Ever wondered how Porsche makes the Taycan? This video and its transcript from Business Insider explains the process.
Following is a transcript of the video.
This is Porsche's first all-electric vehicle, the Taycan. It's unmistakably Porsche. Aluminum and steel shaped into the downward-sloping roofline and pronounced shoulders of the wings that are the manufacturer's signature. But under the bodywork, there's a new element: an electric heart.
For Porsche to strike a balance between electric efficiency and performance, they wielded unique manufacturing techniques and components, like a battery case fully integrated into the structure of the car and two electric machines, one on each axle to power the front and rear wheels, making the Taycan all-wheel drive. This is how the Porsche Taycan is made.
This is the body shop. Inside, machines perform an intricate dance choreographed by humans to mate the all-aluminum outer shell to the Taycan's body. The Taycan's body as you see it mainly consists of steel and aluminum. Here, robots attach the side panel to the body. The panel is entirely one piece. A robot applies adhesive bonding to the inside of the side panel. Another maneuvers the side panel to the body, pressing the panel in place. Robots secure the panel in place with a variety of welding techniques. They also use rivets to further secure the panel. The final welds are made before the Taycan moves down the line to be prepared for paint. Inspecting the Taycan bodywork takes a human touch. Staff buff the outer shell while eyeing the car body for inconsistencies. The body is now ready for paint.
The Taycan arrives upstairs at the process areas. Here, the dipping baths await. The Taycan plunges into a bath of water-based, electrically conductive paint. It receives exposure to an electrical field, causing the paint to deposit on the body. Further down the line, the Taycan will reach the body dryer, where Porsche subjects it to direct heating. Firing the paint forms a highly uniform, closed paint surface. This electromagnetic paint method is called cathodic dip painting, or CDP, and it's highly resistant to corrosion. Before the Taycan moves on to the next step, robots buff the body. Next, the Taycan arrives at the paint booths. Here, robots evenly apply multiple coats of paint, giving the Taycan a finish that protects and beautifies. Multiple coats of paint are applied. The car moves downstairs to the manual work stations, where employees carefully check the paint for imperfections. We'll see the painted Taycan bodies again soon, but, for now, on to component manufacturing.
We've arrived at the plant Porsche uses to produce electric motors and components. A special feature of the Taycan's electric motors is the hairpin winding. In this process, the solenoid coils of the stator consist of rectangular wires instead of round ones. The manufacturing process of hairpin technology is complex, but, simply put, it allows the wires to be packed more densely. This means that, in the same amount of space of a conventional stator, Porsche engineers were able to squeeze out more power and torque. Other components are assembled here, including the gears and axles. Together, these make the drive units of the Taycan. The components are sent to final assembly, where they will finally be put together.
Painted bodies, electric drives, and components find their way to the production space for final assembly. At this part of the manufacturing process, ergonomics is key. Hydraulic arms and lifts tilt, raise, and pivot the Taycan into place so employees can easily access their workspace. A hydraulic arm helps navigate a heavy dash into place at the front of the Taycan. Assembly uses a similar system to introduce seats to their new homes. The Taycan Turbo S and Taycan Turbo have two electric motors, one on the front axle and one on the rear axle, thus making the cars all-wheel drive. Here, employees assemble both axles. A panoramic glass roof is moved into position. Porsche makes use of AGVs, or automated guided vehicles, to move the car to different sections of the floor. A floor-transport system is used to move the battery to the underside of the body. The low position of the battery in the car ensures a very low center of gravity. The team attaches the housing to the body using a total of 28 bolts. The team applies Porsche's signature badge.
The Taycan is complete.
Following is a transcript of the video.
This is Porsche's first all-electric vehicle, the Taycan. It's unmistakably Porsche. Aluminum and steel shaped into the downward-sloping roofline and pronounced shoulders of the wings that are the manufacturer's signature. But under the bodywork, there's a new element: an electric heart.
For Porsche to strike a balance between electric efficiency and performance, they wielded unique manufacturing techniques and components, like a battery case fully integrated into the structure of the car and two electric machines, one on each axle to power the front and rear wheels, making the Taycan all-wheel drive. This is how the Porsche Taycan is made.
This is the body shop. Inside, machines perform an intricate dance choreographed by humans to mate the all-aluminum outer shell to the Taycan's body. The Taycan's body as you see it mainly consists of steel and aluminum. Here, robots attach the side panel to the body. The panel is entirely one piece. A robot applies adhesive bonding to the inside of the side panel. Another maneuvers the side panel to the body, pressing the panel in place. Robots secure the panel in place with a variety of welding techniques. They also use rivets to further secure the panel. The final welds are made before the Taycan moves down the line to be prepared for paint. Inspecting the Taycan bodywork takes a human touch. Staff buff the outer shell while eyeing the car body for inconsistencies. The body is now ready for paint.
The Taycan arrives upstairs at the process areas. Here, the dipping baths await. The Taycan plunges into a bath of water-based, electrically conductive paint. It receives exposure to an electrical field, causing the paint to deposit on the body. Further down the line, the Taycan will reach the body dryer, where Porsche subjects it to direct heating. Firing the paint forms a highly uniform, closed paint surface. This electromagnetic paint method is called cathodic dip painting, or CDP, and it's highly resistant to corrosion. Before the Taycan moves on to the next step, robots buff the body. Next, the Taycan arrives at the paint booths. Here, robots evenly apply multiple coats of paint, giving the Taycan a finish that protects and beautifies. Multiple coats of paint are applied. The car moves downstairs to the manual work stations, where employees carefully check the paint for imperfections. We'll see the painted Taycan bodies again soon, but, for now, on to component manufacturing.
We've arrived at the plant Porsche uses to produce electric motors and components. A special feature of the Taycan's electric motors is the hairpin winding. In this process, the solenoid coils of the stator consist of rectangular wires instead of round ones. The manufacturing process of hairpin technology is complex, but, simply put, it allows the wires to be packed more densely. This means that, in the same amount of space of a conventional stator, Porsche engineers were able to squeeze out more power and torque. Other components are assembled here, including the gears and axles. Together, these make the drive units of the Taycan. The components are sent to final assembly, where they will finally be put together.
Painted bodies, electric drives, and components find their way to the production space for final assembly. At this part of the manufacturing process, ergonomics is key. Hydraulic arms and lifts tilt, raise, and pivot the Taycan into place so employees can easily access their workspace. A hydraulic arm helps navigate a heavy dash into place at the front of the Taycan. Assembly uses a similar system to introduce seats to their new homes. The Taycan Turbo S and Taycan Turbo have two electric motors, one on the front axle and one on the rear axle, thus making the cars all-wheel drive. Here, employees assemble both axles. A panoramic glass roof is moved into position. Porsche makes use of AGVs, or automated guided vehicles, to move the car to different sections of the floor. A floor-transport system is used to move the battery to the underside of the body. The low position of the battery in the car ensures a very low center of gravity. The team attaches the housing to the body using a total of 28 bolts. The team applies Porsche's signature badge.
The Taycan is complete.
