A largely uninterrupted journey across not just one, but two borders in an electric vehicle (EV) may still sound quite impossible to many.
But on 19 July 2023, Porsche proved exactly the opposite - when it inked a new regional record for the fastest single journey in an EV, all the way from Bangkok to Gardens by the Bay in Singapore. Named the "Taycan Record Run", the historical milestone was achieved in an incredible duration of just 29 hours and 15 minutes, during which the car - a Taycan 4S Cross Turismo - and its three drivers covered at least 1845km across two land borders.
Upon arrival, TAG Heuer timekeepers were on site to authenticate the total time, while the crew was received alongside members of the media by officials from the Singapore and Malaysia Book of Records. In this process, Porsche has also become the first brand in Southeast Asia to complete an uninterrupted regional (Thailand-Malaysia-Singapore) journey in an EV.
The speed run, as we hear, was physically strenuous because of its sheer scale. Comprising one journalist each from Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore (including Sgcarmart's very own deputy editor, Desmond Chan), the Taycan 4S Cross Turismo was topped up for one final time using a 360kW DC charger at a Shell Recharge station in Bang Yai (outskirts of Bangkok), then flagged off on the dot at 4:00am, 18 July 2023.
Throughout the journey, the car was kept within all prevailing speed limits both to ensure its record was validated, as well as to minimise its battery drain. While a minor challenge (not related to the car's mechanics, battery or drivetrain) at Tuas Checkpoint meant that a backup Taycan 4 Cross Turismo had to be activated for the final stretch on homeground, the team nonetheless arrived at a very wet Gardens by the Bay promptly at 10:15am.
As to how this all came together, Porsche says its record now is what happens when "the right infrastructure meets the right car".
The Taycan, as Porsche's first ever all-electric sports car, is also not just formidable because of its performance, but because of its charging performance. Its 800V architecture supports DC charging at up to 270kW to bring its battery from a 5 to 80% state-of-charge within 22.5 minutes. Furthermore, the Taycan 4S Cross Turismo driven by the journalists received a free over-the-air update in 2022 to get its WLTP-rated electric range bumped up to 512KM.
Key as well to the picture as Porsche Asia Pacific's strategic energy service provider, Shell has also expanded its High Performance Charging (HPC) network all the way across Malaysia and Thailand in recent years. Porsche says Shell's 180 to 360kW ABB-supplied rapid chargers played a crucial part in putting range back into the car along the route, with each interval lasting no longer than 25 minutes. That helped make the journey, as the journalists themselves noted, "pretty uneventful" - in the best way.
The latest flag in history planted by Porsche in Singapore adds to an already-exciting year thus far of events, even as it grandly celebrates its 75th anniversary here.
In May, the firm relaunched its first Porsche World Road Show Singapore since the pandemic hit - a dynamic driving event involving 26 models that showcased not just the breadth of Porsche's lineup, but also the breadth of their capabilities.
Later on in June, Porsche Singapore also celebrated the debut of the 963 Hypercar at the centenary of the 24 Hours of Le Mans in a special 2.4h endurance karting race at KF1 Circuit at Expo. Karts in the race paid homage to the brand’s storied past at Le Mans with iconic Porsche liveries of yesteryear.
