Watch the Porsche Taycan GTS in an electric performance race between Germany vs China
Does Porsche still own the performance crown in the new electric era? Or do the new Chinese EVs take the title? Check out the epic race in a battle of international heavyweights – Germany vs. China.
Porsche Taycan GTS delivers performance in the EV era
Porsche is well-known for its high-performance car history, from the 911 GT2 to the Carrera GTS, which has shaped the brand as we know it today.
However, the auto industry is changing – and rapidly. The age of electric vehicles has arrived. To maintain its status as a performance leader, Porsche introduced its first all-electric car, the Taycan, in 2019.
In typical Porsche fashion, the German luxury automaker unveiled a high-performance GTS variant.
The Porsche Taycan GTS sedan and GTS Sport Turismo were released in November 2021, featuring its 93.4 kWh Performance Battery Plus (the same used in the Turbo and Turbo S), special GTS brand design features, and tuned suspension and performance equipment. You can see our full review of the Porsche Taycan GTS sedan here.
The all-electric sports sedan has two PSM electric motors, one on each axle, delivering over 590 hp (440 kW).
Using launch control (which activates Overboost Power), the Taycan GTS can race from 0 to 60 mph in 3.5 seconds.
Can Chinese EVs beat a Porsche Taycan in a drag race?
Meanwhile, China is the world’s largest EV market, accounting for over 60% of all global electric car sales last year.
Chinese automakers in the region, like NIO and XPeng, are pioneering some of the industry’s most technologically advanced EVs with modern features that are attracting users at home and abroad.
Launched in 2017, Human Horizon’s HiPhi is a luxury electric vehicle brand with models including the “X” and the “Z.”
The company’s first EV model, the HiPhi X electric SUV, began deliveries in China in June 2021. Its second, the HiPhi Z luxury GT, referred to as the Chinese version of the Porsche Taycan EV, began production last year.
The HiPhi X competes directly against the BMW iX M60, while the HiPhi Z is aimed at the Porsche Taycan GTS.
To see if Porsche and BMW are still the performance leaders they have built a reputation on, Carwow put them up against the Chinese EVs from Human Horizon’s HiPhi brand.
The HiPhi Z has the most power (672 hp), followed by the BMW iX M60 (619 hp), while the Porsche Taycan GTS and HiPhi X both feature 598 hp.
| Power (hp) |
Torque (Nm) |
Weight (kg) |
Price | |
| Porsche Taycan GTS | 598 | 850 | 2,310 | $139,300 |
| BMW iX M60 | 619 | 1,100 | 2,584 | $108,900 |
| HiPhi Z | 672 | 820 | 2,539 | $90,000 |
| HiPhi X | 598 | 820 | 2,580 | $86,000 |
To find out who makes the quickest electric car (Germany vs. China), the Porsche Taycan GTS and BMW iX M60 take on the HiPhi Z and X models in an epic drag race.
Are Porsche and BMW still the performance leaders they are known to be? Check out the video above to see if the Taycan GTS holds its own.
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Electricity demand is surging in Texas, and solar, wind, and battery storage are meeting it.
According to new data from the US Energy Information Administration (EIA), electricity demand across the Texas grid managed by the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) hit record highs in the first nine months of 2025. ERCOT, which supplies power to about 90% of the state, saw demand jump 5% year-over-year to 372 terawatt hours (TWh) – a 23% increase since 2021. No other major US grid has grown faster over the past year.
Solar and wind keep ERCOT’s grid steady
The biggest growth story in Texas power generation is solar. Utility-scale solar plants produced 45 TWh from January through September, up 50% from 2024 and nearly four times what they generated in 2021 (11 TWh). Wind power also continued to climb, producing 87 TWh through September – a 4% increase from last year and 36% more than in 2021.
Together, wind and solar supplied 36% of ERCOT’s total electricity over those nine months. Solar, in particular, has transformed Texas’s daytime energy mix. From June to September, ERCOT solar farms generated an average of 24 gigawatts (GW) between noon and 1 pm – double the midday output from 2023. That growth has pushed down natural gas use at midday from 50% of the mix in 2023 to 37% this year.
Battery storage is filling in the gaps
Batteries charge during the day when wind and solar generation are the highest, and they produce electricity when generation from wind and solar slows down. ERCOT began reporting battery output separately in October 2024 in its hourly grid data, and it’s clear that batteries are now helping to smooth out evening peaks. This past summer, batteries supplied an average of 4 GW of power around 8 pm, right as solar production dropped off.
