World premiere of the Porsche Taycan: The sports car for a sustainable future
The Porsche’s first electric car, built on a brand-new platform has arrived, it is powerful and fast, featuring tech borrowed from Stuttgart’s prototype Mission E. Porsche presented its first fully-electric sports car to the public simultaneously on three continents. The four-door sports sedan offers top-level Porsche performance with practical everyday usability. The Taycan is the first production vehicle with a system voltage of 800 volts instead of the commonly used 400 volts for electric cars. At the same time, production methods and the features of the Taycan are setting new standards for a sustainable future. The first models in the new series are the Taycan Turbo S and Taycan Turbo. They are at the cutting edge of Porsche E-Performance and are among the most powerful production sports cars manufacturer currently has in its range. Less powerful variants of these all-wheel-drive vehicles will follow, and the first derivative to be added will be the Taycan Cross Turismo. By 2022, Porsche plans to invest more than 6.6 billion dollars in electric mobility.
Top Performance and efficiency are keywords for Taycan, the flagship Turbo S version of the Taycan can generate up to 750 horsepower (560 kW) of power in combination with Launch Control and overboost, while the Taycan Turbo can produce up to 670 horsepower (500 kW). The Taycan Turbo S will, therefore, accelerate from zero to 60 mph in 2.6 seconds, while the Taycan Turbo can complete this sprint in 3.0 seconds. The top track speed of both all-wheel-drive models is 161 mph. The system voltage of 800 volts instead of the commonly used 400 volts for electric cars, is a huge advantage for Taycan drivers, under ideal conditions, the charging time from 5 to 80 percent State of Charge (SoC) is just 22.5 minutes, with a maximum charging power (peak) of up to 270 kW. The overall capacity of the 800V high voltage battery is 93.4 kWh. Taycan drivers can comfortably charge their cars with up to 9.6 kW of alternating current (AC) at home using a standard SAE J1772 connector.
With its clean, pure-Porsche design, the Taycan brings a new era. At the same time, it keeps the unmistakable Porsche design DNA. From the front, it looks particularly wide and flat with highly contoured wings. The silhouette is shaped by the modern roofline sloping down to the rear. The highly sculpted side sections are also a strong characteristic of Porsche styling. The sleek cabin, the drawn-in rear C-pillar and the pronounced shoulders of the rear /wings result in a sharply emphasized rear, typical of the brand. There are also innovative elements such as the glass-look Porsche logo, which has been integrated into the light bar at the rear. With a coefficient of drag value as low as 0.22, the aerodynamically optimized basic shape makes a significant contribution to low energy consumption and thus long-range.
The cockpit signals the start of a new era of interior design at Porsche with its modern structure and completely new architecture. The free-standing, arched instrument cluster forms the uppermost point on the dashboard. This places a clear focus on the driver. A central, 10.9-inch infotainment display and an optional passenger display are combined to form an integrated glass band in a black-panel look. All user interfaces have been designed from scratch for the Taycan. The number of classic hardware controls such as switches and buttons has been greatly reduced. Instead, control is intelligent and intuitive – using touch operation or the voice control function, which responds to the command “Hey Porsche”.
With the Taycan, Porsche offers an entirely leather-free interior option for the first time. Interiors made from innovative recycled materials underscore the sustainable concept of the electric car. “Foot garages” – recesses in the battery in the rear footwell – ensure seating comfort for rear-seat passengers while allowing the typically low roof height found on sports cars. Two luggage compartments are available: the front compartment has a capacity of 2.8 cubic feet and the rear 12.9 cubic feet.
The Taycan Turbo S and Taycan Turbo have two exceptionally efficient electric motors, one on the front axle and one on the rear axle, thus making the cars all-wheel drive. Both the range and the continuous power of the drive system benefit from the highly efficient permanently excited synchronous machines. The electric motor, transmission and pulse-controlled inverter are each combined into a compact drive module. The modules have the highest power density (kW per cubic foot of package space) of all-electric powertrains on the market today. A special feature of the electric motors is the “hairpin” windings of the stator coils. This technology enables to incorporate more copper in the stator, increasing power output and torque while maintaining the same component volume. The two-speed transmission installed on the rear axle is an innovation developed by Porsche. First gear lets the Taycan prioritize acceleration from a standing start, while second gear, with its long gear ratio, ensures high efficiency and equally high power reserves while traveling at high speeds.
Porsche uses a centrally-networked control system for the Taycan chassis. The integrated Porsche 4D Chassis Control analyses and synchronizes all chassis systems in real time. The innovative chassis systems include adaptive air suspension with three-chamber technology including PASM (Porsche Active Suspension Management) electronic damper control, as well as the optional Porsche Dynamic Chassis Control Sport (PDCC Sport) electromechanical roll stabilization system including Porsche Torque Vectoring Plus (PTV Plus). The all-wheel-drive control with two electric motors and the recuperation system are unique. At up to 265 kW, the potential recuperation power is significantly higher than that of competitors. Driving tests have shown that approximately 90 percent of everyday braking is performed by the electric machines alone – without the hydraulic brake system being activated. Multiple driving modes allow drivers to tailor their experience on the road. The different mode profiles follow the same philosophy as in other Porsche model series but is supplemented by a special setting which maximizes efficient operation. The four driving modes that are available include “Normal”, “Sport”, “Sport Plus”, and “Range”. In addition, individual systems can be configured as required in the “Individual” mode.
The world premiere of the Porsche Taycan took place simultaneously in North America, China and Europe. The most important sales markets of the new electric sports car are on these three continents. The event locations are also a synonym for three ways of sustainable energy management: Niagara Falls at the border between the US state of New York and the Canadian province of Ontario representing hydropower, a solar farm in Neuhardenberg near Berlin representing solar power and a wind farm on Pingtan Island, less than a mile from the Chinese city of Fuzhou in the province of Fujian representing wind power. We perceive these natural forces with all our senses in exactly the same way as we experience the impressive power delivery of the first all-electric sports car from Porsche. This one-time triple event was broadcast worldwide via live stream on NewsTV.porsche.com.