the exclusive EV offering, but it’s joined by Porsche’s other iconic nameplates, including the 911 Carrera 4S (a fitting $911 per day), the 718 Boxster S (also fittingly priced, at $718 per day).

“Porsche Drive Rental is the latest example of us introducing innovative products to the Australian market,“ sats Porsche MD and CEO, Daniel Schmollinger.

“This pilot program in Melbourne will give us tremendous insights into how we evolve this offering in Australia in future years.“