If the batteries of electric cars generally lose a little autonomy over time, it seems that those of the Porsche Taycan are like good wine: they improve with use. Number of user testimonials on groups and forums dedicated to this model indicate that the autonomy of the car seems to progress over the days, depending on the use made of it.
We saw a few months ago that the 467 kilometers of range officially announced by Porsche for the Taycan 4S were realistic, even slightly below the truth. But YouTuber Bjørn Nyland, who spares no effort to thoroughly test everything the market has to offer when it comes to electric vehicles (and who does not hide his passion and broad preference for Tesla), has just carried out a new test ” truth ”with the Porsche Taycan 4S this time equipped with the 93 kWh“ Performance Plus ”battery pack. Remember that its previous test was on the “small battery” version and had already enabled it to travel 440 kilometers in a single charge in Range mode (economy) at a stabilized average speed of 90 km / h.
So this time with the “big” battery – the one that also equips the Taycan Turbo and Turbo S – that the good Bjørn embarked on a maximum autonomy test on the highways of the Oslo region, where he resides. And the result is rather spectacular, so much so that he himself seems blown away by the performance: at a steady speed of 90 km / h, the Taycan 4S has traveled 580 kilometers, with an average consumption of 15.5 kWh / 100 km. , which is just impressive for a car of this caliber and power (571 hp). For comparison, the average consumption of a Renault Zoé during various tests comes out at 17.7 kWh / 100 km…
But perhaps the most interesting is the 120 km / h test which reveals an equally honorable range of 425 km. This would tend to demonstrate the good performance of the batteries at high speed (at least according to European speed limit standards), probably thanks to the 800 volt architecture of the Taycan and its two-speed gearbox. For comparison, under the same conditions with a Tesla Model 3 Performance yet given for 530 km of autonomy, I was never able to reach 400 km, even with the same atmospheric conditions (temperature between 25 and 30 degrees), and some tests rather report a range of around 350 kilometers.
Autonomy is not just a question of batteries
How was this test carried out, and under what conditions? Nothing special, on a relatively flat and clear highway, at a temperature of 27 degrees, in Range mode, which only requires the front engine, or one in two engines, and the least powerful. But the thing that makes the huge difference is not in the batteries or in the engines, but in… the wheels and tires. For this test, the car was fitted with 19-inch “aero” wheels (instead of the enormous and very wide 20 or 21-inch wheels usually found on this model) shod with Hankook EV tires specially designed for electric cars. This combo turned out to be particularly economical for two reasons: on the one hand, aero rims are more aerodynamic by opposing less resistance to the air flow, and on the other hand the special tires offer less rolling resistance. Finally, the front tires are 225 instead of the 245 usually fitted on this car. It remains to be seen whether they are also effective in terms of grip in sporty driving, which is also the vocation of this car, but apart from extreme use on the circuit, there is little chance that the difference will be felt on a daily basis.
Please note, this is not a DIY or downsizing, just a “long range” option offered by Porsche, as is the case with Tesla, whose most powerful version of its models can also be fitted with aero rims and narrow tires on 19 inches. A question of choice for the buyer, who can arbitrate between aesthetics and efficiency (and handling, to a lesser extent).
Anyway, we are very, very far from 323 “official” km of the EPA standard (certainly for the Turbo S, but still), which one still wonders about the way they were calculated …
>> Find our full test drive of the Porsche Taycan
