Porsche's Electric Seeds Were Planted Over a Century Ago
You could say that Porsche's Taycan has been in the works for over a century, as crazy as that sounds.
Ahead of Their Time
Many of us think of hybrid or all-electric power as a relatively new technology. After all, Porsche just introduced its very first production EV, the Taycan. But in reality, electricity has been around in the automotive world for over a century. And Ferdinand Porsche was one of very first pioneers to embrace this technology.
Photos: Porsche
It's Electric
When Porsche was a teenager back in 1893, he installed an electric lighting system in his parents' house. Even the very first vehicles he designed had electric drives. After toying around with a few different ideas, Porsche designed the world's first functional hybrid car, the Semper Vivus (Latin for "always alive"), in 1900. But due to its modest power output, heavy weight, and lack of infrastructure, the idea was relegated to the back burner for many years.
Photos: Porsche
Catching Up
The hybrid production Porsche idea wasn't resurrected until 2010, thanks to advances in lithium-ion battery technology and increasingly stringent emissions standards. Porsche's Cayenne S Hybrid, along with the Panamera S Hybrid, paved the way for electromobility in the company. Finally, technology had caught up with Ferdinand Porsche's ideas.
Photos: Porsche
Win Sunday, Sell Monday
Also in 2010, Porsche sent the 911 GT3 R Hybrid to the Nürburgring as the first race car with a partially electric drive. The car utilized a 4.0-liter flat-six supported by two electric motors located on the front axle. Under braking, the two electric motors acted as generators and charged a flywheel accumulator with the kinetic energy recovered. Technology which obviously trickled down to Porsche's production hybrids.
Photos: Porsche
Track to Street
That tech first landed in the Porsche 918 Spyder, the brand's first hybrid hypercar. In 2013, the innovative machine broke the previous lap record for production cars on the Nordschleife with a lap time of 6:57 minutes. And like its racing predecessor, the 918 also utilized a pair of electric motors, one on each axle, this time in tandem with a 4.6-liter V8.
Photos: Porsche
Hyper Success
Of course, Porsche wasn't quite satisfied with its hybrid efforts just yet. Their next testbed, the 919 Hybrid, was also unleashed in 2013. Just two years later, the 919 claimed the first of what would become three consecutive Le Mans wins. By the end of 2017, Porsche had secured six World Championship titles with the 919.
Photos: Porsche
Trickling Down
Some of the technology derived from the 919 has already trickled down to production Porsches, including the Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid. But that certainly isn't the end. Porsche claims that there are many other developments coming in the near future. That includes the Taycan, which like the 919, utilizes electric motors that deliver their full power for multiple accelerations over short intervals.
Photos: Porsche
Next Chapter
Now that the 919 has retired, Porsche already has its next rolling test bed ready for the track - the 99X Electric. The brand's very first all-electric race car will compete in the ABB FIA Formula E Championship for the 2019/2020 season using an all-new drivetrain.
Photos: Porsche
Long Time Coming
Thus, the Taycan obviously didn't just appear out of nowhere, the effort of an automaker trying to adjust to the future of mobility. Rather, it's an idea that originally came from the brand's iconic founder and one that's been tested and improved upon over the course of many years and many miles.
Photos: Porsche
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