Porsche Taycan GTS looks planted thrashing Tesla Model S Plaid in handling tests, but one-pedal driving is big advantage for Tesla ^↺

Watching the AWD Porsche Taycan GTS and Tesla Model S Plaid rip through the km77 slalom and moose handling tests back to back puts the differences between these two performance vehicles front and centre. While both the Model S Plaid perform admirably, Porsche's laser focus on handling and driveability are clear in both tests — for better or worse.

Starting with the slalom tests, the Porsche Taycan GTS puts up an impressive showing. As it weaves between the cones, there is no sign of under- or over-steer or a lack of control, and you can clearly see the torque vectoring pulling the hefty EV through the corners.

The Model S Plaid, on the other hand, is slightly more stressed during the slalom test, and its suspension is obviously less composed, with tyres screeching as the car over-steers, and a healthy helping of body roll visible throughout the test. That said, the Model S Plaid only came in 0.03 seconds slower than the Porsche Taycan GTS during the slalom test.

When it comes to the moose test, which tests a car's composure during a sudden swerve without brake application, the Tesla Model S Plaid comes out ahead of the Porsche Taycan GTS in terms of entry speed. The best attempt at the moose test sees the Model S Plaid successfully complete the test with an entry speed of 82 km/h, exiting at 46 km/h. The Taycan GTS, on the other hand, enters the moose test at 78 km/h and exits at 51 km/h.

Apart from speeds, the Model S Plaid looks about as planted through the moose test as the Taycan GTS, even it does seem to regain traction slightly less adeptly after the initial swerve — another testament to Porsche's traction management systems.

The Taycan may not have been able to complete the test with as high a starting speed as the Tesla, but it also lost less speed than the Tesla. This curiosity highlights one of the advantages of Tesla's one-pedal driving vs Porsche's more traditional approach to regenerative braking management.

Part of the reason for the disparity in results comes down to how regenerative braking is applied. In the Model S Plaid, regenerative braking immediately once pressure comes off the accelerator. Porsche, by its own admission, has opted to include regenerative braking in the brake pedal to make its EVs have the same driving dynamics as its traditional ICE cars.

Km77's tests highlight that, although the Porsche Taycan GTS may actually handle more confidently than the Tesla Model S Plaid, the Tesla may be safer in an emergency manoeuvres. It comes down to the fact that the Tesla starts braking automatically as soon as pressure is lifted off of the accelerator.

Though the slalom and moose safety tests are but one metric, Porsche may want to reconsider its efficiency-based stance on one-pedal driving. Porsche's regenerative braking technology is capable of regenerating upwards of 250 kW of energy in hard braking scenarios, after all — compared to Tesla's estimated 90 kW.

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