Porsche is updating software of older Taycan electric cars, but at the dealership

Porsche announced today that it is updating the software of its 2020 Taycan electric cars to add features that were introduced in the 2021 Taycan.

Tesla popularized the capacity to push over-the-air software updates to vehicles.

It became one of the biggest advantages of Tesla vehicles and it took a while for other automakers to catch up, but they are starting to.

When launching the Taycan, Porsche announced that it will have the capacity to receive over-the-air software udpates, but it somehow won’t be the case for this one.

Porsche confirmed to Electrek that this update is going to be done by the dealership, but it is going to be free:

Porsche is making the software update available free of charge on a worldwide basis. It includes improvements to driving dynamics, new intelligent charging functions, additional functions for the Porsche Communication Management (PCM) system, and additional Porsche Connect features.

Here’s a list of the new and updated features in the software update:

Smart air suspension and chassis control

For the Taycan models with adaptive air suspension, the update includes the new Smartlift function. This allows the Taycan to be programmed so that its ride height is automatically raised at certain recurring locations such as road humps or garage driveways. Another of the updates is optimized chassis control, which improves slip control and therefore acceleration in the Taycan Turbo S. With this, the sprint from zero to 200 km/h takes just 9.6 seconds in conjunction with Launch Control – so it is 0.2 seconds faster than before (Taycan Turbo S: CO2 emissions combined 0 g/km, electricity consumption combined 28.5 kwh/100 km).

Charging Planner functions

The range of Charging Planner functions is also extended. For example, it’s now possible to set the charge level needed to reach a specified destination. During a charging process with active route guidance, the driver receives a notification in the vehicle and the app when the necessary charge level for the remaining route has been reached so that the journey can be continued. With the new Battery-Saving Charging function, charging capacity can be reduced from up to 270 kW to 200 kW if desired. The resulting lower battery temperature during charging results in lower-impact charging and a highly efficient charging process. The 22 kW on-board AC charger will be available as a retrofit option in selected markets from the end of 2021.

Fine-tuned navigation system

The navigation system has also been fine-tuned: This includes the display of online information directly on the map as well as traffic information with lane-level precision. And in terms of entertainment, anyone who connects their Apple ID to their Taycan can now use the Apple Podcasts (including video streaming) and Apple Music Lyrics functions. Meanwhile, with wireless Apple CarPlay, iPhone apps are now available in the Porsche Communication Management (PCM) system via a wireless connection.

Apple Podcasts and Apple Music Lyrics

Porsche and Apple are pleased to introduce a new, seamless podcast experience and an enhanced music experience. The update also includes significant software optimization for numerous control units, meaning that the transmission has to be adapted and the drive components calibrated when it has been completed. For this reason, the update is carried out as part of a free visit to a Porsche Center.

Additional updates via Functions on Demand

Furthermore, Porsche also sells some features via software updates, which it calls Functions on Demand (FoD) and those include Power Steering Plus, Active Lane Keep Assist, and Porsche InnoDrive.