Porsche Taycan makes steady start

Porsche looks set to fall short of its early ambitions for its first electric car – the Taycan – with just 4,480 delivered during the first half of 2020.

The marque originally planned a production capacity of 20,000 units per year for the Taycan, but early demand for the models has been hit by the impact of the coronavirus pandemic.

Deliveries of the electric sedan only started late last year and the economic disruption caused by Covid-19 means Porsche is unlikely to get a clear idea of interest for the vehicle for some time yet.

“The Taycan … continues to be well-received by customers,” the German carmaker says. “Porsche delivered 4,480 units in the first half of the year within the context of a staggered market launch.”

Reports have previously suggested Porsche was considering increasing production capacity of the Taycan to 40,000 cars per year, says the Electrek website.

Taycan sales so far this year may also have been affected by the recent arrival of the Taycan 4S, a cheaper version of the electric car.

Porsche’s sales overall fared surprisingly well in the first half of 2020 and were down by only 12 per cent compared to the first six months of 2019.

The company shifted 116,964 units as it suffered a far lower impact to sales from the Covid-19 outbreak than many other carmakers.

The most popular Porsche models in the first half of the year were the Cayenne, with 39,245 units sold, and the Macan on 34,430.

Building process

A WELT Documentary has surfaced on YouTube revealing how the Taycan is built at Porsche’s plant in Zuffenhausen, Germany.

The video reveals an entirely separate “factory within a factory” was created for the electric vehicle’s construction, and the use of machines in the manufacturing process is captivating.