Porsche made the electric vehicle sector take notice after a remarkable record was set in its Taycan 4S Cross Turismo sports car.
A 1,146-mile trip from Thailand to Singapore was tackled in just 29 hours and 15 minutes, the fastest time recorded for a single journey between the two locations in an electric vehicle, according to a news release. The event was also covered in a tweet.
Twenty-nine hours and 15 minutes: three journalists have just completed the fastest all-electric journey from Thailand to Singapore – in a #Porsche Taycan 4S Cross Turismo. More: https://t.co/r1gQogZ9bq pic.twitter.com/TSbri32pFU
— Porsche Newsroom (@PorscheNewsroom) July 21, 2023
The challenge required three rotating drivers to stay within the speed limit the whole time and reserve charging stations an hour in advance, Electrek reported.
Drivers only stopped for 25-minute intervals at stations along Shell's Recharge High Performance Charging network to boost their battery life.
Not accounting for stops or traffic, a standard internal combustion engine vehicle could make the same journey from Bangkok to Garden by the Bay in Singapore between 20 and 30 hours, according to data from Google Maps.
The Taycan model had a couple of alterations for the endurance test, with an 800-volt battery pack giving it up to 318 miles in range. It was also given a higher ground clearance to improve ride quality.
Andre Brand, the general manager of Porsche Singapore, lauded the vehicle's achievements in a statement, noting how the brand's first all-electric sports car has set standards in "sporty performance, dynamic handling and efficient charging."
"Now, we elevate the use-case for electric cars even further, by showing that long-distance, cross-border EV travel can be both fast and seamless with this first-ever Thailand-to-Singapore EV record," he added.
Not everyone was convinced, though, with one commenter on Electrek's website suggesting the distance traveled was not as impressive as it seemed: "I am sorry, what? I can do more miles in my [Tesla] Model Y in 24 hours. This makes no sense!"
Regardless, it remains a notable milestone for an electric vehicle, and the Taycan's performance — as well as the creation of new charging stations across the route — ensured that range anxiety was not a factor in the journey.
Among the key inhibitors for drivers looking to buy an electric vehicle are concerns about the availability of charge points and the fear of running out of power. However, the Taycan's epic journey proved to motorists what can be possible with the appropriate infrastructure and suitable technology, making a future switch from internal combustion engines to vehicles that create zero tailpipe emissions much more enticing.
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