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Porsche reveals Taycan specs: 310-mile range, ultra-fast charge 800V battery
Porsche dubs the Taycan, formerly known as the Mission E sedan, as one of its most important vehicles since the iconic Porsche 911. The upcoming all-electric, high-performance luxury sedan is expected to compete with some of the electric vehicle market’s most formidable mainstays, such as the Tesla Model S. With a drive unit developed from Porsche’s racing pedigree and battery tech that enables ultra-high-speed charging, the Taycan is set to make an impact when it starts production next year.
The auto market is starting a shift towards electric mobility, and the Taycan will be Porsche’s flag bearer for the next few years. By 2025, the legacy automaker is aiming for “every second Porsche sold to have an electric drive unit,” meaning half of its offerings would be fully electric and the other half will be plug-in hybrids. The Taycan is projected to hit a production rate of 20,000 vehicles per year, translating to roughly 67% of the current sales figures of the Porsche 911.
The Taycan is equipped with two permanently excited synchronous motors (PSM) that produce a combined 600 hp (440 kW). Porsche’s PSM motors were used by the company in the 919 Hybrid, a sports-prototype racing car that won the 24 Hours of Le Mans in the event’s Prototype-1 Hybrid (LMP1-H) category. The carmaker states that PSM electric motors are the “turbos of the electric motor milieu,” considering their capability to boast high sustained performance while maintaining maximum efficiency. Naser Abu Daqqa, director of electric drive systems at Porsche, described one of the strategies employed by the company to maximize the performance of the Taycan’s electric motors.
“The coils are made of wires that aren’t round, but rather rectangular. This makes it possible to pack the wires more tightly and get more copper into the coil machines—increasing power and torque with the same volume,” Abu Daqqa said.
Porsche’s battery unit for the Taycan is estimated to give the all-electric car a range of 310 miles per charge. In a press release, Porsche stated that lithium-ion batteries are utilized for the all-electric sedan’s battery pack. The Taycan is equipped with an 800-volt battery, comprised of cells that hold 4 volts each.
The Taycan’s battery unit prioritizes speed over weight. Instead of installing heavy batteries, Porsche opted to employ ultra-fast charging solutions instead, using an intelligent charging protocol and a heat exchanger system that can get the vehicles’ batteries up to operating temperature quickly and cooling them when needed. Due to its battery’s design, Porsche was able to use thinner cables on the vehicle as well, allowing the company to save even more weight.
The Taycan’s fast-charging system aims to add 248.5 miles worth of range in roughly 15 minutes. Dubbed the IONITY network, the ultra-fast-charging system is a joint venture with other automakers such as the BMW Group, Daimler AG, the Ford Motor Company, and the Volkswagen Group with Audi. IONITY’s chargers have a capacity of up to 350 kW per charging point, far above Tesla’s 120 kW Supercharger network. Porsche is exploring home charging solutions as well, including inductive charging via a base plate installed on a garage floor. Lastly, the Taycan will also be compatible with existing charging infrastructure in major cities.
As Porsche prepares to start manufacturing the vehicle next year, the company is currently hard at work testing prototypes of the electric car in several regions across the globe. In the western part of South Africa alone, 21 camouflaged Taycan prototypes are currently being deployed to test how the all-electric cars fare in hot weather. By the time the Taycan starts production in 2019, Porsche expects its test vehicles to have accumulated millions of kilometers worth of data from road tests.
The Taycan is expected to showcase Porsche’s trademark performance, with the vehicle being listed with a 0-60 mph time of 3.5 seconds, a range of 310 miles per charge, and a top speed of 155 mph. Pre-orders for the Taycan were recently opened to interested buyers and so far, Porsche has noted that the reception to the car has been very positive.
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Tesla is not sparing any expense in ensuring the Cybercab is safe
Images shared by the longtime watcher showed 16 Cybercab prototypes parked near Giga Texas’ dedicated crash test facility.
The Tesla Cybercab could very well be the safest taxi on the road when it is released and deployed for public use. This was, at least, hinted at by the intensive safety tests that Tesla seems to be putting the autonomous two-seater through at its Giga Texas crash test facility.
Intensive crash tests
As per recent images from longtime Giga Texas watcher and drone operator Joe Tegtmeyer, Tesla seems to be very busy crash testing Cybercab units. Images shared by the longtime watcher showed 16 Cybercab prototypes parked near Giga Texas’ dedicated crash test facility just before the holidays.
Tegtmeyer’s aerial photos showed the prototypes clustered outside the factory’s testing building. Some uncovered Cybercabs showed notable damage and one even had its airbags engaged. With Cybercab production expected to start in about 130 days, it appears that Tesla is very busy ensuring that its autonomous two-seater ends up becoming the safest taxi on public roads.
Prioritizing safety
With no human driver controls, the Cybercab demands exceptional active and passive safety systems to protect occupants in any scenario. Considering Tesla’s reputation, it is then understandable that the company seems to be sparing no expense in ensuring that the Cybercab is as safe as possible.
