It took Porsche a total of six billion euros in investments and 1,200 new employees to enter the world of electric mobility.Few details have been unveiled about Porsche’s iconic electric vehicle and yetthis high performer already has more than 20,000 prospective buyers around the world. These new buyers have now put their names down on an option program list and made a down payment. Furthermore, the excitement forced Porsche to scale up its production from 20,000 to 40,000 units.
Porsche’s first purely electrically driven sports car, the Taycan, is currently completing its final test drives before it enters series production. The company has already tested the Taycan’spotential in terms of driving dynamics on snow and icein Scandinavia and in Dubai for hot-climate endurance. In addition, these tests have the objective of analyzing the performance of the battery charging under extreme conditions. The Porsche Taycan will be introduced in September and will be released into the market at the end of the year. The company also announced early this year a second variation of the vehicle based on the Cross Turismo concept for October, 2019.
Taycan, pronounced tie-con, is a Eurasian word that translates nearly into “lively young horse.” With an acceleration from zero to 60 mph in less than 3.5 seconds, a total system output of 600 horse power, this newcomer really honors its name. Rally legend Walter Röhrl described the performance as, “Even in my fastest rally cars, I have never experienced performance like it…and the immediate response, this instant reaction makes me smile every time.”
The electric market, once dominated by Tesla, seems to be quickly and increasingly getting crowded with new contenders. Even with Audi’s e-Tron, Volvo’s Polestar line, BMW’s Vision iNext, Jaguar’s excellent I-Pace SUV, and Bentley’s first EV, there are rumors about Lamborghini getting into the space. The market is certainly under a huge transformation and has extreme competition. A sign of this extreme competition is pricing. Taycan will reach the market in the last quarter of 2019 at an expected starting price around $80,000, not far from the Audi e-Tron or Tesla Model S ($76,000 to $133,000).
The Innovation of the 800 Volt Charges
The Taycan is powered by innovative 800 V technology, and with it, Porsche has achieved a power density never seen before. For the Taycan this means an enclosed 800 V architecture that guarantees a four-minute recharge of the lithium-ion battery, providing enough energy to drive 100 kilometers (according to NEDC). In other words, that is sixty miles of driving range in just four minutes of charging. Taycan can be charged on a 400-volt system or a typical household plug as well. Comparatively speaking, Tesla’s supercharge stations use 480-volt chargers, which provide its vehicles with approximately 170 miles of driving range in 30 minutes.
Charging plug 
On the wheel 
Porsche Taycan spacious interior
Quick-charging processes call for powerful charging systems. With a capacity of up to 22kW, the Porsche Mobile Charger Connect is a quick, convenient way to charge the Taycan at home overnight. It can also be charged using inductive technology. The company is planning to build 400 high-power charging stations with a capacity of 350kW per charging point across Europe by the end of 2019.
In the U.S., the VW Group initiative, Electrify America, will see the installation of charging infrastructure (capacity of up to 350kW) at 300 motorway stations in 2019. Porsche Cars North America’s CEO Klaus Zellmer says that the company will build a network of 500 fast chargers for the U.S. The chargers will be installed at Porsche dealers and other highway locations across the country.
Porsche as well as many other manufacturers understand that the car of the future must be electrified, autonomous, connected, shared, and yearly updated, or the acronym “EACSY.” According to Price Waterhouse Cooper, it is imperative for any car manufacturer to abandon the idea of a fleet and become a service provider. In this regard, Porsche not only plans to install more than 2,000 AC charging points at different destinations in more than 20 different markets before the Taycan launch, but is also offering customers access to their charging network via the Porsche Charging Service. This solution, offered first in Europe, will allow customers to access a huge array of charging stations managed by different service providers, while all billing is centralized by Porsche.
Until the Taycan’s release in September, we will be anxiously waiting.