Over recent years the discussion around electric cars has intensified dramatically, to the point where it became a much-publicized issue in the recent Federal Election campaign. Certainly, the increasing profile of Elon Musk’s Tesla (first released in 2012), has give credence to the fact that it’s quite plausible that the majority of cars
on our roads could well be electric in the near future.
To add fuel (or should that be electricity) to that fire, is the fact that next month Porsche will present their all-new 4 door electric car. Named Taycan it will be launched on the market at the end of the year, so expect other luxury/performance brands to follow suit fairly quickly.
As you would expect from Porsche, the development goals for the all-wheel drive vehicle with over 600hp included circuit performance and multiple acceleration runs,as well as a range suitable for everyday use. The car’s 800-volt architecture will enable short charging times and the lithium-ion battery will boast a capacity of around 90 kWh.
Porsche recently debuted a Taycan prototype to its line-up of cars at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, as part of the Porsche Triple Demo Run, in which the Taycan made
three appearances on three continents in three weeks.
Australian Mark Webber was at the wheel at the legendary Goodwood hill climb.
“The Taycan’s power delivery is awesome,” said Webber.
“I took part in this event in a Porsche 911 GT2 RS two years ago, so I already knew that it all comes down to power and traction. But, even for a thoroughbred racing
driver like me, it is amazing how the Taycan – even though it’s still a prototype – accelerates off the start and out of the corners.”
As well as the Goodwood appearance, the Taycan was taken for a spin by Porsche Carrera Cup Asia competitor Li Chao, who completed demo laps on the challenging handling track at the Porsche Experience Centre (PEC) in Shanghai and more recently works driver Neel Jani drove the Taycan for the season finale of the ABB FIA Formula E Championship in New York City. As a result, the Taycan visited China, the UK and
the US – some of the biggest markets for Porsche’s first all-electric sports car.
Another person to have driven the Taycan prototype in a far less public way, was two time World Rally Championship winner, Walter Röhrl, who incidentally has never really been a fan of electric cars.
Here are some of his first impressions:
“It’s crazy. In all my years of rallying, I’ve never experienced such performance. The
Taycan goes so well at such speed, really tremendous. Even in my fastest rally cars, I
have never experienced performance like it – and the immediate response, this
instant reaction that makes me smile every time.”
“It’s a very exciting time because technology is moving forward at an incredible rate”.
“I’m surprised because you barely notice the weight any more. The engineers have done a great job on the tuning and have made excellent use of the low centre of gravity. The steering and even the brakes handle superbly.”
“How little I actually miss the engine noise. I would never have expected that the lack of any sound from the drive system could mean no loss of performance. In fact I really like the quietness of the Taycan; it’s something of an experience in itself.”
Röhrl did have some concerns on the electromobility question, as in recharge time:
“My opinion is that they need to get infrastructure in place quickly, because I think I would go mad if someone was in front of me at the pump and I had to wait.”
According to Porsche, the 800 V architecture of the new Taycan provides up to 350 kW charging capacity, meaning he could get 100 kilometres out of a four-minute charge, and so cover long distances without having to stop and charge for hours.
And the name Taycan – well apparently it’s ccomposed of two terms of Turkic origin, and can be roughly translated as “soul of a spirited young horse.”
The Taycan certainly sounds like an amazing vehicle, and Porsche say they already have over 20,000 orders world wide for the car, which in its self is also amazing … as the price has yet to be announced!!!
