Porsche’s electric Taycan is coming to PH

Last Sept. 4, in three simultaneous events held in Canada, China and Germany, Porsche finally pulled the wraps off the Taycan, the world’s first mass-market electric sports car.

This marked the beginning of a new chapter for the luxury German automaker, not to mention its biggest bet in more than a generation, as the Taycan is the realization of the company’s commitment made four years ago to meet the more stringent consumption and emission standards in the future and at the same time, significantly improve the performance of Porsche vehicles.

With the Taycan now being built, with the first batch of vehicles set to arrive in early 2020 in markets across the globe— including the Philippines.

Unlike hybrids or electrified models—meaning vehicles with some type of electrical power assist fitted to their conventional internal combustion engines—the Taycan runs solely on electric motors which draw power from batteries.

A genuine sports car

But despite its sedan configuration, the Taycan is a genuine sports car more closely related to the legendary Porsche 911 than to the Porsche Panamera luxury model.

The flagship Taycan Turbo S version can generate up to 751hp and has a combined power consumption of 26.9 kWh/100 km. It has no CO2 emissions on overboost power (when used with Launch Control). The sports car accelerates from zero to 100 km/h in 2.8 seconds and its driving range is rated at up to 412 kilometers.

Meanwhile, the Taycan Turbo can deliver up to 670hp and has a combined power consumption of 26.0 kWh/100 km, with no CO2 emissions. It can sprint from zero to 100 km/h in 3.2 seconds and has a range of up to 450 kilometers. The top speed of the Taycan Turbo S and Taycan Turbo is 260 km/h.

Joining the two versions is the Taycan 4S—the model range’s entry-level variant. Available in the Taycan 4S are two battery sizes. The standard Performance battery can put out as much as 523hp and a combined power consumption of 24.6 kWh/100 km, with no CO2 emissions. Driving range is estimated at 407 kilometers.

The Taycan 4S’ Performance battery Plus can produce up to 563hp and a combined electrical power consumption of 25.6 kWh/100 km with no emissions. It supports a driving range of 463 kilometers. Whichever battery system is chosen, the Taycan 4S accelerates from standstill to 100 km/h in 4.0 seconds.

All the Taycan variants have all-wheel drive systems because they are fitted with two electric motors located on each axle. A two-speed transmission, installed on the rear axle, is a Porsche innovation.

Convenient charging

The Taycan is the first production vehicle with a system voltage of 800 volts, instead of the usual 400 volts for electric cars. This allows the car’s battery to be recharged in just over five minutes when using direct current (DC) from the high-power charging network— already good for a range of up to 100 kilometers (according to WLTP).

The charging time for 5 percent, to 80 percent SoC (state of charge), takes 22.5 minutes for charging under ideal conditions, and the maximum charging power, or peak, is 270 kW.

Taycan drivers can also comfortably charge their cars with up to 11 kW of alternating current (AC) at home. Indeed, the Taycan’s charging process is quick, comfortable, intelligent and universal.

Innovative interior

The Taycan’s cockpit signals the start of a new era of interior design at Porsche with its clear structure and new architecture. All user interfaces have been designed from scratch for the Taycan, with the car getting considerably less classic hardware controls like switches and buttons.

Moreover, the Taycan gets the option of an entirely leather-free interior. Such use of innovative recycled materials underscores the sustainable concept of the fully electric sports car.

Said Oliver Blume, chairman of the Executive Board of Porsche AG: “The Taycan links our heritage to the future. It carries forward the success story of our brand—a brand that has fascinated and thrilled people the world over for more than 70 years.”