Porsche Taycan (93 kWh Battery) Fast Charging Analysis: Very Good

Today we will take a look at the fast charging of the Porsche Taycan (versions with 93.4 kWh battery pack) that have been on the market since 2020.

We already know that the charging performance of the Taycan is outstanding, but how do it compare with other models like Hyundai Ioniq 5, Tesla Model 3 and Audi e-tron?

To find out, we once again reached for Fastned data from 2020 when we were amazed by 270 kW peak power output at 800V chargers. Nothing really changed since then so we can apply those results also for the 2021 model year.

Let's get into it.

Charging power vs state-of-charge (SOC)

Porsche says that the maximum power output is around 270 kW and we saw such a result many times. In the case of the particular Fastned charging session, it was over 262 kW.

Regardless of the peak value, the maximum is available only up to over 25% SOC. Then charging falls for a little bit to about 200 kW, and then again to around 150 kW (35-67% SOC). The power further decreases at higher SOCs, but it tries to stay above 50 kW.

In the case of Porsche Taycan, when optimizing charging during long-distance travel, it's worth coming to a charger with a deeply discharged battery.

An important note is that at 400V chargers, Porsche Taycan can go up to 150 kW when equipped with the Optional On-Board DC Charger package ($460). Without this DC/DC converter, it will not be able to charge so fast, as the battery system is about 800V nominal.

The smaller battery version - 79.2 kWh - can accept up to about 225 kW.

State-of-charge (SOC) vs time

According to Porsche, charging from 5 to 80% should take just about 22.5 min, and you can add some 100 km (62 miles) of range in 5 minutes (at low SOC).

The chart below is only for illustrative purposes:

Average charging power vs state-of-charge (SOC)

The average power in the very important range from 20% to 80% SOC is 151 kW, which is 58% of the peak value.

C-rate vs state-of-charge (SOC)

The peak C-rate* - charging power in relation to the total battery capacity of 93.4 kWh - is about 2.8C.

The average C-rate when charging from 20% to 80% SOC is 1.6C. Both numbers are very high.

*C-rate tells us how the charging power relates to the battery pack capacity. For example: 1C is 1-hour charging power (current), when the power value in kW is equal to the battery pack capacity in kWh. 2C would be enough to recharge in half an hour.

The net battery capacity of 83.7 kWh stands for about 90% of the total battery capacity.

Range replenishing speed vs state-of-charge (SOC)

The rate of range replenishing depends on the energy consumption and the energy consumption depends on the use case.

For the 2020 Porsche Taycan 4S (the all-wheel drive version) with a 93.4 kWh battery we have multiple range ratings:

• WLTP
  Taking into consideration the WLTP range of 464 km (288 miles) and available battery capacity of 83.7 kWh, we can assume energy consumption of 180 Wh/km (290 Wh/mile).
  The effective average speed of range replenishing when charging from 20% to 80% SOC would be 14 km/minute (8.7 miles/minute).
• EPA Combined range
  Taking into consideration the EPA Combined range of 203 miles (327 km) and available battery capacity of 83.7 kWh, we can assume energy consumption of 412 Wh/mile (256 Wh/km).
  The effective average speed of range replenishing when charging from 20% to 80% SOC would be 6.1 miles/minute (9.8 km/minute).
• EPA Highway range
  Taking into consideration the EPA Highway range of 207.4 miles (334 km) and available battery capacity of 83.7 kWh, we can assume energy consumption of 404 Wh/mile (251 Wh/km).
  The effective average speed of range replenishing when charging from 20% to 80% SOC would be 6.2 miles/minute (10 km/minute).
• IEVs 70 mph range test
  Taking into consideration the IEVs 70 mph range test result of 278 miles (447 km) and available battery capacity of 83.7 kWh, we can assume energy consumption of 301 Wh/mile (187 Wh/km).
  The effective average speed of range replenishing when charging from 20% to 80% SOC would be 8.4 miles/minute (13.4 km/minute).

The EPA numbers for the 2021 model year are higher, but still significantly below the real-world results reported by users.

Comparisons with other EVs

Tesla Model 3 Supercharging

Hyundai Ioniq 5

We will compare the Porsche Taycan 4S (93.4 kWh, AWD) with a few other EVs that are known for a very good fast charging:

• Audi e-tron
• Hyundai Ioniq 5
• Tesla Model 3 (both at V3 Superchargers and CCS2 chargers)

Comparison of charging power

In terms of power, the Porsche Taycan offers the highest peak value in the first part, but not much higher than in the case of Tesla Model 3 at V3 Superchargers (limited to 250 kW), despite a significantly bigger battery.

Once the power falls, the Hyundai Ioniq 5 emerges as the lone leader of the 30-50% SOC range. Porsche Taycan glides at "Audi e-tron's speed" of about 150 kW.

Overall, Porsche Taycan has one of the best charging characteristics. If we exclude lower values - above 80% SOC, then it has a higher average than Audi e-tron, but is not better than the upcoming Hyundai Ioniq 5.

Comparison of State-of-charge (SOC) vs time

With 5 to 80% SOC possible in 22.5 min, Porsche Taycan is one of the best on the market.

Probably only the Hyundai Ioniq 5 is noticeably faster (10-80% SOC in 18 minutes).

Comparison of C-rate

Porsche Taycan's 93.4 kWh battery is significantly bigger than Tesla's batteries, which translates to lower C-rates, especially in the initial stage.

Anyway, 1.6C on average in the 20-80% SOC window is great (of course not as high as in the case of the Hyundai Ioniq 5, which has a very specific charging characteristic).

Comparison of range replenishing speed

Finally, the range replenishing rate reveals to us that efficiency matters a lot. Porsche Taycan is still one of the best, but in the first stage of charging the highly efficient Tesla Model 3 is in a class of its own.

Comparing models by their WLTP range, Porsche Taycan's average in 20-80% SOC window is not far from Tesla Model 3. However, when using our very own 70 mph range test, it's actually a little bit better than the Tesla Model 3.

We guess that for normal users, it will be difficult to notice the difference, especially since other factors might influence the charging experience more.

The Hyundai Ioniq 5's average range replenishing speed is out of range for any other contender so far:

Conclusions

Porsche Taycan's fast charging characteristic is - as expected - very good. It has a high peak value, good curve, and despite the lower efficiency of the car, it can basically match the range replenishing rate of the Tesla Model 3 (in 20-80% SOC window).

However, considering the 93.4 kWh battery and the brand's aspirations, the results should be much better than for cars with 75-80 kWh packs. We would like to see Porsche go 300-350 kW and improve the power in the middle of the session.

Without those improvements, Porsche Taycan soon will be behind Hyundai Ioniq 5, Kia EV6 and some other upcoming EVs.

See also

⠀ How Long Does It Take To Charge A Porsche Taycan Cross Turismo?

BMW iX3 DC Fast Charging Analysis: 150+ kW Peak, Decent Curve

General info:

* Some values on the charts are estimated from the data source.

** Temperature of the battery cells might highly negatively affect charging capabilities. We don't have data about temperatures of the battery at the beginning and during the charging process. In cold or hot weather, as well as after driving very dynamically, charging power might be significantly lower than shown on the charts (in extreme cases charging might be impossible until the battery temperature will not return to an acceptable level).