Porsche Taycan: New electric sports car breaks cover

Porsche’s first production electric car is set to change how we view the new technology, and one feature in particular will make it work in Australia.

2019 Porsche Taycan.

The first purely electric Porsche, the Taycan is a high-voltage trailblazer. Its battery pack operates at double the voltage of other EVs — its world-first 800V tech, the maker says, enables speedier recharging, lifts performance and saves weight.

Plugged into one of the new generation of DC fast chargers being rolled out in Europe, the Taycan can take on 100km of driving range in just over five minutes. Charging from almost empty 5 per cent to 80 per cent takes less than 25 minutes under ideal conditions, according to Porsche.

The Porsche Taycan is currently the fastest charging EV.

Capacity of the lithium-ion battery pack 93kWh, enough for a driving range of 380km-450km, according to the new European test standard.

Higher voltage, counterintuitively, also means slimmer and lighter copper connecting cables can be used between the battery back and the Taycan’s motors. Another advantage is that the battery can deliver higher continuous power outputs.

The Porsche’s zap comes wrapped in a shapely four-door coupe body, revealed overnight at simultaneous events in Germany, China and the US. The Taycan is a sleekly sculpted stunner, even if it isn’t as dramatic as the Mission E concept car of 2015 that signalled Porsche planned to produce an EV.

The Taycan’s 800-volt tech allows it to accept more charge than any other car.

The looks promise performance, and the Taycan delivers, according to Mark Webber. “It’s an extremely, extremely, extremely quick car,” says the retired Australian racer.

Webber, who drove in Formula One before switching to Porsche LMP1 sports cars (he won the World Endurance Championship in 2015), helped develop the Taycan. He drove it regularly at Porsche’s Weissach test track over the past two and a half years.

He believes his input guided tuning of the Taycan’s brake pedal feel, something that’s hard to get right in EVs and hybrids.

The Taycan has a crazy amount of Torque.

“Porsche, they don’t shy away from these hard things,” Webber says. “The first time I drove the car we knew we had still a lot of improvements to do on (brake feel).”

The Taycan’s 2300kg heft can be sensed from behind the wheel but its underfloor battery pack means its centre of gravity is very low.

Webber rates the Taycan’s performance as that of a true Porsche. “If you want to have a crack in this thing, you can have a crack.”

As with other high-end EVs, the Taycan has an electric motor on each axle, the front one driving through a fixed gear.

A multitude of digital screens make the Taycan’s cockpit feel futuristic.

The more powerful rear motor has a compact two-speed automatic transmission. First gear’s role is to enhance acceleration and at about 100km/h it switches to second gear, for efficiency.

In top Turbo S form, the Porsche has up to 560kW on tap, abetted by 1050Nm. These outputs slingshot the Taycan from standstill to 100km/h in only 2.8 seconds.

The Turbo version, peaking with 500kW/850Nm, takes 3.2 seconds for that sprint.

Other less powerful versions of Taycan are planned, and they will follow the naming convention for Porsche’s internal combustion model. Next to come will be the 4S, for example.

Porsche will announce Australian prices for the Taycan Turbo S and Turbo in about six months and first deliveries will be in the fourth quarter of 2020. Expect price tags lower than equivalent Panameras but dearer than Cayennes.

“We expect it will outsell Panamera in Australia,” says Porsche Australia spokesman Chris Jordan.

The Taycan has four and five seat options.

The Taycan is shorter than the Panamera, much better looking and equally practical, with four or five-seat interior options. There’s room for tall adults in the rear, though the outward view isn’t great.

Front passengers face a beautifully crafted and screen-laden instrument panel and have a great view over the Taycan’s short, sloping nose.

There’s plenty of cargo room; the broad and flat-floored boot holds 361L while under the bonnet is an 81L compartment that will take a carry-on suitcase.

“I’m cool with driving an electric car,” says Webber. “I would never have said that before I drove the 919 (Porsche’s LMP1 hybrid racer). I’ve driven, you know, a lot of noisy race cars. You can love both.”