If you want to talk about the ultra-luxury brand that had a bad time in China last year, Porsche must be one of them.
In the first three quarters of last year, China was the only market for Porsche to buck the trend and decline at a time when other markets were soaring and running wild with double-digit growth. Not only did it decrease by 12% year-on-year, but it also won the title of "Porsche's largest single market".
Therefore, **taycan, has become the hope of Porsche's New Year in the Chinese market against the wind.
In 2019, Porsche unveiled the Taycan electric sports car, and in the blink of an eye, it was time for a mid-life facelift. Over the past three years, Taycan has produced 150,000 units. The main markets are the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany and China.
* Porsche Taycan
Porsche also rushed to unveil the mid-facelift Taycan before the year, and there will still be two types of Taycan sports and Cross Turismo in the Chinese market.
*taycan turbo s
The exterior and interior of the mid-facelifted Porsche Taycan have not changed much, mainly in the redesign of details. Netizens also joked that the new cars designed according to Taycan in China will not be reduced to old models before the car is launched.
The most obvious change in the Taycan is the shape of the front bumper, while the overall aerodynamic design has been upgraded, it looks more mecha-style, and there is also a shadow of the Mission X pure electric concept supercar released last year.
The headlight cluster has also been upgraded to include HD Matrix technology, which features a pixel array of more than 32,000 LED light sources that can be used to select the lighting area and brightness according to real-time road conditions.
The focus of the facelifted Porsche Taycan is still on performance – the powertrain and battery have been upgraded, and the weight has been reduced by 15 kg.
Taycan Turbo Cross Turismo crossover.
*The Taycan standard version has a maximum output of 300 kW and an acceleration of 4 per 100 km/h8 seconds, 0 faster than the current model6 seconds. At the same time, the WLTP range has been increased to 678 km, which is 175 km more than the current model, which is equivalent to an increase of 35%.
With a maximum output of 700 kW (in boost mode), the Taycan Turbo S can accelerate from zero to 100 in just 24 seconds, 0 faster than the current modelIn 4 seconds, the WLTP range is 630 km.
The rear-axle motor has 80kW more power than its predecessor, an improved pulse inverter, and optimized software.
At the same time, the maximum kinetic energy** capacity has increased by more than 30%, from 290 kW to 400 kW. I believe part of it comes from Porsche's participation in Formula E racing.
In terms of charging performance, the new car can charge up to 320kW with the support of the 800V architecture, and it only takes 18 minutes to replenish the battery from 10% to 80%.
As a result, the battery technology has also been improved, with a 20% increase in maximum charge current, a 9kg reduction in battery weight, and a 13% increase in total energy density.
At present, the new car is in the final stage of global durability testing, and the Taycan can be found on many test tracks, tracks and roads around the world, and has already traveled about 3.6 million kilometers.
Because by Porsche standards, electric vehicles must be subjected to the same rigorous tests as sports cars with internal combustion engines.
Having said all this, I believe that everyone is most concerned about how much the actual performance of the Taycan has improved?
*The Taycan was driven by Porsche R&D driver Lars Kern before series production and set the fastest lap of 7:07.55 in New North China. The speed of the Porsche on the track is terrifying.
What is this concept? The fastest lap of 7:07.55 was 26 seconds faster than the time set by the same driver in August 2022 in the Taycan Turbo S with high-performance components.
In addition to significant improvements in power, battery, and weight reduction, the suspension has also undergone significant changes.
Similar to the new generation of Porsche's Panamera suspension control system, it will also be available on the **Taycan. The Taycan's original three-chamber air suspension was replaced by a two-chamber air suspension with two-valve shock absorbers. The new suspension is quicker and more comfortable, while the more electrified suspension also makes it more responsive.
This set of suspensions in dynamic driving situations controls the balanced distribution of the wheel loads, ensuring a near-perfect connection to the road. In addition, the suspension can compensate for pitch and roll movements to reduce acceleration acting on the occupants and make the ride more comfortable.
In order to test the range, Porsche recently handed over the near-production version of the Taycan to 12 international representatives for testing, taking the famous Interstate 405 and 5 highways between Los Angeles and San Diego.
Over the course of three days, four **Taycans were convoyed at the maximum speed limit of 75 mph (120 km/h) on the interstate.
The final result of the Taycan test car was 587 km.
