Porsche Names First-Ever Electric Car: ‘Taycan’

June 8, 2018

Bill Visnic

Porsche released this image of the Mission E concept car on which the production-model Taycan is based, but did not say to what degree the Taycan's exterior design may change. (Porsche)

In a somehow-ironic decision on a day Porsche chose to celebrate the 70^th anniversary of its 911 sports car, Porsche also announced the official name of its first-ever battery-electric model—based on the widely-acclaimed Mission E concept car—is Taycan.

Porsche announced that the production model based on the concept vehicle introduced as "Mission E" will be named Taycan. (Porsche)

The company said the name, loosely interpreted to English, means “spirited young horse” and is said to refer to the stallion represented in the company crest since 1952.

Production of the Taycan is scheduled to begin in 2019, but Porsche was vague, however, as to whether—or how much—the design of the Mission E concept would change to become the Taycan production model: the company presented images of a car still wearing Mission E signifiers and said in a press release, “the vehicle previously operating under the working title ‘Mission E’ has now been given its official name: Taycan.”

In a press release, the company also seemed to address potential concerns about electric vehicles, with chairman of the executive board Olive Blume employing terms not typically associated with Porsche, such as “strong” and “dependable.”

Big performance, more electromobility investment

Performance attributes for the Taycan electric sports car include 0-60 mph acceleration in less than 3.5 seconds and a maximum driving range of up to 311 miles. (Porsche)

The Taycan drivetrain features two permanent synchronous motors that jointly develop 600 hp and impart all-wheel drive. The car will accelerate from 0-60 mph (0-97 km/h) in “well under” 3.5 s, Porsche said, and has a maximum driving range of 500 km (311 miles).

Using an 800-volt onboard electrical system and a high-power charging network Porsche has nominally begun installing in Europe and the U.S., the company claims 100 km (62 miles) of worth of charge can be delivered in just 4 minutes.

Porsche also said it is adding an additional 3 billion euros worth of electromobility investment to the 3 billion euros initially announced. The added investment includes 500 billion euros for development of the Taycan variants and derivatives and 1 billion euros to electrify the existing Porsche product range. Additional money also will be directed toward building out EV infrastructure and other aspects of smart mobility.

Several hundred-million euros will be directed towards adapting existing Porsche manufacturing facilities. The Taycan will be built at Porsche’s Zuffenhausen, Germany, assembly plant; there will be a new body shop and the car will have a “dedicated assembly area,” a new paint shop and an expanded engine-build area to incorporate the manufacture of electric motors. Porsche said additional of the Taycan alone will bring 1,200 new jobs to the site.