Porsche's first electric car will have an unprecedented feature that should make Tesla nervous
- The upcoming Porsche Taycan will be able to receive over 60 miles of range from a 4-minute charge, Porsche said Monday in a press release.
- That charging time would be the fastest available today, the automaker said, exceeding Tesla's supercharging stations, which can charge a vehicle's battery to about 80% of its capacity in around 30 minutes.
- Increasing charging speed is a priority for automakers and charging companies, since it takes much longer to charge an electric vehicle than to fill a internal-combustion vehicle with gas.
- Porsche plans to release the Taycan by the end of 2019.
The upcoming Porsche Taycan will be able to receive over 60 miles of range from a 4-minute charge, Porsche said Monday in a press release.
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That charging time would be the fastest available today, the automaker said, exceeding Tesla's supercharging stations, which can charge a vehicle's battery to about 80% of its capacity in around 30 minutes. (Tesla's vehicles have a range of between around 265 miles and 334 miles, depending on the model and trim.) The Taycan's proposed maximum charging speed would be possible when using DC fast-chargers that support charging rates of up to 350 kilowatts, which will be available at 120 of the 191 Porsche dealers in the US, as well as charging stations operated by Electrify America.
Tesla's supercharging stations can charge at up to 145 kilowatts, but the automaker restricts its vehicles from receiving more than 120 kilowatts when charging. Tesla CEO Elon Musk said in November that the automaker would introduce new chargers in early 2019 that will charge "much faster" than those available at its current supercharging stations, but did not specify the amount by which charging speeds will improve.
Increasing charging speed is a priority for automakers and charging companies, since it takes much longer to charge an electric vehicle than to fill a internal-combustion vehicle with gas. A Level 1 charger can add around four to five miles of range per hour, while a Level 2 charger can add around 15-25 miles of range per hour. DC fast-chargers can add around 50-170 miles of range in 30 minutes, depending on the vehicle and the charging station.
Porsche will also give Taycan owners three years of free, unlimited 30-minute charges at Electrify America stations, a perk the automaker said is baked into the Taycan's price. Electrify America plans to have 484 charging stations installed or under construction by July 1.
Porsche plans to release the Taycan by the end of 2019. The automaker has said the vehicle will have a range of over 300 miles, produce over 600 horsepower, and accelerate from 0-60 mph in under 3.5 seconds. The Taycan is expected to start around $90,000, according to The Drive.