The average speed is 90 km/h, the maximum speed is 120km/h, and the speed limit is 120kmh for most of the time. High-speed road conditions are the most unfavorable for the range of general electric vehicles.
The reason why the test was chosen in Los Angeles was also to facilitate charging at the Torrance Electrify America charging station in Los Angeles. **The Taycan has a charging power of up to 320kW and can be charged from 10% to 80% in 20 minutes in the actual test.
*Compared to the current model, the Taycan battery has a significantly upgraded thermal management system and is more reliable, and Porsche claims that charging time in low-temperature environments can be reduced by almost half.
We also have a say in the authenticity of the Taycan's range.
I still remember that Autolab once conducted a winter test review, and our car cost 8880,000 yuan, the entry-level Taycan with a NEDC range of 414 kilometers - the measured range is 435 kilometers. It seems that Porsche is also a false standard, and the reverse false standard.
The core of the mid-life Taycan technology will not change significantly, and it will still be based on the three world's firsts introduced at the time of its inception – the 800V architecture, the battery-body structure and the two-speed gearbox.
The Taycan is the world's first production vehicle with an 800V architecture. The core advantages of 800V are consistently high power output, a more compact and lightweight structure, shorter charging times and, of course, lower energy conversion losses.
The most intuitive thing is that it can be charged faster, with the current Taycan using the 800V Turbo charging station, which can be charged from 5% to 80% of the remaining charge in 30 minutes. The Taycan, on the other hand, can be charged from 10% to 80% in 18 minutes.
But on the other hand, non-sports car enthusiasts are less concerned. The 800V system has a lower current and controls the internal heating well, so it can continue to deliver high performance, rather than needing to dissipate heat after a few accelerations like most electric vehicles.
Friends who know Porsche know that one of the biggest highlights of this brand is durability. The Taycan has confirmed this in successive catapult starts.
For example, during early prototype testing, a Taycan successfully accelerated from zero to 200 km h 26 times in a row, with a maximum time difference of only 0.0 km8 seconds. This durability is unattainable by other electric vehicles.
Another technology is the battery-body design, which Taycan has been doing for a long time.
At that time, Taycan innovatively developed the battery and body design, using the battery as one of the body structures for an integral design. The battery, as a structural component, becomes part of the transmission of the vehicle's crash force, rather than passively bearing the force.
As a result, the Taycan has passed all global safety standards and is able to protect the cabin in a wide range of crash scenarios.
Why does electric vehicles consume electricity at high speeds? We at Autolab know this in our long-range tests. Because the vast majority of electric vehicles only accelerate fast in the front, the rear will be slow, and high-speed energy consumption soars.
Porsche's first-of-its-kind two-speed gearbox on the rear axle is another technology that realises the Taycan sports car concept. The addition of the gearbox to the Taycan not only ensures maximum acceleration performance, but also makes the Taycan efficient at top speeds, and at a very high speed.
The key is that the Taycan's linear energy consumption even at high speeds results in a stable and reliable range.
The mid-facelift Taycan chose to test its range on the Los Angeles Freeway, also taking advantage of the advantages of the two-speed gearbox. In addition to traffic jams, the speed limit is maintained at 120 km h most of the time, and the average speed reaches 90 km h. The final cruising range is 587 km.
The Taycan was able to set the fastest lap of 7:07.55 at the New North Circuit, 26 seconds faster than the previous generation. This is also inseparable from the 800V and the distinctive two-speed gearbox.
Because there is a section of the back of the New North Circuit that is an ultra-long straight and has no gearbox, the electric car will suffer too much because the top speed is not high. The 800V ensures that the battery pack will not overheat in the case of continuous high output.
The mid-life facelift of the Taycan will be officially unveiled in the spring of 2024, and the final durability tests have been completed in 17 countries around the world, covering 3.6 million kilometers.
From -41 to 53, from polar snow to scorching canyons. For example, 300,000 km in a cold country and 200,000 km in a hot country.
In addition to testing the adaptability to harsh driving conditions and road conditions, it is particularly important to test the reliability of the thermal management system under extreme conditions, as well as the charging performance.
In any case, the Porsche Taycan is one of the few pure electric models in the market that sells for more than one million yuan, but still sells well.
The success of the Taycan is not only the charm of the Porsche brand, but also the recognition of Taycan's technology and design.