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After Math: More, more, mooooooore
Woke up this morning with the "more, more, mooooooore" refrain from Lady Marmalade stuck in my head despite not having heard that song in close to a decade because sure why the hell not. So, since I can't get the demonsong out of my ear, let's get it into yours while we take a look at some of our more, more, mooooooore expansionary headlines of the week. We're getting itchi gitchi ya ya here.
Porsche's app-based car subscriptions come to four more cities
You no longer have to live in Atlanta to try Porsche's alternatives to car ownership. The automaker is expanding its app-based Passport subscriptions and Drive rentals to four more North American cities, including Las Vegas, Phoenix, San Diego and Toronto. The fundamentals for each remain the same. Passport lets you drive and swap cars as much as you like starting at $2,100 per month, with your only added cost being fuel. Drive, meanwhile, is closer to traditional rentals with options to drive a car for stints between four hours and a week. In both case, concierges both drop off and pick up your ride.
Porsche Taycan sets four-door EV speed record at the Nürburgring
Porsche really, really wants to convince you that the Taycan will outperform Tesla's cars in the right circumstances. The automaker reported that its pre-production EV set a (rather specific) lap record for four-door, all-electric cars on the Nürburgring-Nordschleife, completing its 12.8-mile run of the legendary circuit in seven minutes and 42 seconds. It unsurprisingly credits not just the top speed and acceleration of the car, but also the longevity of its electric powertrain. Unlike some EVs, the Taycan has both an 800-volt system (instead of the usual 400V) and a cooling system that can sustain performance for long periods.
Porsche streamlines the Taycan EV’s infotainment system
The all-electric Porsche Taycan is the first in a line of electric vehicles from the performance brand. And while it's running on electrons instead of dead dinosaurs, the automaker is determined to make sure that the vehicle is still an experience that focuses on driving first and foremost.
Porsche's Cayenne E-Hybrid is the company's 'just right' SUV
The Porsche Cayenne lineup is getting crowded. There are the gasoline engine-only versions and now two hybrids. The high-end electrified Cayenne Turbo S E-Hybrid is a sports car masquerading as an SUV. But if you're looking for the less dramatic power boost and some good eco feelings, there's the Cayenne E-Hybrid.
Porsche’s Cayenne Turbo S E-Hybrid makes a quick SUV even quicker
The Porsche Cayenne Hybrid is an outstanding SUV. It's quick, agile and sort of tricks you into thinking you're driving a smaller vehicle. But Porsche being Porsche the automaker wasn't happy to leave the vehicle be. So they introduced the Cayenne Turbo S E-Hybrid an even faster sort of eco-friendly sports utility vehicle.
Porsche Taycan test drive shows the EV's repeatable launch control
You'll have to wait to September for the Porsche Taycan's official unveiling, but the automaker is at least ready to answer one burning question: how well would the EV fare in a drag race? Quite well, apparently. Fully Charged has scored the first test drive of the Taycan for a non-Porsche driver, blasting the electric supercar through a runway demo of its launch control mode. It's quick, reaching around 225km/h (about 140mph) before needing to slow down as the end of the tarmac appeared. The claimed 0-62MPH time of 3.5 seconds may be very conservative. However, the real allure is how often you can invoke the launch mode -- it's not just a party trick.
EU believes BMW, Daimler and VW colluded over clean emissions tech
The European Commission believes BMW, Daimler and Volkswagen worked together to delay clean emissions technology. Last fall, the EU Commission launched a formal investigation to determine if the automakers breached EU antitrust rules by restricting competition on the development of emissions-reducing technology. Now, in a Statement of Objections, the Commission has informed BMW, Daimler and VW of its "preliminary view" that they did in fact violate antitrust rules -- meaning they also led to higher emissions and denied consumers the opportunity to buy less polluting cars.
Porsche's Taycan EV has pulled in more than 20,000 deposits
Looks like Porsche has drummed up massive interest for its Tesla rival, because the automaker has revealed that it received 20,000 reservations for its upcoming Taycan electric vehicle. The company also confirmed previous reports that it's increasing the planned production capacity. While it didn't mention a particular number, it told CNBC in January that it's doubling production from 20,000 vehicles to 40,000. Now, we know why.
Porsche plans to electrify its best-selling Macan SUV
Porsche has announced that it will electrify the next-generation Macan, which will become its first all-electric compact SUV. The EV version of the Macan, which is Porsche's best-selling vehicle with over 90,000 sold in 2018, will go into production "early in the next decade," the company said. It will become the third EV in its lineup, after the Taycan sedan (aka the Mission E concept) and the Cross Turismo, which will go into production in 2019 and 2020, respectively.
