Earlier today we witnessed the Malaysian launch of the new Porsche Taycan. This is Porsche's fully electric sports car and it was launched today at Sime Darby Auto Performance's brand spanking new flagship Porsche Centre at Ara Damansara in Petaling Jaya, Selangor. The launch of this innovative yet still very recognisable as a Porsche fully electric Taycan was in conjunction with the official opening of the new Centre. Two birds with one stone kinda thing if you get what I mean. There are three Taycan variants – the Taycan Turbo S, Taycan Turbo and Taycan 4S
All new Porsche Taycan sold by Sime Darby Auto Performance is covered by a complimentary and comprehensive four-year maintenance and warranty package, with its battery under an eight-year warranty for the owner's peace of mind. Customers can also opt to extend the vehicle warranties for up to fifteen years and this would actually ensure their investment in the Taycan last for over a decade. This is actually something new and good in terms of automotive ownership in a time where many manufacturers try to sell their customers a new car every 5 to 8 years.
Retail prices for the available Taycan variants here starts from RM 1,195,000.00 for the Taycan Turbo S, RM 999,000.00 for the Taycan Turbo and RM 725,000.00 for the Taycan 4S. This are the base prices for the cars and do not include options which the customer would need to choose when they place an order for one. So expect add ons in terms of the asking prices after options.
The new Porsche Taycan, is Porsche's first fully electric sports car. The four-door sports sedan is a thoroughbred Porsche, offering a golden combination of renowned Porsche performance and state-of-the-art technology with comprehensive everyday usability. Both the Taycan Turbo S and Taycan Turbo are at the cutting edge of Porsche E-Performance and are among the most powerful production models that the Porsche currently has in its product range.
Note the liberal use of the word 'turbo' here. There are no actual spinning turbos in any of the Taycan as it is powered fully by batteries running electric motors in the front and rear axles. It is just something to keep with heritage actually and when you put such 'turbo' badging together with that familiar Porsche silhouette, it will be still be unmistakable as a Porsche, even though it may be lacking some aural soundtrack due to it being fully electric with only the whine of the motors from afar.
The profile of the driving modes in the new Taycan essentially follows the same philosophy as in the other Porsche model series. This is supplemented by special settings which enable optimum use of the purely electric drive. Sport Plus and Individual modes are part of the Sport Chrono Package, which comes as standard on the Taycan Turbo S.
The Taycan is a true sports car and has typical sports car traction and handling even though it is fully electric. Its flagship variant, the Taycan Turbo S achieves the 0-100 km/h sprint in just 2.8 seconds, similar to its Formula E counterpart, the Porsche 99X. It can also hit over 260km/h due to its unique two speed transmission. The first gear is capable to about 160km/h and then with the aid of the second gear, it will get you to that nice 260km/h figure.
Compare this to most single speed electric cars on sale today, even Tesla, which surprisingly do not have multi-speed gearboxes in their cars. The Taycan is actually meant to go fast and maintain those speeds too.
Christopher Hunter, Chief Executive Officer of SDAP said, “The Taycan is the first purely electric powered sports car from Porsche and marks the beginning of a new era into the field of electromobility. Powered by an electric powertrain, it is still undeniably a Porsche – you can feel the soul of the Taycan the second you get behind the steering wheel. It feels and drives like a true Porsche.”
So yes, the Taycan is indeed a unique sports car. In terms of customer response, the folks at Sime Darby Auto Performance (SDAP) have informed us that the initial response from the potential customers is actually quite good. As always, there are many of the well heeled who want to be first adopters among their peers and as always, they will always want something new and unique.
This is actually quite unique in terms of speed and performance, as well as its range for a fully electric vehicle. It also will be offered with special high voltage charging solutions to make life easier for their owners. They have also placed super fast chargers at all SDAP Porsche Centres in Malaysia which can actually charge the Taycan in about 36 minutes. This is actually quite a fast charging time.
Couple this with the approximately 400km range of the Taycan, it can be used for jaunts up north or down south if you are based in the Klang Valley. For an example, if you leave Kuala Lumpur for Penang in the morning, you can reach Georgetown in Penang after about 3 and a half hours or about 354km away (if you are a good driver, not doing 240kmh all the way). Then just stop by the Porsche Centre there for a cup of latte while charging your car there for a top up.
So this is quite an interesting ownership proposition for some in our opinion.
Charging solutions for Taycan Customers Announced
As part of the ownership experience that Porsche is known for, SDAP will be offering intelligent and holistic charging solutions for Taycan owners, with equipment that includes a 22 kW Porsche Mobile Charger Plus and the Porsche Home Energy Manager, for a limited time only.
