Page 72 - Motor Trend (April 2020)

navigate between stations
using sensors and wireless
communication. Larger AGVs
that rely on optical sensors to
follow QR codes on lines taped
to the floor are used instead of
traditional conveyor belts in the
body and final assembly areas.
The QR code system makes
the layout of the factory’s
large final assembly plant
very flexible. Assembly lines
can be moved or changed
simply by laying a new line of
tape. And without the need to
support bulky conveyors, the bodies a few months later. The
A Look Inside Porsche’s Taycan Factory building’s floors didn’t have first completed Taycan came
to be as robustly engineered off the line in the unfinished
orsche is betting big on production facility at Leipzig and expensive to build as they final assembly hall in December
the Taycan. Make no where the Macan and Pana- would be in a conventional 2018, just before Christmas.
Pmistake, Taycan is more mera are built. factory. Once production processes
than just greenwash, more Taycan production specialist The Taycan will launch in have been bedded in and
than just a hastily improvised David Thor Tryggvason points two-motor form, with motors in Porsche is confident cars can
mea culpa for the Volkswagen out the site is the symbolic two levels of tune. Core motor be produced in higher numbers
Group’s dieselgate. Porsche is heart of Porsche, where the parts are from third-party without impacting quality, the
spending more than a billion iconic 911 has long been made. suppliers. The casings and factory’s innovative and flexible
dollars to bring its first electric “We want Taycan to be part transmission, however, are layout means output could
sports car to market, almost of Porsche,” he says, “and to Porsche’s own design. Because readily be doubled from its orig-
$800 million of that on a dedi- send a signal that the future of the motors will be built in two inal estimate of 20,000 Taycans
cated new factory. Porsche is at Zuffenhausen.” power variants, Porsche says up to 40,000 units a year.
The Taycan factory has The new Porsche Taycan this requires a high-precision What’s more, Porsche claims
been wedged in and among factory includes a facility that assembly process. But although it is already holding 30,000
various existing buildings at assembles motors, transmis- the motor assembly is largely orders for the Taycan, before a
Porsche’s manufacturing site sions, and axles, along with automated, Porsche workers single customer has even driven
in Zuffenhausen, Germany. a dedicated body assembly hand-select the shims that one. Based on the company’s
Clearing the site alone cost line, a new paint shop, and a ensure there is just 0.3mm 2018 production numbers,
more than $50 million, making 2,900-foot-long conveyor that of clearance between the that would make this electric
it a more expensive option than transports bodies, motors, rotor/stator and the housing. Porsche more popular than the
simply expanding the newer battery packs, and axles to the Porsche wants its workers to be 718 Cayman/Boxter and within
final assembly hall. actively involved in building the striking distance of both the
The innovative factory Taycan’s motors. 911 and the Panamera. And it’s
makes heavy use of automated The Taycan factory is slowly roughly 60 percent of total Tesla
guided vehicles (AGVs) devel- being brought up to speed. The Model S production last year.
oped in-house by Porsche. first motor, transmission, and Yes, Taycan is a big bet. But
Small AGVs in the powertrain axle assemblies were built in so is the potential payoff.
and axle assembly areas the middle of 2018, and the first Angus MacKenzie

and batteries warms the interior. Even more workers now. The U.S. will get as SPECS 2020 Porsche Taycan 4S
in reindeer country, I had to remove my large an allotment as needed to meet Base Price $105,150
jacket in the car. demand, we are told. Vehicle Layout Front- and rear-motor,
AWD, 5-pass, 4-door sedan, hatchback
That Porsche wasn’t afraid—even Much like Arctic Blue is challenging
Motors 429-482-hp/472-479-lb-ft AC
encouraged us—to test the car’s limits in a Napue for the hearts of the Finnish gin permanent-magnet electric (comb)*
harsh environment telegraphs the confi- drinkers, Porsche is using the Taycan Transmissions 1-sp auto (fr), 2-sp auto (rr)
dence engineers have in the new Taycan. as a throwdown in the electric luxury Curb Weight 4,800-5,000 lb (mfr)
The automaker originally planned to sedan market. It’s betting beauty, quality, Wheelbase 114.2 in L x W x H 195.4 x 77.4 x 54.3 in
0-60 MPH 3.8 sec (mfr est)
make 20,000 Taycans annually but has engineering, repeatable performance, and EPA City/Hwy/Comb Fuel Econ Not yet rated
already decided to double capacity at the the Porsche name will convince buyers to On Sale in U.S. April
plant in Zuffenhausen and is training consider a new brand. Q *522-563 hp in launch control mode

72 MOTORTREND.COM APRIL 2020