Porsche Taycan owners will get three years of free charging
Porsche announced today that owners of its upcoming electric vehicle, the Taycan, will get three years of free charging at Electrify America charging stations across the United States. The promotion will provide an unlimited number of 30-minute long charges. Electrify America operates more than 300 highway charging stations in 42 states and 184 stations in 17 metro areas across the country.
Porsche claims its EV factory will be as green as the cars it builds
Porsche wants production for the Taycan to be as ecologically responsible as the electric car itself. The automaker has revealed that the Taycan factory under construction at Stuttgart-Zuffenhausen will use nitrogen oxide-absorbing facades on some parts of the building, reducing the plant's pollution. The surfaces are relatively simple constructions made from aluminum coated in titanium dioxide, but the results so far appear to be strong. In a test on a 126 square meter (roughly 1,356 square feet) area, it absorbed nitrogen oxide as well as ten trees.
Porsche's most premium EV will cost over $130,000
Porsche's Taycan will apparently come in three variants -- and the top-of-the-line model will set you back as much as $130,000. The automaker opened a deposit option program for its first all-electric vehicle, formerly known as Mission E, in mid-2018. After The Drive editor-at-large Alex Roy signed up to place a deposit, a local brand ambassador told him in an email that Porsche will build three models, namely a base Taycan, a four-wheel drive model called the Taycan 4s and its most premium one called the Taycan Turbo.
Porsche's sports car tech improves the new Cayenne SUV
I'm driving up the Northern California coastline when a very happy, very overweight yellow dog runs into the road. Hours earlier a Porsche spokesperson had explained how well the new Porsche Surface Coated Brakes (PSCB) work, adding they would take a little time to get used to. This real-world canine test brings the SUV to a quick stop without much effort on my part. I would have been able to stop in time even with the regular Cayenne brakes. But sometimes it takes real life to show just how helpful new technology is.
Next-gen EV charger adds 62 miles of range in three minutes
Reducing charge times is a key factor for widespread EV adoption, and BMW and Mercedes just took a new step in that direction. A Porsche EV prototype charged at a record 400 kW rate, gaining 100 km of range in just three minutes, while BMW brought its research i3 vehicle from a 10 to 80 percent charge in 15 minutes. Both companies were testing out a new 450 kW charger recently inaugurated in Jettingen-Scheppach, Bavaria as part of part of their "FastCharge" consortium.
Porsche's latest 911 knows when it's on a wet road
Porsche may pitch the 911 as a pure driver's car, but that doesn't mean it will turn down technological assistants that could get you out of a jam. The company has unveiled the eighth-generation 911 as a 2020 model, and one of its most conspicuous upgrades is a "world first" Wet mode that detects water on the road, prepares control systems and alerts the driver to the slippery conditions. You don't have to tone the car down (say, if you're on a track and expect to slide around), but you only need to push a button to configure the car for safety. The feature will come standard, Porsche said.
Porsche is the first German car maker to drop diesel
German brands have stuck to diesel in spite of the fallout from VW's Dieselgate, but they're starting to bow under pressure. Porsche has become the first German automaker to drop diesel from its lineup, announcing that it will "no longer offer" vehicles based on the technology. This wasn't a great stretch when the badge is primarily focused on conventional gas engines and hasn't had a diesel model since February 2018, but it would rule out a comeback.
Porsche unveils fast, low-cost 'pit stop' EV charging stations
Fast charging stations promise to end the long wait to top up electric cars, but the technology is expensive, bulky and a little intimidating. Thankfully, Porsche might have solved all three problems in one go. It just unveiled an "electric pit stop" whose design promises to make the company's 800V charging more accessible. Rather than load everything a charging station needs into a single cabinet, Porsche splits things into modular "FlexBoxes" that can offload some of the work and stay far from the customer -- you might only see the charging pole itself.
Porsche’s Panamera hybrid brings sports car fun to a station wagon
The Porsche brand has never really been synonymous with family. The legendary 911 just doesn't lend itself to playdates, Target runs and road trips with the kids. Then the German automaker introduced its SUV line in 2003 and suddenly the offspring had a place to sit. But an SUV is not a sports car. The Panamera line, on the other hand, has the potential to be a bit of both.
Porsche's super-fast EV chargers are now plugged into the grid
When Porsche opened its first electric car charging park outside its Berlin office, it installed super-fast 800-volt chargers. Now, these chargers have been plugged into the electric grid and are ready for use. While any compatible electric vehicle (not just Porsches) with a Combined Charging System connector can use the chargers for free, only Porsche's upcoming Taycan will be able to take advantage of the fastest charging speeds.