In order to prepare for optimal charging experience, a home charge check will be performed to determine if the installation would be viable due to the variables in power availability and dwelling type of the homes of Taycan owners. Information such as the living and parking space situation, existing power connections and Internet availability is collected to check the basic prerequisites for using the Porsche charging equipment at the desired location.
A full electrical and spatial check of the parking facilities at the location will be conducted by a certified service provider engaged by SDAP upon agreement by the customer of a home check. A post-report from the home visit will subsequently be generated to determine compatibility of the charging equipment and next steps for an optimal home charging process.
“As we move into the new era of digital and electromobility, in line with the global strategy, we have designed our new Porsche Centre Ara Damansara to be future-ready with state-of-the-art technology. Coinciding with the launch of our first fully electric sports car, the Taycan, the new flagship centre is fully equipped to handle the latest battery technology repairs and maintenance and Malaysia’s first Direct Current (DC) high-performance chargers have also been installed across our dealer network. With first deliveries of the Taycan estimated to be in the first quarter of 2021, all Taycan owners can have peace of mind with these 175 kW DC chargers delivering a full charge in 36 minutes, giving you more than enough time to enjoy a nicely brewed cup of coffee at our Carrera Lounge,” said Christopher Hunter.
2020 Porsche Taycan Product Summary (with More Photos Below)
Performance meets efficiency
The flagship Taycan Turbo S can generate up to 560 kW (761 PS) overboost power in combination with Launch Control, and the Taycan Turbo up to 500 kW (680 PS). The Taycan Turbo S generates up to 1,050 Nm of torque and accelerates from zero to 100 km/h in 2.8 seconds, while the Taycan Turbo reaches maximum torque of 850 Nm and completes this sprint in 3.2 seconds. The Turbo S has a range of up to 412 kilometres, while the Turbo has a range of up to 450 kilometres, (according to WLTP in each case). The top speed of both all-wheel-drive models is 260 km/h. The Porsche Electric Sport Sound comes as standard, a unique acoustic accompaniment to dynamic driving.
As for the Taycan 4S, it reaches the century sprint in 4.0 seconds and a top speed of 250 km/h. With the standard Performance Battery, it delivers up to 390 kW (530 PS) via overboost power in conjunction with Launch Control. This is increased to a maximum of 420 kW (571 PS) with the optional Performance Battery Plus. The Taycan 4S has an electrical range of up to 407 kilometres (WLTP) with the standard Performance Battery and 463 kilometres (WLTP) with the Performance Battery Plus.
The Taycan is the first production vehicle with a system voltage of 800 volts instead of the usual 400 volts for electric cars. This is a particular advantage for Taycan drivers on the road: in just over 36 minutes, the battery can be fully recharged using the available 175 kW direct current (DC) chargers from the high-power charging network for a range of over 400 km across all models. (according to WLTP). The overall capacity of the Performance Battery Plus is 93.4 kWh and can conduct higher currents, thus speeding up the charging process significantly. Taycan drivers can comfortably charge their cars with up to eleven kW of alternating current (AC) at home.
Striking exterior features
Distinguishing features of the Taycan Turbo S fitted as standard includes the extremely lightweight Porsche Ceramic Composite Brake (PCCB), and exquisite carbon used in exterior elements like the door sill guards, sport design sideskirts and rear diffusor in louvered design. These are available options for the Taycan Turbo and Taycan 4S. LED Matrix Headlights including Porsche Dynamic Light System Plus (PDLS Plus) are equipped as standard for the Taycan Turbo S and Taycan Turbo, while the Taycan 4S comes with LED Headlights including Porsche Dynamic Light System Plus (PDLS Plus).
Unique interior design
The original 911's cleanly styled dashboard from 1963 was the inspiration for the Taycan. The freestanding 16.9-inch curved instrument cluster forms the highest point on the dashboard, while a central, 10.9-inch infotainment display and an optional passenger display are combined to form an integrated glass band in a black-panel look. “Foot garages” – recesses in the battery in the rear footwell – ensure sitting comfort in the rear and allow the low sports car height.
An entire leather-free interior is fitted as standard for the Taycan Turbo S and Taycan Turbo, and is an available option for the Taycan 4S. Interiors made from innovative recycled materials underscore the sustainable concept of the electric sports car.
Sustainable production
The environmental sustainability journey begins with its production – the Taycan is manufactured in a carbon dioxide-neutral production facility. Moreover, Porsche requires its suppliers to meet environmental and human rights compliance standards as it introduced a sustainability rating to the supplier procurement process in 2019. As part of the Responsible Minerals Initiative (RMI), Porsche strives to ensure that the entire value chain for raw battery materials is both socially and environmentally sustainable.
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