Porsche’s first purely electrically driven sports car, the Taycan, is currently completing its final test drives before it enters series production.

In Scandinavia, just a few kilometres away from the Arctic Circle, it is proving its potential in terms of driving dynamics on snow and ice. At the same time, Porsche engineers are taking advantage of the summer in the Southern Hemisphere. In South Africa, they are conducting performance tests, as well as final adjustments in terms of performance and reproducibility. In Dubai, they are carrying out hot-climate endurance runs and testing battery charging under extreme conditions.

“After carrying out computer simulations and comprehensive bench tests early on, we have now reached the final phase of this demanding testing programme,” underlines the vice president of the model line, Stefan Weckbach: “Before the Taycan is launched on the market at the end of the year, we will have covered approximately six million kilometres across the globe. We are already very happy with the current status of the vehicles. The Taycan is going to be a true Porsche.”

At Porsche, electric cars have to undergo the same rigorous testing programme as sport cars with combustion engines. In addition to displaying performance, this always includes proving suitability for everyday use in all climate conditions. Particularly demanding features such as charging the battery or temperature control of the drive train and the interior under extreme conditions are additional aspects in the battery-powered models. Other Porsche development targets include circuit performance, multiple accelerations, as well as a range suitable for everyday use.

Virtual drive through “The Green Hell”

Test experts were able to build upon the comprehensive findings from the digital testing stage using digital prototypes. At present, computers are used to design the body, drive, chassis, electronics and overall vehicle of a new model and to simulate their functions – which includes how they work together. In total, the virtual prototypes of the Taycan have completed more than ten million digital kilometres.

This meant that development engineers started driving a Taycan around the Nürburgring Nordschleife in a driving simulator at an early stage, so that they could test and evaluate its circuit performance. During this process, they focused on the electrical energy management, which plays an important role in achieving a sub-eight-minute lap time on the 20.6-kilometre Nordschleife.

Already more than 20,000 prospective buyers

The Porsche Taycan will be introduced in September and will be launched onto the market at the end of the year. Across the globe, there are already more than 20,000 serious prospective buyers. The potential customers have put their names down on an option programme list and made a down payment.

The Taycan accelerates from zero to 100 km/h in less than 3.5 seconds. It has a range of more than 500 kilometres (according to the NEDC). The 800-V architecture in the vehicle guarantees that the lithium-ion battery can be recharged in just four minutes, providing enough energy to drive 100 kilometres (according to NEDC).

Testing in numbers

Porsche Taycan will cover approximately six million kilometres in its testing phase, including two million endurance run kilometres. The testing spans over 30 countries, including the USA, China, the United Arab Emirates, Finland and Italy so it will have to endure temperatures from minus 30 to plus 50 degree Celsius and air humidity from 20 to 100 percent. Taycan will also see heights from 85 metres below to 3,000 metres above sea level and will be recharged over 100,000 times. Development team consists of around 1,000 test drivers, technicians and engineers.

March 28, 2019 Driving photo: Porsche

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