The upcoming Porsche Taycan electric sedan has been
filmed testing at the Nurburgring prior to its launch next year. Created as a direct rival to the
Tesla Model S, the Taycan promises excellent performance and class-leading
range.
To say it’s unlikely more than a handful of future
owners will ever take their cars to the track is an understatement. However,
with Porsche being the undisputed king of the Nurburgring, it’s only fitting
that the famous racetrack is acting as the perfect proving ground for the
all-new saloon. Will it set an official lap time? Who knows – but it could
probably secure an electric sedan record.
When the Taycan launches, it will feature an 800
volt electrical system combined with two electric motors to deliver more than
592 hp. This will result in a 0-100 km/h time of less than 3.5
seconds, while the sprint to 200 km/h will be dealt with in less than
12 seconds. Impressively, the sedan will have a range exceeding 500 km n the New European Driving Cycle.
Limited details about the Taycan’s battery pack have
been confirmed, but Porsche says the lithium-ion unit is made up of
approximately four hundred cells, each packing roughly 4 volts of power. With
just 15 minutes of charging, the battery can be topped up to offer 400 km (248
miles) of range.
To complement the launch of the Taycan, Porsche is
introducing an extensive network of high-speed charging stations. Through the
Ionity joint venture formed with other automakers, it hopes to have 400
fast-charging stations operational in Europe by 2020.
