Taycan – On a Charge

Electric cars are much more adaptable than those with traditional internal combustion engines

Not only is the Taycan powered by electricity, for example, it can also make electricity to feed itself – or even feed the grid. Internal combustion engines convert kinetic energy into heat when braking. Yet because they can’t make use of that energy, it's wasted. The Taycan, however, overcomes this problem by automatically utilising that energy to recharge its onboard battery once the brakes are applied, making a significant amount of that braking energy available for propulsion. A new technical term has been coined to describe this innovation – recuperation.

Kinetic braking energy increases twice as fast as speed, so double the speed means four times the recuperation. This means that when braking from 100 km/h, the Taycan generates four times as much energy as when braking from 50 km/h.

With this clever strategy operating in the background, the Taycan secures around onethird of its driving range with the recovery of brake energy. Electric motors produced in Porsche’s Zuffenhausen factory are incorporated into Taycan’s braking system. Each electric motor can function as a generator, meaning that not only can the system make electricity, it can also be used to stop the car. A conventional hydraulic braking system is coupled to the electric system, with the two functioning in concert to optimally respond to whatever situation arises. Within milliseconds, the Taycan’s sophisticated electronics decide what percentage of the braking will be electric and what percentage will be hydraulic. While the driver can’t feel the difference, it’s visible in the instrument cluster’s power meter. Around 90 percent of everyday braking is 100 percent electric, allowing the Taycan to recover energy. However, in extreme situations, such as full braking from top speed in a fully loaded Taycan, the electric powertrain can’t bring the car to a standstill alone. A maximum braking capacity of more than two megawatts must be applied in these cases, which employ the conventional wheel brake to a higher degree. The Taycan has the capacity to go far beyond electricity recuperation for its own use. In future, it will also be able to feed energy back into the public power grid. A pilot test was recently conducted by Porsche in Germany, proving this was possible using the Taycan’s charging technology and the Porsche Home Energy Manager. •