Porsche says Taycan is completing ‘final test drives before it enters series production’

The Taycan, Porsche’s first all-electric vehicle and one of the most anticipated cars of 2019, is currently “completing the final test drives before it enters series production”, according to the company.

The electric vehicle has already visited “30 countries across the globe” to perform comprehensive tests in temperatures that range “from minus 35 to plus 50 degree Celsius.”

Porsche is now simultaneously running tests on Taycan test mules in Scandinavia, South Africa, and Dubai:

“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 continuous performance and reproducibility. In Dubai they are carrying out hot-climate endurance runs and testing battery charging under extreme conditions.”

The German automaker released a quick video with footage of some of those Taycan test programs:

In a press release, Porsche shared some facts about the Taycan test program:

• Overall distance covered: Approximately six million kilometres, of which two million were endurance run kilometres
• Countries: A total of 30, including the USA, China, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Finland
• Temperatures: From minus 35 to plus 50 degree Celsius
• Air humidity: From 20 to 100 per cent
• Altitude: From 85 metres below to 3,000 metres above sea level
• Charging cycles: Over 100,000 using various charging technologies across the globe
• Development team: Around 1,000 test drivers, technicians and engineers

Stefan Weckbach, the Porsche executive in charge of the Taycan program, commented on the test program:

“After carrying out computer simulations and comprehensive bench tests early on, we have now reached the final phase of this demanding testing programme. 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.”

Along with all those tests, Porsche has also been using the Nürburgring racetrack as a proving-grounds for the Taycan.

They have been running the vehicle through a simulation of the track, but Taycan prototypes have also been spotted on the track.

Porsche aims to unveil the production version of the Taycan in September and the vehicle should hit the market shortly after.

As previously reported, the base version of the Porsche Taycan is going to have a ~90 kWh battery pack for about 250 miles (~400 km) of range.

The German automaker has also been hinting at two higher-end versions with greater capacity and over 300 miles (483 km) of range.

All versions should be equipped with Porsche’s new 800-volt powertrain system and be able to charge at up to 350 kW.