Porsche has unveiled the all-new Taycan. Here is everything you need to know about the world’s newest (and temporarily greatest) electric vehicle.
Meet the Taycan, the future of what a Porsche looks like.
While heroes such as the 911 GT3 and Cayman GT4 will cling onto combustion engine hearts for as long as possible, the majority of the Porsche stable will, in some way or another, look like this. And this is the spearhead that will start Porsche’s electrified revolution.
So you don’t sound like a daffy, it’s pronounced ‘Tai-kahn’ and if you want one you’ll be waiting somewhere down the bottom of a long waiting list. See, pre-orders suggest it’s already sold out the world over, despite 30,000 units being delivered in the first 12 months of production. That’s only 5000 fewer cars than Porsche sells 911s. Yep, according to the people who buy Porsches, this is the new crowning glory to own.
But it’s not to be compared to the 911, as it can’t match the svelte, scalpel sharp sports car characteristics of that model. At least not yet.
Instead, the Taycan is a technological marvel, both inside and underneath, using bespoke Porsche built parts from the inverter to the motor and its two-speed gearbox that make it undoubtedly the most capable electric vehicle you can buy.
It’s rear-mounted inline axial electric motor is mated to a unique two-speed transmission that not even Tesla has cracked the code on. It allows the motor to be smaller and lighter than usual, and easier to cool, yet provide the rip-snorting shove of torque from a standstill that EVs are known for. Once the initial surge of acceleration reaches first-gear’s limit, the second gear kicks in with a sci-fi-sounding whir and the car continues to catapult up to a top speed of 260km/h.
There’s also a single-speed motor on the front axle, making the Taycan Turbo and Turbo S models all-wheel drive. There will likely be a single motor rear-wheel drive model to come later, at a discounted price.
The flagship Turbo S model produces a powerful 460kW (560Kw on overpower) and a huge 1050Nm of torque. The Turbo makes a ‘milder’ 500kW on overpower, with the same 460kW standard, and 850Nm of grunt.
Performance is stunning from both, the Turbo S hitting 100km/h from a standing start in 2.8 seconds, onto 200km/h in 9.8 seconds. Turbo is slightly slower, hitting 100km/h in 3.2 seconds and 200km/h in 10.6 seconds.
Both rival supercar performance figures, but what’s really special – at least in the world of EVs – is that the performance is repeatable. Get into a rival electric car and it’ll do about the same number up to the ton…but it won’t do it more than a few times before everything gets hot and unstable.
The two-speed unit helps achieve healthy economy too, as the second gear reduces energy consumption at highway speeds. WLTP rated driving range is 412km for the Turbo S and 450km for the Turbo, each claiming an energy consumption of 26.0kWh/100km and 26.9kWh/100km respectively.
The battery capacity is 93.4kWh, which is quite large, but it’s been designed to sit low on the floor pan and not intrude on footwell space. The boot is also a handy 400-litres.
It’s a lot of numbers to take in, but here’s the important one for practical driving: it can charge up 100km range in around 5 minutes. And it can boost the battery capacity from 5 to 80 percent charge in just over 20 minutes.
That’s using a compatible fast charger to get the most from Porsche’s 800v inverter technology, which is almost unique in the market (Audi will be using it, and BMW is investigating it). But it’s not so rare that you won’t be able to achieve fast charging in Australia, with ChargeFox rolling out 150kW chargers around the country that will be compatible with the Taycan. Porsche will also build its own 800v-friendly chargers.
Revealed overnight, the Taycan comes with a bevy of other gear you’d find on most flagship Porsche models; 21-inch alloy wheels, air suspension with three-way adaptive damping, electromechanical roll stabilisation technology and massive 420mm carbon ceramic brake rotors with 10-piston calipers.
And the interior is also a technological delight, with screens spanning the entire dash and down the console. The driver’s unit measures 16.8-inches across its curved surface, and an optional 10.9-inch screen can be plonked in front of the passenger, where they can change music and adjust navigation. There’s also ‘vegan-friendly’ trim options.
Porsche Taycan availability Australia
The Taycan will arrive in Australia around this time next year. Pricing won’t be available until 2020 but expect the Turbo S to land north of $300,000 and the Turbo closer to that mark. But again, if you want one, there’s a long waiting list already.
