Porsche’s electric sports car just set a record. The Porsche Taycan traveled from Thailand to Singapore (a 1,146-mile trip) in under 30 hours, making it the fastest all-electric vehicle to do so.
Porsche Taycan sets new EV record in Southeast Asia
Three journalists took on the nonstop driving challenge in Southeast Asia, taking a Porsche Taycan 4S Cross Turismo from the outskirts of Bangkok to Gardens by the Bay in Singapore.
The Taycan Model was fitted with a performance battery plus pack. With up to 512 km (318 m) range, 800V battery pack, and higher ground clearance, the Porsche Taycan 4S Cross Turismo is built to take on the task.
The participants took turns driving while using Shell’s Recharge High-Performance Charging (HPC) fast-charging network in 25-minute intervals.
Porsche and Shell launched the network last November using ABB’s 180 kW and 360 kW DC chargers to help meet the growing demand for EV charging in the region.
Meanwhile, the drivers had to stay within the national speed limit, making charging time critical. To ensure a smooth experience, the drivers reserved their chargers up to an hour before arriving.
At night, Porsche’s Bright Dynamic Light System Plus (PDLS+) LED headlights illuminated the way while lane-keeping assist kept the Taycan between the lines.
TAG Heuer timekeepers validated the timing for the Porsche Taycan journey from Thailand to Singapore, which marked 29 hours and 15 minutes, a record for an EV.
Andre Brand, general manager of Porsche Singapore, said Porsche’s electric sports car already sets the “benchmark for sporty performance, dynamic handling and efficient charging.” Brand added, “Now, we elevate the use-case for electric cars even further by showing that long-distance, cross-border EV travel can be both fast and seamless with this first-ever Thailand-to-Singapore EV record.”
What’s next for Porsche?
The Taycan was Porsche’s first all-electric vehicle offered in several variants, including the 4 Cross Turismo, 4S, 4S Cross Turismo, GTS, GTS Sport Turismo, Turbo, Turbo Cross Turismo, and Turbo S.
Porsche’s next EV will be the all-electric Macan SUV. After a long wait (and several delays), the Macan EV is set to begin rolling out next year. Porsche’s production manager Albrecht Reimold, said last week in an interview with Automobilwoche he “will do everything with my colleagues to make it happen,” referring to launching the Macan EV on time.
Top comment by manicdan
So because they had to follow the speed limit, this is just a challenge of optimizing the charging time. And without knowing the average speed limit for the trip its not easy to understand the driving vs charging times.
If they can have someone stand around blocking a charger for an hour before they get there, why not also just have a giant truck lead them on their journey and save them the wind drag, or why not just tow the car.
This whole thing was just a PR stunt by Porsche and Shell and not actually some kind of challenge. What happens if the highway speeds change, then the old times become pointless. Even just resurfacing the roads or weather or time of day which dictates the wind will affect times because you are limited on the driving by the speed limit anyway.
Although the automaker has dealt with supply chain issues, particularly semiconductors, Remold said, “That has stabilized and we are currently assuming that more [Taycan] units will leave the factory this year than in 2022.”
After Taycan deliveries slipped 16% last year to 34,801, the trend has continued into 2023, with deliveries falling 3% in Q1 year-over-year (YOY) and another 5% in Q2.
After the Macan EV, Porsche plans to release an electric 718 in 2025, followed by the Cayenne EV in 2026.
Porsche is also planning a premium luxury electric SUV slated to sit above the Macan and Cayenne, codenamed K1, that will compete against brands like Lamborghini and Bentley. That model is expected to come out in 2027.
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