It’s been just over a year since Porsche announced its first electric sports car. From an almost cosmic show car, the four-door Taycan has turned into a production model. Before us is not just another electric car and not just a Porsche with a battery inside: the Taycan has become a breakthrough for both the brand itself and the industry. What is it about him?

This is a real Porsche. Just electric

The German brand is difficult to reproach for working in a hurry: for the development of the first electric car Porsche, the engineers of the German company used all their technical experience accumulated over decades of creating and improving sports cars.

porsche taycan white

Porsche created this new model for itself independently, without entering into alliances or hiring outside specialists. Therefore, the Taycan is a 100% Porsche, only with a new silhouette and an electric heart.

This is the only electric car in the world with prefix “Turbo”

Notice the Turbo lettering on some Taycan versions? The logo is embarrassing and definitely needs some explanation. Since the electric motor does not need any turbine, there is of course no “turbocharging” in the usual sense in the Taycan.

In the context of Porsche, the word Turbo has long been a proper name (for example, all modern 911s are supercharged, but not all are named Turbo), which marks the most powerful and fastest modifications of different models. He also noted the top versions of the electric novelty: the 625-horsepower Taycan is called the Turbo, and its brother with a short-term peak output of 761 horsepower is called the Turbo S. The basic modification is simply called the Taycan 4S.

It is a tireless record breaking tool

The electric Porsche already has several impressive achievements. Moreover, they were delivered by civilian cars – the same ones that can be bought in a Porsche showroom. So, in 2019, the Taycan Turbo S drove the Nürburgring North Loop in 7 minutes and 42 seconds, becoming the fastest four-door electric car in the world.

And a little earlier, Porsche conducted a series of impact tests, 26 times in a row, accelerating the Taycan from standstill to 200 km / h. The average measurement result was less than 10 seconds, and the variation in readings remained within 0.8 seconds.

But this was not enough. A few days ago, the Taycan set another record with 42.2 kilometers in a continuous drift! The achievement was recorded by representatives of the Guinness Book.

This is both a reckless supercar and a comfortable family sedan.

The Taycan Turbo S’s launch-start acceleration is something with something. Officially declared 2.8 seconds of acceleration to “hundreds” is too short to notice with the eyes, but enough to feel with the whole body. If you do not care about the right pedal, then the pace with which the electric car rushes to its maximum 260 km / h will exceed the acceleration of gravity. Moreover, such overclocking Porsche allows you to do it over and over again, without reducing performance.

However, the Taycan is not only able to drive fast in a straight line. The fine-tuned chassis is partly familiar from the Panamera, with a similar rear suspension with optional wheel steering and active dampers with air springs. But due to the low center of gravity, light and very strong aluminum body and the battery integrated into the power structure, the Taycan is very nimble and responsive.

Most of the traditional assemblies have been reconfigured or redesigned from scratch, taking into account the characteristics of the electric vehicle. Active aerodynamics allow for a better grip on the asphalt, and streamlined body panels give a record low drag coefficient of just 0.22. Better than the Porsche 918 hypercar!

porsche taycan white

At the same time, in everyday life, the Taycan gives the sensations for which premium business sedans are bought – it has noble driving habits, a modern interior, which can have up to five screens, a comfortable rear sofa (optionally a three-seat one) and the ability to place up to 447 liters of cargo … But in the Porsche Taycan, every trip will not be like what we are used to: the cabin will be almost completely silent, and some of the luggage will lie where the engine is located in traditional cars. Still, in some ways an electric Porsche will take some getting used to.

Porsche Taycan is fast, even when stationary

No matter how frisky a battery-powered car is, it needs to be charged. However, the Porsche Taycan plans to spend as little time at the outlet as possible. With a dedicated fast charging station, it will take a record 22.5 minutes to recharge your batteries! Cool: After a cup of coffee and a croissant, you’ll be back to the car, which has replenished energy from 5 to 80 percent.

taycan porsce charging

For the rate of fire of such a recharge, one should thank the 800-volt mains voltage, which is unusual for electric vehicles, and special chargers with high-power direct current.

The Taycan has an incredibly modern interior

The Taycan’s sleek body hides more than just a pair of electric motors on the axles and a huge battery pack. The engineers used advanced permanent magnet synchronous motors – they are more complex, compact, lighter and significantly more expensive than those used in most other electric vehicles. Moreover, these motors are structurally different. The one in the back is more powerful and is combined with a two-speed gearbox. Unusual for a battery-powered car? The compact transmission allows you to maximize the full potential of the power plant – the first gear helps when accelerating, and the second is required for long driving at high speed.

For each of the engines, Porsche has developed unique inverters with very high efficiency, capable of changing the direct current of the battery to alternating current and back when the sports car decelerates.

Batteries are tricky too. Located under the floor and being part of the power structure of the body, the lithium-ion unit has a complex shape, 33 dial-up modules and a large capacity of 93 kWh, which gives up to 450 kilometers of power reserve. To control this incredibly complex electrical system, three cooling branches and four electrical networks with different voltages are laid inside the Taycan. Because creating an electric car that meets the requirements of the future is not at all easy.

Carl Wilson
Carl Wilson
You won't believe it, I'm native Scotsman. Enthusiast. Car lovers. Almost finished rebuilding my Reliant Saber
Categories: Porsche