Porsche Taycan electric car test: a new dimension in fast charging

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The Porsche Taycan impresses with impressive figures at the charging station. In the practical test at a 400 kW location, the charging curve runs for a long time on a plateau at 300 kW. It takes 17  minutes to go from eleven to 80  minutes. During this period, the average charging power is an incredible 258 kW. Over 73 kWh of electrical energy is freshly stored in the Porsche Taycan. That is first class.

The ISO/SAE 12906 standard for comparing the charging performance of electric cars stipulates that, in addition to the peak power and the duration in minutes for the charging stroke from ten to 80 minutes, the value in kilometers per minute is also important. Excellent charging performance can therefore be counteracted by excessive power consumption. Not so in the Porsche Taycan, which also delivers here: The average value in the profile of highway, interurban and city driving was just 17.5 kWh/100 km. An outstanding value, especially as the Taycan was occasionally driven very fast.

524 kilometers real freeway range

For long distances: at a constant recommended speed, the power consumption was only 18.5 kWh/100 km, resulting in 524 km on the highway with a net energy content of 97 kWh in the traction battery. In practical terms, this means that the stop at the charging station is barely enough for a coffee.

The very good efficiency of the Porsche Taycan is probably also due to the choice of test car: it sounds strange at a list price of 101,500 euros, but this is the base model with 320 kW engine power, rear-wheel drive and the narrowest tires available. This means that 285s are fitted at the rear and 245s at the front on 20 -inch "Sport Aero" rims (2511 -euro surcharge, standard: 19 -inch). Everything is relative: ten years ago, we, including the car industry, thought that everything would change with the electric car. It's just that "wide" sells better.

However, nobody should underestimate the supposedly meagre entry into the Taycan world. An acceleration of 4.8 seconds to 100 km/h may now be mediocre for the electric car quartet, but in reality it is usually faster than traffic conditions allow. The car powers forward hard. Nevertheless, there is more to the Taycan than just its driving performance.

Precise steering, clear operation

Porsche attaches great importance to clarity: the steering offers clean feedback and is very precise. The air suspension translates the different driving modes from Range to Sport Plus into a spectrum ranging from amazingly comfortable to extremely direct. Even the controls are clearly laid out with a skillful mix of touchscreens and haptically advantageous levers and switches.

The round instrument to the left of the center is also exemplary: it shows a battery symbol with an optical fill level and a numerical display of the SOC (State Of Charge). To the left of the stylized battery is a numerical value for the charging power that can be achieved at this SOC and to the right of this is the battery temperature. This is what electric car drivers want in every electric car.

You can leave the Taycan to run. But it actually wants to be actively driven. If you want to exploit even the slightest bit of its potential - i.e. as much as is safely possible on public roads - you should operate the steering wheel with its wonderfully narrow rim in the literal sense of the word. Take hold, steer the Taycan, it's in a league of its own.

Anode with added silicon

The core of the revised Porsche Taycan is undoubtedly the traction battery, which now has a net energy content of 97 kWh instead of the original 83.7 kWh. The system uses cells with an admixture of silicon at the anode, which is unique in this form and can only be found in the Audi e-tron GT with the same platform called J1. The proportion is around five minutes. The increase in the proportion of silicon up to the pure silicon anode could become the toughest competition for real solid state batteries with a pure lithium anode in this decade, because it is cheaper and simpler to produce.

The two-speed gearbox, on the other hand, remains unchanged: in range mode for maximum range, only second gear is used. One exception is maneuvering in reverse, where first gear is used. In Normal mode, first gear is only engaged briefly when high power is required, for example during kickdown. In Sport and Sport Plus mode (in which case the sound generator in the interior is also activated), the vehicle is started in first gear and shifted up early or late, depending on the driving style.

Porsche has greatly improved the Taycan with the redesign. The battery system impresses with its charging performance and a decent energy content combined with low power consumption. What also makes the Taycan stand out is the subtlety and transparency of the driving experience. The fact that it handles everyday driving perfectly, from leisurely cruising to speedy highway chases, is great. Only when parking can it become tedious: At 4.96 meters long and 1.97 meters wide without exterior mirrors, it gets tight. If you want a compact and electric Porsche, you'll have to wait for the new 718.

The test car was provided and delivered free of charge by the manufacturer. The traction current was paid for by the publisher.