The covers have been ripped from Porsche’s first fully electric vehicle. The Porsche Taycan is to go into mass production very soon and, as with other Porsche innovations, is expected to permeate performance Volkswagen Group products in years to come. It is also expected to take the fight to Tesla and the Model S!
Porsche have an outstanding record in innovation, presenting us with the Porsche Cayenne and Porsche Panamera, long before the segments become popular. Porsche will have high hopes that the Taycan does the same thing. It has been four long years since the concept Mission-E debuted. Despite the long wait, the Taycan changes very little from the basic concept.
At the centre of the package is a Porsche -developed 800 volt system. Details on the specifics include two electric motors, one on each axle. The motors include an innovative hairpin winding of the stator coils which allows increased power and torque. A two speed transmission is installed at the rear axle and a four wheel drive system comes with all of the usual PASM, torque vectoring and PDCC.
Two models will be available from launch, the Taycan Turbo and Taycan Turbo S. Further models will be released after launch, however, the two high performance versions will offer 761 hp and 680 hp respectively.
The Turbo is expected to complete the 100 km/h sprint in just 3.2 seconds while the Turbo S hits the same milestone in just 2.8 seconds. The respective ranges are 412 km and 450 km with the 800 volt system taking 22.5 minutes to hit 80 percent charge. In just 5 minutes, it can take enough electricity to travel 100 km.
The exterior design is pretty similar to the Mission E Concept with a lower, more aerodynamic appearance than the Panamera. The headlights appear like cuts out of the bodywork with a smaller air intake area below the front bumper. The rear is typical of Porsche with the light bar stretching across the rear end.
Inside, the display is futuristic. A central 10.9 inch infotainment display combined with a large touchpad on the transmission tunnel and on the passenger side. The drivers dials are electronic. Porsche are relying on voice control for many of the functions. This is activated by muttering “Hey Porsche”. For the environmentally conscious, the Taycan can also be offered without leather. The front compartment offers 81 litres of space while the rear offers 366 litres.
Both Taycan’s are available to order immediately at a cost of 152,136 euros or 185,456 euros for the Turbo S.
