Here's What You Need to Know about the Porsche Taycan's Battery, Suspension & More

author: Manish Kharinta   

The Porsche Taycan is the first electric model from the German automaker.

Although German automaker Porsche announced in November that the upcoming Taycan electric sedan would be delayed 8-10 weeks as a result of production issues, the luxury car manufacturer managed to deliver 130 units of its first-ever fully-electric sedan to customers in the U.S. so far.

Some of these customers reported that the premium electric sports car manages to offer more range than the 201 miles estimated by the EPA. In addition to the slightly higher than expected range, some additional specifications of the Taycan have surfaced online. 

Porsche recently offered a closer look at the battery technology and other systems in the Taycan that the company claims will rival that of electric automaker and current segment leader Tesla.

First off, braking duties on the Porsche Taycan are taken on by enormous 10-piston brake calipers. This high performance braking setup that has more stopping power than some of the fastest ICE-powered sports cars on the market today.

The Taycan's three variants, which include the 4S, Turbo and Turbo S models, are available in three distinct braking setups, starting with standard high-metallic brakes, then surface coated units. The Taycan Turbo S model comes with high-performance ceramic brakes.

The lower priced Porsche Taycan 4S model gets a six-piston fixed caliper brake setup at the front, while four-piston calipers are installed at the rear. 

Obviously, in true EV fashion, the Porsche Taycan comes with regenerative braking, which converts kinetic energy into electricity to help slow the car down. 

The suspension setup on the Porsche Taycan does not come with adjustable camber adjustments. instead, the self-adjusting suspension system works in tandem with the sport-tuned chassis using a three-chamber air spring unit that has been derived from Panamera.

The Taycan is available with both standard 9.6 kW AC charging and 270 kW DC rapid-charging capability. The DC charging socket is located on the right side of the Taycan, while the left side of the vehicle get the AC charging socket.

The battery pack is one of the largest components in Porsche Taycan's powertrain. The unit is protected by a high-strength aluminium and steel crash structure, then a cooling body, and finally a steel undercarriage plate to protect from road hazards from underneath. 

The battery pack's cooling system has been nicknamed "the snake pit" by some, on the account that the coolant runs through lines that wind around the battery modules in a snakelike fashion.

There are more cooling components located at the front of the Taycan than the rear, in order to provide some extra cooling to the charging sockets on the EV's front-end.

Other parts of the powertrain include a single-speed gearbox and an asynchronous electric motor that is located at the front underneath the circuit board. In the rear of the vehicle, there is a two-speed gearbox and another asynchronous electric motor, making the car all-wheel drive. 

Prices for the entry-level Taycan for the 4S model with performance battery start at $103,800 followed by performance battery plus variant with prices starting $110,380. 

The more powerful Turbo model is priced at $150,900 and the top of the range Turbo S variant gets a $185,000 price tag.

Manish Kharinta

Manish Kharinta is a automotive writer based in the Los Angeles area. He has worked for automotive industry websites TheSmokingClutch.com, CarDekho.com and CarBikeindia.com. His experience ranges from covering auto shows, to car reviews and breaking automotive news. Manish aims to bring forth his unique perspective on automotive design and technological innovations in the automotive industry.