Porsche Taycan

The name "Taycan" roughly translates from Turkish as "lively young horse", in reference to the steed of the Stuttgart coat of arms on the Porsche crest.[7][8]

Porsche named the high performance models Turbo and Turbo S despite the absence of a turbocharger, following the tradition set by older high performance Porsche derivatives.[9]

The Taycan's interior features Porsche's first fully digital instrumentation, with up to four digital displays, including a curved, free-standing 16.8-inch configurable driver's display. A 280 mm (10.9 in) screen to the right of the instrument cluster is the car's infotainment center. An optional screen to the right of the infotainment screen allows the front passenger to customise the infotainment system. On the centre console, an 210 mm (8.4 in) portrait-oriented, touchpad-controlled screen shows the powertrain's status and advises the driver on using the car's power efficiently. In contrast with the all-digital layout, the dashboard features the classic Porsche clock at its top.

The exterior styling, by former Porsche Exterior Designer Mitja Borkert, is strongly influenced by the Mission E concept car, retaining most of its design elements except the "suicide doors" and B pillars. Design features of the Taycan include a retractable rear spoiler, retractable door handles, and an advanced regenerative braking system. Taking full advantage of its drivetrain layout, the Taycan combines the fundamental short-nosed front proportions of traditional Porsches with the stretched proportions of modern front-engine models towards the rear, providing clear design links to existing models. The front features four-point LED daytime running headlamps. At the rear, the car has a short notchback-style boot lid, housing a full-width light band serving as taillights and turn signals and providing access to one of two luggage compartments. The other compartment is under the bonnet, with a claimed capacity of nearly 100 litres. The Taycan Turbo and Turbo S models include carbon-fibre trim and 20-inch wheels.

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  Rear view
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  Interior

The Taycan's J1 platform

The Taycan's body is mainly steel and aluminium joined by different bonding techniques. The body's B pillars, side roof frame and seat cross member are made from hot-formed steel, while the bulkhead cross member is made from boron steel to improve safety. The shock absorber mounts, axle mounts and rear side members are forged aluminum; and all body panels, except the front and rear bumpers, are also made from aluminum to reduce weight. 37% of the car is aluminium.[10]

The Taycan uses a new battery-electric all-wheel-drive drivetrain with a permanent-magnet synchronous motor on each axle. At the front, power is sent to the wheels through a single-speed gearbox (8.05:1 gear ratio); and at the rear, through a two-speed transmission and a limited slip differential. The gearbox has a short planetary first gear (15.5:1) providing maximum acceleration, and a long-ratio second gear (8.05:1) delivering top speed and efficiency.[2] Power comes from a 93 kWh 630 kg (1,389 lb) lithium-ion battery pack that doubles as a structural chassis component and keeps the center of gravity low.[2] To increase rear-seat legroom, recesses called "foot garages" have been incorporated in the battery pack. The 723-volt pack (835 volt full, 610 volt empty) has 33 modules with 12 LG Chem pouch cells each, for 396 cells in total.[2][11]

The EPA lists the Taycan 4S' range at 203 miles with a consumption of 49 kWh/100 miles.[12] However, the car's range depends on how it is driven and what driving mode is selected. There are five driving modes: Sport, Sport Plus, Normal, Range, and Individual. The Range mode maximizes range with lowest power consumption; and Individual lets the driver customise various settings.[13] Regenerative braking provides up to 265 kW,[14] yielding an acceleration of 0.39 G/-3.83 m/s^2.[2]

Porsche has developed an 800-volt charging system specifically for the Taycan. According to manufacturer estimates, the battery pack can be charged from 5% to 80% in 22.5 minutes in ideal situations, using a DC fast charger with 270 kW of power. Charge times depend on weather conditions and infrastructure. When purchasing a Taycan, owners receive three years free access to the speed-charging infrastructure of IONITY, Porsche's joint venture partner.[15]

To reduce charge times at both hot and cold temperatures, the battery can be thermally preconditioned using a charging planner. Owners set a departure time in the planner, and the car automatically warms or cools the battery for optimal charging times. A charging dock and mobile charger, supplied with the car for home charging, utilize a 9.6-kW connector that charges the car in 11 hours. An energy manager, which can also be installed in a home's circuit panel, can manage the house's power flow; provide cost-optimising charging using solar power; and provide blackout protection by reducing the charge to the car if household appliances such as fridges or dryers turn on and exceed the panel's power threshold.[16]

The Taycan Turbo has a drag coefficient of Cd=0.22, which the manufacturer claims is the lowest of any current Porsche model. The Turbo S model has a slightly higher drag coefficient of Cd=0.25.[17][16] The frontal area is 2.33 m², with a resulting drag area of 0.513 m² and 0.583 m² for the Turbo and Turbo S, respectively.[18][19][20]

The Taycan is currently offered as a saloon model, but an estate model, the Taycan Cross Turismo, will soon be offered. Other planned variants include a two-door coupe and convertible models, which will enter production based on market demand. Models introduced at launch include the high-performance AWD Turbo and Turbo S.[13] The Taycan 4S, a mid-range AWD model with two battery sizes, was added in October 2019.[21] The base RWD model was first announced in July 2020 for China,[22] and then for Europe and US in January 2021.[23]

Notes: These power, torque and acceleration values were achieved with Overboost Power with Launch Control mode. Otherwise, the maximum power is 240 kW (326 PS; 322 hp) for the base model, 280 kW (381 PS; 375 hp) for the base with 93 kWh Performance Battery Plus, 320 kW (435 PS; 429 hp) for the 4S, 360 kW (489 PS; 483 hp) for the 4S 93 kWh Performance Battery Plus, and 460 kW (625 PS; 617 hp) for the Turbo and Turbo S models.[27]

The concept car which previewed the Taycan was the Porsche Mission E, unveiled at the 2015 Frankfurt Motor Show. It is powered by two PSM permanently excited synchronous electric motors, one on each axle, with all four wheels individually controlled by the Porsche Torque Vectoring system. The motors were projected to be rated at more than 440 kW (598 PS; 590 hp);[28] and the car had projected performance figures of 0–100 km/h in under 3.5 seconds, 0–200 km/h in under 12 seconds, and a top speed of over 250 km/h (155 mph). Porsche's range goal for the Mission E was over 500 km (311 mi).[29]

The car's system voltage is 800 V DC.[30] The batteries can be charged by an inductive plate or with a conventional charging system. Porsche claimed that with the Porsche Turbo Charging system, the battery could be charged at up to 350 kW, to 80% in just 15 minutes.[29]

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  Porsche Mission E at the IAA 2015
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  The suicide doors of the Porsche Mission E concept in open position
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  Interior
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  Front wheel
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  Rear view

The Porsche Mission E Cross Turismo previewed the Taycan Cross Turismo, and was presented at the 2018 Geneva Motor Show. The design language of the Mission E Cross Turismo more closely resembles the Taycan than the Mission E. It combined the fully electric Mission E J1-platform with a 5-door estate body similar to the Panamera Sport Turismo, raised suspension, and off-road tyres and cladding to form a crossover utility vehicle. Porsche Chief designer Michael Mauer said the concept "shows possibilities of the future lineup."[31] On October 18, 2018, the Supervisory Board of Porsche AG approved series production of the production-ready Porsche Taycan Cross Turismo.[32]

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  Mission E Cross Turismo concept
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  Rear 3/4 view
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  Rear view

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Porsche Mission E and Porsche Taycan.

• Official Porsche Mission E website