Porsche Reveals Upgraded Taycan BEV With Up to 939 hp

Porsche reveals the facelifted Taycan four years after the sleek sedan debuted as the German automaker’s first modern-day electric production model.

Reflecting the fast-moving pace of electric-vehicle development, the ’24 model brings comprehensive changes to the Taycan’s drivetrain, including a more efficient electric motor and larger-capacity batteries with improved energy density. Together, they combine to provide the base rear-wheel-drive Taycan with a 109-mile (175-km) increase in its official WLTP range at 421 miles (678 km).

At the other end of the lineup, the Taycan Turbo S receives a 188-hp boost in power to 939 hp in a move that trims its 0-62 mph (100 km/h) time by 0.4 of a second to just 2.4 seconds.

The midcycle changes aim to see the facelifted Taycan build on the success of the original model, which has generated almost 150,000 sales worldwide since its global market launch in 2020.

A series of subtle styling tweaks distinguish the new model. Included is a new-look front bumper with redesigned air ducts, altered LED headlamps with HD matrix properties, as first unveiled by the facelifted Cayenne in 2023, newly shaped front fenders, an illuminated nameplate at the rear and a series of more aerodynamic wheels.

Unlike the new third-generation Panamera, the Taycan will continue to be produced in three body variants: sedan, Sport Turismo and Cross Turismo – the latter featuring added ride height and other off-road embellishments. 

Upgrades to the interior of the Taycan center primarily on an enhancement in material quality along with changes to Porsche’s infotainment system. The German automaker says it has worked closely with Apple to improve the functionality of the Taycan’s CarPlay interface, which can now be displayed within the instrument display and the front passenger display.

There are also new ambient lighting functions, a wireless smartphone charging pad, a reversing camera and a park assist system as standard on all models.

With a new rear motor delivering up to 107 hp more than before, each ’24 Taycan model receives a boost in power. The new unit is shared with the recently unveiled Macan BEV. It is 22 lbs. (10 kg) lighter than before at 360 lbs. (163 kg).

Porsche has not yet provided details for the complete lineup, though it says the rear-wheel-drive Taycan now produces 80 hp more than before at 429 hp. At the other end of the lineup, the Taycan Turbo S receives an added 188 hp at 939 hp.

Together with the Taycan and Taycan Turbo S, the new lineup will also launch with all-wheel-drive Taycan 4S and Taycan Turbo models.

For additional engine pop, a new Push-to-Pass function activated by a button on the steering wheel allows the driver to call up an additional 94 hp for up to 10 seconds for added overtaking potential.

Porsche claims the rear-wheel-drive Taycan now accelerates from 0-62 mph some 0.6 of a second quicker than before at 4.8 seconds. The Taycan Turbo S runs the benchmark sprint 0.4 of a second quicker than it did previously at just 2.4 seconds.

The new electric motor is combined with a heavily reworked battery. It uses new cell chemistry to improve its energy density from a previous 148.7 Wh/kg to 168.3 Wh/kg. The facelifted Taycan’s standard battery gains 10 kWh at 89 kWh. The capacity of the so-called Performance Battery Plus is up by 12 kWh at 105 kWh. 

Along with the improvement in energy density, Porsche says the weight of its new battery has also been reduced by 19 lbs. (9 kg) over the earlier unit at 1,377 lbs. (625 kg) in 105-kWh guise.

In further changes to the powertrain, the energy recuperation system has been upgraded and is now capable of harvesting kinetic energy under braking at up to 400 kW instead of the previous 290 kW.

The upshot is a 109-mile increase in the combined WLTP range for the rear-wheel-drive Taycan at 421 miles (678 km) in combination with the optional Performance Battery Plus. The all-wheel-drive Taycan Turbo S gets a 101-mile (163-km) increase in range at 391 miles (630 km) on the same battery.

Porsche also has shortened the recharging time of the 800V battery on a DC charger, raising the maximum charging power from 270 kW to 320 kW and modifying the cell conditioning to allow it to hold a high charge rate for longer. The result is a claimed improvement for a 10% to 80% charge at 18 minutes instead of the previous 22 minutes. 

Prices for the ’24 Taycan sedan have risen. The rear-wheel-drive Taycan starts at $101,395, or $8,845 more than the pre-facelift model. The all-wheel-drive Taycan 4S has increased to $120,495, with the all-wheel-drive Turbo and Turbo S priced at $175,595 and $210,995, respectively. North American deliveries are to begin in April.