The Porsche Taycan might be one of the fastest EVs around, but there’s one thing about it that’s definitely not speedy, at least not on the early cars from 2020. If you only have access to a level 2 AC charger rather than a super-fast DC charger, topping up the battery can take an age.
The first Taycans could only charge at 9.6 kW using AC power and that meant filling the standard battery took 9.5 hours, while cars with the bigger Performance Battery Plus pack needed 10.5 hours. But now Porsche has released an upgraded 19.2 kW on-board charging module that allows 2020 model-year cars to charge twice as fast when connected to a suitably speedy external charger.
That 9.5-hour marathon to charge cars with the standard battery from 0-100 percent drops to just 4.8 hours, while charging times for Performance Battery Plus models improve from an interminable 10.5 hours to 5.3 hours. The upgrade also enables older cars to enjoy Plug and Charge, which means the car will automatically sort the billing out when you hook up to a commercial charger, provided you have a My Porsche account.
Related: Porsche Taycan Spends Under 2.5 Hours Charging On Cross Country Drive, Smashing World Record
This is no simple aver-air update, however. The more powerful charging module costs $1,850.15 plus around 12 hours of labor, which means you’re looking at well over $4,000 all-in. Anyone buying a brand new Taycan can already order their car with the improved charger as a $1,680 option.
And if you’ve only got a puny 7 kW charger at home, you’ll be needing a quicker one to make use of your upgraded Taycan’s charging capability. Porsche’s 19.2 kW Wall Charger Connect unit features a 5-in touchscreen, wifi connectivity for software updates and that all-important Porsche logo, and can be yours for $1,586.
