Five things you need to know about Porsche's new EV

Monday, 15 October 2018

Concept of a concept: see Porsche's Mission E Cross Turismo.

This month Porsche Asia Pacific held its first-ever E-Performance Night event in Kuala Lumpur. It brought media together to drive some plug-in models, but also talk about its Electric Vehicle (EV) technology past, present and future.

That's the very near future in the case of the marque's first-ever pure-electric vehicle, the Taycan (pronounced 'tie-carn'). We haven't actually seen the finished car yet - but it will be very close to the Mission E concept, first shown in 2015.

Taycan, previewed here by Mission E concept, will be in between 911 and Panamera in size.

First, the basics: expect Taycan to sprint from 0-100kmh in 3.5 seconds and have a range of 500km.

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While it can be charged at existing stations or at home, Porsche is also developing bespoke 800-volt technology that will pump 100km range into the battery in just four minutes. Very high voltage also has the advantage of narrower, lighter cabling.

It's basically an electric 911 sedan

Starting from scratch has allowed Porsche great freedom in design and packaging.

Porsche is always banging on about all of its products being inspired by the 911 - everything from the duffle bag in its accessories range to the massive Cayenne SUV.

However, the connection is a lot less spurious with Taycan. Size-wise it fits right in between 911 and Panamera, it's definitely a sports car and if the Taycan-previewing Mission E concept is anything to go by, the finished product will be a lot like a futuristic four-door 911.

Why this body shape? 'We didn't want to create competition within our own range,' says Mayk Wienkoetter, PR manager for Taycan. 'So we didn't go for an SUV, because we already have the Macan and Cayenne.

'We wanted to find a white spot on the map [where a Porsche product doesn't currently exist]. This is right below the Panamera and we think it's a very suitable addition to our portfolio.

Battery-laden platform has a 'foot garage' to give rear-seat occupants extra space.

'It's very short, with a sporty frontal section.'

Wienkoetter also says the driving position in Taycan is very similar to that in the current 911. And because of the positioning of the batteries in the platform, Taycan actually has a lower centre of gravity than Porsche's iconic sports car model.

But it doesn't mean there will be an actual 911 EV

Porsche is currently readying the next-generation 911. But there won't be a plug-in version - at least not right away.

'The package of the car is prepared to implement that technology, if needed at a later stage,' says Wienkoetter. 'But that is very far away and we need to see how markets will change. We are ready, it's possible - but not from the start.'

Mission E interior has wraparound instrument panel and 'hovering' console.

Porsche is committed to three pillars of powertrain technology for the foreseeable future: pure electric as in Taycan, plug-in hybrid as in the Panamera and Cayenne, and conventional internal combustion petrol engines (ICE).

'We will further optimise ICE as long as we are able to build those cars and customers still want to buy them.'

Mission E Cross Turismo concept takes future Taycan and turns it into an SUV.

Taycan has a foot garage

Taycan is a bespoke model, built from the ground up as a pure-electric vehicle. That has given Porsche a great deal of design freedom and allowed it to pull off a few feats of packaging, says Wienkoetter.

While passengers sit very low in the new model, Wienkoetter says rear legroom will be especially good because of the way the platform is designed. As with many EVs, the batteries are mounted in the chassis, but there's a cutout in the rear-seat footwell to allow occupants to stretch their legs.

This is the so-called 'foot garage'. Cute, but also a clever packaging idea.

It will make a noise

Wienkoetter says noise (or lack of it) is the most common question he gets asked about Taycan. Understandable: Porsches are all about throaty engine and exhaust sound.

Taycan will make a noise, because it has to - at least at low speed, due to new European legislation that states EVs must have an audible warning device (minimum 56dB) that can be heard at 20kmh.

But it will also make a bigger noise if you want it to.

'There will be a button in the car that will not produce a sound - it will be an authentic noise from the electric motor,' says Wienkoetter. 'It will not be fake or made on a computer - we'll just take the original sound from the motor and emphasise it.'

But Wienkoetter also reckons this preoccupation with Porsche noise in the Taycan is a transitional thing: 'My personal opinion is that in three or four years, nobody will ask that question. Not having noise will become an important comfort feature.'

It might become an SUV

Porsche does not want to launch Taycan as an SUV - but that's not to say there can't be such a variant later.

The company showed a high-riding, more versatile Mission E concept at the Geneva Motor Show earlier this year called the Mission E Cross Turismo. It's 'a vision of an all-electric sports car for people with an active lifestyle,' says Wienkoetter.