Improved efficiency and tech in software update for Porsche Taycan

Owners of any Porsche Taycan produced since the EV was launched in 2020 can now have it upgraded to feature the latest technology and functionality.

It means that effectively, irrespective of a given car's age, it will offer the same efficiency, connectivity and driver assist functions as one rolling fresh off the production line in Zuffenhausen today. 

Porsche has yet to confirm exactly when the free software update will be available in the UK, but has said it will require the car to visit a workshop - with the duration of the upgrade depending on how old the car is. 

Following the update, Taycan owners will also be able to active keyless opening as a 'feature on demand' as and when it's required, though Porsche has yet to give a price. 

The headline software upgrades centre on improving the Taycan's efficiency and reducing charge times. Post-upgrade, the Normal and Range driving modes in four-wheel-drive versions will "almost completely" disconnect the front motor under partial load, reducing strain on the battery.

Plus, the selected level of regenerative braking will be retained even when switching driving modes, and improved thermal management of the battery – "especially at low outside temperatures" – allows the Taycan to be rapidly charged more often.

As well as these software upgrades, Porsche is now offering to retrofit customer cars with an upgraded 22kW on-board charging device for faster top-up times. For European and US customers, this comes with a new 'Plug & Charge' function - which essentially does away with the need for a payment card or app when charging at compatible devices, allowing the car to communicate through the cable with the charging provider. 

The infotainment system has been lightly updated, too, with a new start-up interface and promised "greater ease of use", while also gaining wireless Android Auto, Spotify and an improved voice control system. Beyond that, the parking sensors have been uprated and the parking space locator will now identify a larger number of available spaces. 

Keven Giek, vice-president of the Taycan model line, said: "Following this update, anyone driving a Taycan from early in the car’s production run will be pleasantly surprised by how much has developed on the vehicle side since then." Internally, Porsche refers to this as the ‘uPdate’, because the 2023 model year, which started in July 2022, bears the letter ‘P’.