Tesla’s focus on safety was recently highlighted when the Cybertruck achieved a Top Safety Pick+ rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). This was a notable victory for the Cybertruck as critics have long claimed that the vehicle will be one of, if not the, most unsafe truck on the road due to its appearance. The vehicle’s Top Safety Pick+ rating, if any, simply proved that Tesla never neglects to make its cars as safe as possible, and that definitely includes the Cybercab.
Elon Musk
Tesla’s Elon Musk gives timeframe for FSD’s release in UAE
Provided that Musk’s timeframe proves accurate, FSD would be able to start saturating the Middle East, starting with the UAE, next year.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk stated on Monday that Full Self-Driving (Supervised) could launch in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) as soon as January 2026.
Provided that Musk’s timeframe proves accurate, FSD would be able to start saturating the Middle East, starting with the UAE, next year.
Musk’s estimate
In a post on X, UAE-based political analyst Ahmed Sharif Al Amiri asked Musk when FSD would arrive in the country, quoting an earlier post where the CEO encouraged users to try out FSD for themselves. Musk responded directly to the analyst’s inquiry.
“Hopefully, next month,” Musk wrote. The exchange attracted a lot of attention, with numerous X users sharing their excitement at the idea of FSD being brought to a new country. FSD (Supervised), after all, would likely allow hands-off highway driving, urban navigation, and parking under driver oversight in traffic-heavy cities such as Dubai and Abu Dhabi.
Musk’s comments about FSD’s arrival in the UAE were posted following his visit to the Middle Eastern country. Over the weekend, images were shared online of Musk meeting with UAE Defense Minister, Deputy Prime Minister, and Dubai Crown Prince HH Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed. Musk also posted a supportive message about the country, posting “UAE rocks!” on X.
FSD recognition
FSD has been getting quite a lot of support from foreign media outlets. FSD (Supervised) earned high marks from Germany’s largest car magazine, Auto Bild, during a test in Berlin’s challenging urban environment. The demonstration highlighted the system’s ability to handle dense traffic, construction sites, pedestrian crossings, and narrow streets with smooth, confident decision-making.
Journalist Robin Hornig was particularly struck by FSD’s superior perception and tireless attention, stating: “Tesla FSD Supervised sees more than I do. It doesn’t get distracted and never gets tired. I like to think I’m a good driver, but I can’t match this system’s all-around vision. It’s at its best when both work together: my experience and the Tesla’s constant attention.” Only one intervention was needed when the system misread a route, showcasing its maturity while relying on vision-only sensors and over-the-air learning.
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Tesla quietly flexes FSD’s reliability amid Waymo blackout in San Francisco
“Tesla Robotaxis were unaffected by the SF power outage,” Musk wrote in his post.
Tesla highlighted its Full Self-Driving (Supervised) system’s robustness this week by sharing dashcam footage of a vehicle in FSD navigating pitch-black San Francisco streets during the city’s widespread power outage.
While Waymo’s robotaxis stalled and caused traffic jams, Tesla’s vision-only approach kept operating seamlessly without remote intervention. Elon Musk amplified the clip, highlighting the contrast between the two systems.
Tesla FSD handles total darkness
The @Tesla_AI account posted a video from a Model Y operating on FSD during San Francisco’s blackout. As could be seen in the video, streetlights, traffic signals, and surrounding illumination were completely out, but the vehicle drove confidently and cautiously, just like a proficient human driver.
Musk reposted the clip, adding context to reports of Waymo vehicles struggling in the same conditions. “Tesla Robotaxis were unaffected by the SF power outage,” Musk wrote in his post.
Musk and the Tesla AI team’s posts highlight the idea that FSD operates a lot like any experienced human driver. Since the system does not rely on a variety of sensors and a complicated symphony of factors, vehicles could technically navigate challenging circumstances as they emerge. This definitely seemed to be the case in San Francisco.
Waymo’s blackout struggles
Waymo faced scrutiny after multiple self-driving Jaguar I-PACE taxis stopped functioning during the blackout, blocking lanes, causing traffic jams, and requiring manual retrieval. Videos shared during the power outage showed fleets of Waymo vehicles just stopping in the middle of the road, seemingly confused about what to do when the lights go out.
In a comment, Waymo stated that its vehicles treat nonfunctional signals as four-way stops, but “the sheer scale of the outage led to instances where vehicles remained stationary longer than usual to confirm the state of the affected intersections. This contributed to traffic friction during the height of the congestion.”
A company spokesperson also shared some thoughts about the incidents. “Yesterday’s power outage was a widespread event that caused gridlock across San Francisco, with non-functioning traffic signals and transit disruptions. While the failure of the utility infrastructure was significant, we are committed to ensuring our technology adjusts to traffic flow during such events,” the Waymo spokesperson stated, adding that it is “focused on rapidly integrating the lessons learned from this event, and are committed to earning and maintaining the trust of the communities we serve every day.”
Tesla is not sparing any expense in ensuring the Cybercab is safe
Tesla’s Elon Musk gives timeframe for FSD’s release in UAE
