Porsche Debuts its 1st Fully Electric Sports Sedan: Taycan

”The electric 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,” said Oliver Blume, chairman of the executive board of Porsche AG, “This day marks the start of a new era.”

The four-door sports electric sedan is a unique package, offering characteristic Porsche performance and connectivity with everyday usability. At the same time, highly advanced production methods and the features of the Taycan are setting new standards in the fields of sustainability and digitalization.

“We promised a true Porsche for the age of electric mobility – a fascinating sports car that not only excites in terms of its technology and driving dynamics but also sparks a passion in people all over the world, just like its legendary predecessors have done. Now we are delivering on this promise,” emphasizes Michael Steiner, member of the executive board of Porsche AG – R&D.

The first models in the new series are the Taycan Turbo S and Taycan Turbo. Both among the most powerful production models that the sports car manufacturer currently has in its product range. Less powerful variants of these all-wheel-drive vehicles will follow this year, and the first derivative to be added will be the Taycan Cross Turismo at the end of next year.

The German manufacturer has estimated investment in the range of 6.6 billion dollars in its electric mobility venture by 2022.

Key Features:

• 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 Taycan is the first production vehicle with a system voltage of 800 volts instead of the commonly used 400 volts for electric cars. Under ideal conditions, the charging time from five 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.
• The EPA range estimate for the North American market is pending for both vehicles, however, it is predicted that the cars will have a range between 160-170 miles on a full charge.

On both the models the electric machine, 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 according to Porsche. A special feature of the electric motors is the “hairpin” windings of the stator coils. This technology makes it possible 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.

Published with permission from Saur Energy