Natural gas is flatlining
Natural gas is still Texas’s dominant power source, but it isn’t growing like it used to. Between January and September, gas-fired plants generated 158 TWh of electricity, compared to 161 TWh in 2023. Gas comprised 43% of ERCOT’s generation mix during the first nine months of 2025, down from 47% in the first nine months of 2023 and 2024.
More demand growth ahead
The EIA expects Texas electricity demand to keep rising faster than any other grid in the US. In its latest Short-Term Energy Outlook, the EIA projects ERCOT’s demand will climb another 14% in the first nine months of 2026, reaching 425 TWh. That means Texas will need even more solar, wind, and battery storage to keep up with its breakneck growth.
Read more: This $900 million solar farm in Texas is going 100% to data centers
The 30% federal solar tax credit is ending this year. If you’ve ever considered going solar, now’s the time to act. To make sure you find a trusted, reliable solar installer near you that offers competitive pricing, check out EnergySage, a free service that makes it easy for you to go solar. It has hundreds of pre-vetted solar installers competing for your business, ensuring you get high-quality solutions and save 20-30% compared to going it alone. Plus, it’s free to use, and you won’t get sales calls until you select an installer and share your phone number with them.
Your personalized solar quotes are easy to compare online and you’ll get access to unbiased Energy Advisors to help you every step of the way. Get started here.
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GM is recalling nearly 23,000 Chevy Equinox EV and Cadillac Optiq models due to a defect where the tire tread could fall off.
GM is recalling more Chevy Equinox EV models
In a letter sent to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), GM said it has decided to issue a safety recall for certain Chevy Equinox EV and Cadillac Optiq models from model years 2025 to 2026.
This time, it isn’t necessarily GM’s fault. The vehicles may be equipped with 21″ all-season tires that Continental Tire is recalling.
According to Continental, the tires were produced during the week of October 6, 2024, and may have a defect where the tire tread could partially or fully detach. The records show the defect is due to a nonconforming tread base rubber compound.
Owners of affected vehicles may notice unusual tread wear or bulging, vibration while driving, or tire noises. GM is unaware of any incidents related to the defect, but is issuing the recall out of an abundance of caution.
On September 18, 2025, GM inspected the assembly plant and confirmed there were no suspect tires in stock. The 21″ tires come standard on RS trims and are optional on LT1 and LT2 grades.
Although GM is recalling 22,914 Chevy Equinox EVs and Cadillac Optiqs, it estimates that only about 1% of them have the defect.
The recall includes:
- 2026 Cadillac Optiq: 214
- 2026 Chevy Equinox EV: 1,832
- 2025 Cadillac Optiq: 3,468
- 2025 Chevy Equinox EV: 17,400
GM dealers will check all four tires and replace them if needed, free of charge. Dealers were notified on October 16. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed out on December 1, 2025.
You can contact Chevrolet’s customer service number at 1-800-222-1020 or Cadillac’s at 1-800-333-4223. GM’s recall number is N252525030. Owners can also call the NHTSA hotline at 1-888-327-4236 or visit the nhtsa.gov website for more information.
The Chevy Equinox EV is now the third best-selling EV in the US, trailing only the Tesla Model Y and Model 3. Meanwhile, Cadillac’s entry-level Optiq SUV is the fifth-most-popular luxury EV. The recall is minor and only affects a small percentage of models, so it’s not expected to have a major impact.
If you want to test one of them for yourself, we can help you get started. Check out our links below to find available Chevy Equinox EV and Cadillac Optiq models near you.
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In the Electrek Podcast, we discuss the most popular news in the world of sustainable transport and energy. In this week’s episode, we discuss Tesla’s earnings madness, Rivian layoffs, Ford pausing F-150 Lightning, and more.
The show is live every Friday at 4 p.m. ET on Electrek’s YouTube channel.
As a reminder, we’ll have an accompanying post, like this one, on the site with an embedded link to the live stream. Head to the YouTube channel to get your questions and comments in.
After the show ends at around 5 p.m. ET, the video will be archived on YouTube and the audio on all your favorite podcast apps:
We now have a Patreon if you want to help us avoid more ads and invest more in our content. We have some awesome gifts for our Patreons and more coming.
Here are a few of the articles that we will discuss during the podcast:
Here’s the live stream for today’s episode starting at 4:00 p.m. ET (or the video after 5 p.m. ET:
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