Porsche has just revealed the new Taycan EV, and while little has changed on the outside, much is new under the skin.
The new car is faster than its predecessor – because that’s just the way of the world these days – but, more importantly, it goes much further and charges even more quickly. Headline figures show a charge rate that has increased from 270 kW to a massive 320 kW, while the range has gone up by as much as 35 percent.
Maximum WLTP range for the Taycan is now 421 miles. The flagship Turbo S variant accelerates to 100 km/h (62 mph) in just 2.4 seconds, and Porsche says all variants can charge from 10 to 80 percent in just 18 minutes – around half that of its predecessor.
This is a sign of intent from Porsche. The Taycan was already among my favorite EVs of the past few years, owing to its design, interior tech, performance and driving dynamics. Now, the few downsides the Taycan had – namely, its middling range – have been removed. The maximum charge speeds claimed by Porsche are a huge deal, there’s no two ways about it, and I hope this offers a tantalizing glimpse of what more affordable EVs will be capable of in the not-so-distant future.
Back to today, and Porsche had given the Taycan a few discrete styling changes. The front end features new headlights and the whole look is one that’s a little sharper than before. Porsche has also altered the look of the Turbo and Turbo S variants, in a bid to make them stand out from the rest of the Taycan range, and they are also treated to badges made from ‘Turbonite’, which looks like something between aluminum and silver.
The interior is mostly the same as before, but benefits from the newest version of Apple CarPlay, which now includes icons for controlling the car’s cabin temperature and heated seats. A second infotainment display is also now available as an option. It sits directly ahead of the front-seat passenger and, as in other new Porsche cars, is covered in a film that restricts its viewing angles. This means the driver cannot see the screen from their seat, allowing the passenger to stream video while on the move.
Also new inside is a push-to-pass button on the steering wheel. This sits within the drive mode selector and, when pressed, serves up a 70 kW boost of power for up to 10 seconds. For full thrust, drivers need to stop and enable launch control, which then unlocks up to an additional 140 kW. In this state, total power output for the Taycan Turbo S is 700 kW (equal to 939 horsepower).
As well as increasing the maximum charge speed, Porsche says the new Taycan maintains a higher charge rate for longer than before. Find a fast enough charger (one capable of 350 kW, ideally) and Porsche says the Taycan can sustain a charge rate of over 300 kW for up to five minutes, even at low temperatures. The battery capacity has also increased slightly, from 93 kWh to 105 kWh in the case of the larger Performance Battery Plus.
Lastly, Porsche has fitted the Taycan with a new air suspension system. Called Porsche Active Ride, the system is claimed to keep the Taycan level, even during hard acceleration, cornering and braking. Porsche says, “In dynamic driving situations, the Porsche Active Ride suspension ensures an almost perfect connection to the road thanks to a balanced distribution of wheel loads. If the appropriate mode is activated, the suspension can compensate for pitching and rolling motions in order to reduce the acceleration forces acting on the occupants.”
The system also has a neat trick, where the car rises slightly when a door is opened, helping with entry and exit.
Prices here in the UK start at £86,500 and run all the way up to £162,500 for the Turbo S. The new Taycan will be available in sedan, Sport Turismo and Cross Turismo body styles. The familiar 4S, Turbo and Turbo S variants will return, but there’s no mention of an update to the sportier GTS model for now.