In an impressive demonstration of range capacity, a Porsche Taycan has made the trip from Los Angeles to New York City (2,834.5 miles) with just 2 hours, 26 minutes, and 48 seconds of charging. These results have since been certified by the Guinness World Records organization.
Warne Gerdes and his record-breaking Porsche Taycan
The record was accomplished by Warne Gerdes, who used PlugShare and the Electrify America app to plan out his route and drove the 2021 Porsche Taycan with the larger 93.4-kwh battery pack and premium package. For most of these stops along his route, Gerdes was able to take advantage of Taycan’s ‘Plug-and-Charge compatibility’, meaning the charging station automatically recognized his car and his account, thereby eliminating the need for a credit card or fob.
The 2021 Porsche Taycan Gerdes drove receives a 225-mile EPA range rating, with a 2.11 miles/kwh efficiency rating and, notably, Gerdes said that the Taycan “easily beat both around town or at faster highway speeds.” Specifically, in one spot along his route the Taycan averaged 3.1 mi/kwh over 117.3 miles at an average speed of 78 mph.
Warne Gerdes and his record-breaking Porsche Taycan
The first time Gerdes charged the Taycan with a 350-kw unit, he reported that the battery went from 6 per cent to 82 per cent charge in just 22 minutes. Overall, the trip only cost US$76.82 from a charging perspective which, as you might have guessed, is far less than what a gas-powered vehicle with great fuel economy could have managed.
The previous record was set by Kia with its EV6 electric hatchback, which accomplished the route with just over seven hours of charging. Prior to that, Tesla held the record, with nearly 13 hours of charging.
You can read more about Gerdes’ drive on his blog here.
