New Porsche Taycan clocks 364-mile range, 332kW charging | Autocar (2024)

Currently reading: New Porsche Taycan clocks 364-mile range, 332kW charging

UP NEXT

Autocar drives – and charges – massively upgraded performance EV ahead of its debut next week

Even more significant are upgrades to the charging architecture, which appear to have yielded a huge increase in maximum charging speed.Using an Electrify America fast charger, the new Taycan prototype took on electricity at speeds of up to 332kW- up from today's maximum of 270kW. Autocar's test car needed just 14 minutes to charge from 6% capacity to 80%and was taking on energy at around the 300kW mark for roughly five of those minutes.

Porsche is yet to confirm the official maximum charge speed, but those figures will make it easily the fastest-charging EV on sale in the UK, claiming a significant edge over the latest electric Kia, Hyundai and Audi EVs, which currently max out at 270kWh.

Both the Gridserve and Ionity networks operate 350kW-capable chargers across the UK, where new Taycan owners will be able to take advantage of this boost in charging speed.

The uncovered interior in our test car also gave an early look at revisions to the Taycan's infotainment offering, headlined by the introduction of a completely new Apple CarPlay interface – developed in partnership with the iPhone maker itself - which allows users to adjust the car's settings without exiting the mirroring display.

Precise details of its functionality remain to be given, but Apple has already confirmed plans to help each car maker develop their own CarPlay interfaces, giving quicker and more direct access to the likes of the radio and climate control - and negating the amount of time needed to make small adjustments on the move.

Advertisem*nt

In the Taycan, the newly designed CarPlay platform can be spread across all three screens – gauge cluster, central touchscreen and the passenger-side display –and we were able to use it to activate preconfigured climate settings, load up a range of new streaming services on the passenger screen, change the ambient lighting and even check the air quality index outside.

Porsche remains tight-lipped on the nature of any developments to the powertrain itself, but Taycan model line director Kevin Giek has already hinted at a power boost alongside the improvements in range and charging in proclaiming the updated car to go “faster, higher, further” in every key respect.

The Taycan line-up currently ranges from the 402bhp RWD car up to the 751bhp4WD Turbo S (those figures pertaining to max-power Overboost mode),and it stands to reason any increase in potency will be in line with those for the charging and range. Pushed to make a call based on our time in the seat, we wouldwager that Porsche has trimmed precious tenths from the 0-62mph time, but we will have to wait to find out exactly how many.

Interestingly, no mention was made of the ludicrous-looking, track-focused Taycan that claimed the production EV lap record at the Nurbürgring a few weeks ago - and bosses wouldn’t be drawn when we pushed for some early details.Is it called the Turbo GT? Does it really have three motors? Will it have more than 1000bhp?!

Advertisem*nt

“That’s up to you…” Giek told us, his lips pursedbut pointedly not batting back any of our suggestions.

Giek rode shotgun for our run from LA to San Diego and back - the culmination of a multi-million-mile, two-year, worldwide development programme that's more comparable to that of a new model than your standard facelift.

His stony refusal to let loose on specifications, technical upgrades and upcoming variants was a recurring theme during our time together, but his description of how Porsche approached the improvement programme for what is already a hugely competitive and successful EV was telling.

"When we started, we had a brainstorm. All the colleagues were sitting around the table, and we said what we want to improve, what we want to do. It was like Christmas:everybody put their wishes and ideas on the tableand then we made the validation.Is it feasible? What does it mean for range? For the weight? What does it bring for the customers? Which advantage can we bring to our customers?

Advertisem*nt

"And at the end we think: 'Is it useful? And how much does it cost?'And we're fighting about this ratio and deciding what to do. That's an intensive process. It takes a few months."

There was no single prevailing priority for this facelift, Giek explained, but rather an overarching aim to cement and bolster the Taycan’s appeal by leveraging technology and learnings from four years of production.

“After 60 years, we always find improvements for our icon: the 911. Every day we find another improvement, and like thiswe're developing all our cars,” he said.

“Technology is going forward, you get new materials... The development is so fastthat even one year after introducing a car, you could have a new idea and say: 'We should have done this as well.'”

It's no small boon, then, that there are around 150,000 Taycan owners globally, with wildly different vehicle requirements and usage patterns, from whom Porsche can gather feedback and suggestions.

"We have customers who have driven more than 300,000km already in their Taycans," Giek explains, referencing one particularly helpful owner in France who uses his car as a private hire vehicle.

Giek himself has covered around 100,000km in prototypes during this development cycle - and he's just one of many test drivers who have literally gone to the edges of the Earth in pursuit of the extreme conditions needed to verify the improvements that have been made.

Advertisem*nt

Advertisem*nt