As models like the base Taycan, Taycan S, Taycan 4S, Taycan Turbo launch, a big question will be AWD or RWD?
Official information on Taycan configurations are few but not hard to figure out. I've broken down what's likely to arrive in the initial model years with all-wheel-drive being the main focus as its what will help the Taycan feel/drive like a true Porsche, hopefully with enough AWD development from the 919 LMP1 hybrid racer (won le-mans multiple times).
Ultimately, the Taycan's all-wheel-drive system, via front-wheel-drive and rear-wheel-drive electric motors, will offer repeatable and consistent performance (unlike Tesla). Its Porsche's promise. Whatever we get from launch will revolve around that objective and so far the horsepower and torque numbers are very reasonable!
As per an automag sources:
3 different battery pack configurations is what it breaks down to with the base AWD Taycan getting over 530hp.
As for how they will function. Taycan prototype drives don't reveal anything relevant but if performance figures of both Mission E concepts are actually as close to what production versions are said to get, could it be said how they function will remain consistent as well? If so read on to further set your expectations. The permanently excited synchronous motors (PSM) among other components will prove to be a big asset for us.
For the first purely electric Porsche, the engineers in Weissach developed a drive concept based on the principle of intelligent performance—a principle woven into the fiber of every Porsche. “We opted for a permanently excited synchronous motor in the Taycan,” reports Heiko Mayer, drive unit project leader. “They combine a high energy density with strong sustained performance and maximum efficiency.” Two permanently excited synchronous motors (PSM), like those deployed in the Le Mans–winning 919 Hybrid, generate a permanent rotary motion that can be applied at any time without needing to be started—a technical feat achieved by having a permanently magnetized rotor forced into a rotary motion by the magnetic field of the stator.
PSM electric motors are the turbos of the electric motor milieu. They boast both extremely high sustained performance and maximum efficiency. One motor powers the Taycan’s rear axle, the other the front wheels. Together they generate over 600 hp (440 kW) and are fed by batteries designed to provide five hundred kilometers of range. The Taycan sprints from 0 to 100 kmh in well under 3.5 seconds and tops 200 kmh in under 12. The PSM drives convert electrical energy into power with great efficiency, smoothness, and sustained output while generating relatively little heat. A Porsche with electric drive technology is naturally track-ready as well.
The PSM motors also enable a very compact design. As Mayer observes, “That makes it possible to make the motors and batteries smaller and lighter with the same power figures.” And to save even more space, the electric motors’ solenoid coils feature a so-called hairpin technology design. “The coils are made of wires that aren’t round, but rather rectangular,” explains Naser Abu Daqqa, director of electric drive systems at Porsche. “This makes it possible to pack the wires more tightly and get more copper into the coil machines—increasing power and torque with the same volume.” The Taycan’s power electronics are also fine-tuned for efficiency. The inverters that convert the battery’s direct current into alternating current for the electric motor don’t work with a fixed pulse frequency as is common, but with a steplessly variable pulse frequency. “So the motor always runs at the optimal operating point,” explains Mayer. Intelligent performance is also delivered by the cooling system. Temperature sensors detect the cooling requirements in real time, while software ensures that the cooling water is immediately directed to the right spots. If the driver floors it, the cooling kicks into high gear as well, ensuring constant power.
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Although the 919 Hybrid racecar is an extreme example this video shows how the drivetrain and powertrain work.
Official information on Taycan configurations are few but not hard to figure out. I've broken down what's likely to arrive in the initial model years with all-wheel-drive being the main focus as its what will help the Taycan feel/drive like a true Porsche, hopefully with enough AWD development from the 919 LMP1 hybrid racer (won le-mans multiple times).
Ultimately, the Taycan's all-wheel-drive system, via front-wheel-drive and rear-wheel-drive electric motors, will offer repeatable and consistent performance (unlike Tesla). Its Porsche's promise. Whatever we get from launch will revolve around that objective and so far the horsepower and torque numbers are very reasonable!
As per an automag sources:
- "The front-wheel-drive module reportedly delivers 160 kW/215 hp at 16,000 rpm with a constant peak torque of 221 lb-ft. At full boost, Porsche can briefly claim some 325 lb-ft.
- "There are two different specifications in the works for the rear-drive unit. While the base motor is rated at 240 kW/322 hp and 251 lb-ft, the performance version is good for 320 kW/429 hp and 406 lb-ft, sources say. The two-speed transmission is being developed to allow for full-throttle upshifts, and an electronically controlled limited-slip rear differential will be an option."
3 different battery pack configurations is what it breaks down to with the base AWD Taycan getting over 530hp.
- >400 hp (base rear-wheel-drive Taycan?)
- >500 hp (base all-wheel-drive Taycan?)
- >600 hp (Taycan Cross-Turismo wagon?)
As for how they will function. Taycan prototype drives don't reveal anything relevant but if performance figures of both Mission E concepts are actually as close to what production versions are said to get, could it be said how they function will remain consistent as well? If so read on to further set your expectations. The permanently excited synchronous motors (PSM) among other components will prove to be a big asset for us.
- >600 hp: are packed and ready for action by two permanently excited synchronous motors (PSM)
- 800 V: voltage with which the components of the Taycan’s drive system works
- 3.5 sec: The Taycan's 0-60 time. The enormous torque from the very first rev delivers sporty acceleration
For the first purely electric Porsche, the engineers in Weissach developed a drive concept based on the principle of intelligent performance—a principle woven into the fiber of every Porsche. “We opted for a permanently excited synchronous motor in the Taycan,” reports Heiko Mayer, drive unit project leader. “They combine a high energy density with strong sustained performance and maximum efficiency.” Two permanently excited synchronous motors (PSM), like those deployed in the Le Mans–winning 919 Hybrid, generate a permanent rotary motion that can be applied at any time without needing to be started—a technical feat achieved by having a permanently magnetized rotor forced into a rotary motion by the magnetic field of the stator.
PSM electric motors are the turbos of the electric motor milieu. They boast both extremely high sustained performance and maximum efficiency. One motor powers the Taycan’s rear axle, the other the front wheels. Together they generate over 600 hp (440 kW) and are fed by batteries designed to provide five hundred kilometers of range. The Taycan sprints from 0 to 100 kmh in well under 3.5 seconds and tops 200 kmh in under 12. The PSM drives convert electrical energy into power with great efficiency, smoothness, and sustained output while generating relatively little heat. A Porsche with electric drive technology is naturally track-ready as well.
The PSM motors also enable a very compact design. As Mayer observes, “That makes it possible to make the motors and batteries smaller and lighter with the same power figures.” And to save even more space, the electric motors’ solenoid coils feature a so-called hairpin technology design. “The coils are made of wires that aren’t round, but rather rectangular,” explains Naser Abu Daqqa, director of electric drive systems at Porsche. “This makes it possible to pack the wires more tightly and get more copper into the coil machines—increasing power and torque with the same volume.” The Taycan’s power electronics are also fine-tuned for efficiency. The inverters that convert the battery’s direct current into alternating current for the electric motor don’t work with a fixed pulse frequency as is common, but with a steplessly variable pulse frequency. “So the motor always runs at the optimal operating point,” explains Mayer. Intelligent performance is also delivered by the cooling system. Temperature sensors detect the cooling requirements in real time, while software ensures that the cooling water is immediately directed to the right spots. If the driver floors it, the cooling kicks into high gear as well, ensuring constant power.
Although the 919 Hybrid racecar is an extreme example this video shows how the drivetrain and powertrain work.
