Taycan : Braking for more 🤓🤔 -- How the Taycan gets by without a larger brake system—thanks to recuperation

[f1eng]

I have never driven, or even travelled in a Tesla.
I have one pedal driving in my Husquvarna mower and dislike it, though I have sort of got used to it.
I tried a Jaguar i-Pace which the garage had set for 1 pedal driving and didn’t much like it.
I do appreciate it is a cheap and easy to engineer solution though, so can see why some makers do it.
I suspect the Jaguar dealer did it so I didn’t experience their regen/disc blending, which I have seen criticised.

One of the big attractions of the Taycan when I drove one was the way they engineered the regeneration and the options.

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[WuffvonTrips]

I do it to avoid using the rotors as mush as possible and in practice have found it both excellent and reassuring for slowing the car in snowy / icy conditions on declines. Less chance of ABS kicking in or an unwanted slip.

I rarely use auto recup in any scenario as it is unpredictable due to other situational dependencies.

I avoid auto recup for that exact same reason.
I normally have the standard recup on because in urban driving I prefer the "engine braking" effect (Jackie Stewart would be turning in his grave if he were dead). I rarely experience constant speeds for more than short stretches, which I expect is the one circumstance that I'd benefit from coasting.

 

[WuffvonTrips]

I don't think Sport+ is optimized for efficiency. Rather, it's optimized for performance.

The contradiction I was trying to articulate was that Porsche make a point of saying that the car coasts by default, but they are overlooking the fact that many Porsche owners seem to default to Sport or Sport+. I suppose it's all part of the game of presenting the best WLTP numbers.

 

[W1NGE]

Thanks. I think (couple of things still need to fall into place) I am doing a 5,000km+ "fly-and-drive" next month picking up my Taycan. I think I would prefer coasting mode (no automatic recuperation). Road tripping regeneration however would probably be helpful. Anything that can help enabling the regen sooner? Should I book a track session along the way?

Just press the button for manual recup it will probably just work from new.

 

[W1NGE]

The contradiction I was trying to articulate was that Porsche make a point of saying that the car coasts by default, but they are overlooking the fact that many Porsche owners seem to default to Sport or Sport+. I suppose it's all part of the game of presenting the best WLTP numbers.

Default drive mode is Normal - to change drive mode is not a new default.

From initial power on the default drive mode is Normal.

 

[WuffvonTrips]

Default drive mode is Normal - to change drive mode is not a new default.

From initial power on the default drive mode is Normal.

Yes yes I know this- my point is that many owners immediately switch to Sport/Sport+...it's their default, not the cars.

 

[whitex]

Just press the button for manual recup it will probably just work from new.

Is that the button on the instrument cluster? Do I have to do this every time I change the driving mode with the chrono wheel?

 

[W1NGE]

Yes yes I know this- my point is that many owners immediately switch to Sport/Sport+...it's their default, not the cars.

Indeed but you took a pop at our 'beloved Porsch'e in the context of 'default.

 

[W1NGE]

Is that the button on the instrument cluster? Do I have to do this every time I change the driving mode with the chrono wheel?

No it's on the steering wheel.

 

[WuffvonTrips]

Indeed but you took a pop at our 'beloved Porsch'e in the context of 'default.

True- though I doubt any manufacturer will not use all legitimate means to optimise their WLTP results (and similarly to comply with restrictive regulations to the letter rather than necessarily in the spirit of the regulation). “Tell me how you will measure me, and I will tell you how I will behave.”

 

[whitex]

I was just re-reading this headline. If Taycan would have needed a larger brake system if it wasn't for the recuperation, does this mean that a Taycan in its first 1000km (or whatever it takes before brake calibration allows recuperation to work), or with a full or cold battery which cannot accept much recuperation, is a Taycan with an insufficient braking system?!?

 

[daveo4EV]

I was just re-reading this headline. If Taycan would have needed a larger brake system if it wasn't for the recuperation, does this mean that a Taycan in its first 1000km (or whatever it takes before brake calibration allows recuperation to work), or with a full or cold battery which cannot accept much recuperation, is a Taycan with an insufficient braking system?!?

no it's not…it in fact passes the same braking test all porsche's pass for all braking systems - and Porsche brakes and their stock/factory/OEM/default Performance is one area in which brand stands head/shoulders above alternatives and keeps me coming back to them when I consider alternatives.

Porsche brakes are in my opinion the best OEM brakes vs. driving most any other vehicle "off the lot" from the factory.

under-braked is not a term I would associate with Taycan under any circumstances - vs. my Tesla's which were a compete sh*t show…I literally burned through the factory pads down to the metal backing plates in less than 4 laps at a local track when attempting to flog my 2018 Model 3 Performance…

the Taycan has some EV weaknesses (but it still a great vehicle overall) but braking is NOT one of them.

 

[whitex]

no it's not…it in fact passes the same braking test all porsche's pass for all braking systems - and Porsche brakes and their stock/factory/OEM/default Performance is one area in which brand stands head/shoulders above alternatives and keeps me coming back to them when I consider alternatives.

Porsche brakes are in my opinion the best OEM brakes vs. driving most any other vehicle "off the lot" from the factory.

under-braked is not a term I would associate with Taycan under any circumstances - vs. my Tesla's which were a compete sh*t show…I literally burned through the factory pads down to the metal backing plates in less than 4 laps at a local track when attempting to flog my 2018 Model 3 Performance…

the Taycan has some EV weaknesses (but it still a great vehicle overall) but braking is NOT one of them.

Then wouldn't the headline and the article's claims like "The Porsche Taycan gets by without a larger brake system—thanks to recuperation" be incorrect? If I understand you correctly, Taycan doesn't need any recuperation for braking, it only slows down the brake wear.

 

[daveo4EV]

Then wouldn't the headline and the article's claims like "The Porsche Taycan gets by without a larger brake system—thanks to recuperation" be incorrect? If I understand you correctly, Taycan doesn't need any recuperation for braking, it only slows down the brake wear.

the article headline is at odds with Porsche engineers quotes in this article…and my personal street/track experience with my 2020 Taycan Turbo - I do not think Porsche has actually "pulled back" on the brakes because of regen - but maybe they could have.

https://www.roadandtrack.com/new-cars/future-cars/a28915025/porsche-taycan-huge-brakes/

A spokesperson told me that every Porsche is required to pass a braking torture test: 25 stops in a row, from 80 percent of a car's top speed down to 90 km/h (56 mph), with every fifth stop involving full ABS. For a car to pass, it has to generate between 0.8 and 0.9 g of deceleration every time.

The Taycan presents a unique challenge. Its 161-mph top speed is relatively low compared to other Porsche products. And the EV boasts ultra-quick acceleration, so it doesn't take long at all to reach 80 percent of top speed, around 129 mph. This meant that, during Porsche's braking test, the Taycan didn't have much time at all for the brakes to cool between stops.


Rather than change its braking performance standards for the Taycan, Porsche solved the problem by fitting those enormous brake rotors and ten-piston calipers. It seems a little funny given that, in normal daily driving, those giant brakes might almost never be activated, thanks to the car's regen capabilities. But the Taycan's brakes are critical to offering the performance Porsche demands—including the car's 7:42 Nürburgring lap time.

 

[charliemathilde]

Taycan on track will run out of battery long long before brakes. It’s usable completely stock. By comparison, a model S on track with OEM brakes is an effective way to shit your pants or worse.

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