Many Porsche Taycan owners are going to be happy to know that Porsche is making their vehicles more efficient through software updates resulting in range bumps.
As we reported back in July, the Porsche 2023 Taycan model year update was mostly focused on software improvements.
Several of these changes were related to the entertainment system in the electric vehicle, but there were also several software improvements to the powertrain and thermal management system that are making the 2023 Taycan more efficient.
Now the good news is that those software improvements are also coming to existing Taycan electric vehicles produced over the last three years.
The biggest range bump goes to the Taycan Turbo Cross Turismo, which now goes from 204 to 233 miles of range on a single charge – a 14% range increase through software improvements to the efficiency of the vehicle.
Most other range increases are between 3% and 7%, but there are a few other variants that are getting range increases of more than 10%.
Here’s a list of all the range bumps for all the different Taycan variants (via Drive Tesla Canada):
Variant
EPA estimated range 2022 (miles/km)
EPA estimated range 2023 (miles/km)
Improvement
Taycan sedan
200 mi/321 km
208 mi/334 km
4%
Taycan sedan w/ Performance Battery Plus
225 mi/362 km
242 mi/389 km
7.5%
Taycan 4S sedan
199 mi/320 km
206 mi/331 km
3.5%
Taycan 4S sedan w/ Performance Battery Plus
227 mi/365 km
235 mi/378 km
3.5%
Taycan GTS sedan
246 mi/396 km
246 mi/396 km
0%
Taycan Turbo sedan
212 mi/341 km
238 mi/383 km
12.2%
Taycan Turbo S sedan
201 mi/3223 km
222 mi/357 km
10.4%
Taycan 4 Cross Turismo
215 mi/346 km
235 mi/378 km
9.3%
Taycan 4S Cross Turismo
215 mi/346 km
230 mi/370 km
6.9%
Taycan GTS Cross Turismo
233 mi/375 km
233 mi/375 km
0%
Taycan Turbo Cross Turismo
204 mi/328 km
233 mi/375 km
14.2%
Taycan Turbo S Cross Turismo
202 mi/325 km
222 mi/375 km
9.9%
On top of the increase in efficiency, the software changes are also going to enable a faster-charging curve for Taycan electric vehicles.
While Porsche is talking about the update being delivered “over-the-air,” the press release about the update makes it sounds like owners will still have to bring their vehicles to the shop:
The update is free for customers, and can be carried out during a visit to a Porsche service workshop.
But it’s a minor inconvenience to get more efficiency out of your up to three-year-old electric car.
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Leading electric vehicle analyst, author, and industry thought leaders Loren McDonald and Bill Ferro stop by Quick Charge to discuss EV Adoption’s acquisition by Paren, the “crisis” of EV charging reliability, and the real state of the EV market.
Depending on who you listen, EVs are either driving brands to record growth and are about cross that critical 10% of the overall market nationwide, or the future is bleak, the market is down, and EVs just aren’t selling. What’s really going on? Loren and Bill (probably) have some answers.
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Chevy EV owners in Texas who have Reliant as their electric utility can now charge for free at night with renewable energy.
Over 150 Chevrolet dealerships across Texas are now offering the Reliant Free Charge Nights plan to new EV buyers. With Free Charge Nights, customers can offset their charging costs by receiving credits for electricity used between 11 pm and 6 am. The plan is powered entirely by renewable energy, thanks to the purchase of renewable energy certificates (RECs).
Rasesh Patel, president of NRG Consumer, says the plan is about making power personal: “We’re excited to help Chevrolet EV drivers offset the cost of charging their vehicle all while having access to a renewable electricity plan.”
This collaboration aims to make EV adoption more appealing by making charging cheaper and greener. GM Energy’s chief revenue officer, Aseem Kapur, emphasized that partnerships like this help build the ecosystem needed to support an all-electric future: “The Reliant Free Charge Nights plan is a great example of how an automaker and an energy company can work together to make EV adoption an easy decision.”
Existing Reliant customers can also sign up for the Free Charge Nights plan. To get started, Chevrolet EV owners need to designate their vehicle on the GM Energy Smart Charging Portal before enrolling in the plan.
Reliant Energy, a subsidiary of NRG Energy, serves over 1.5 million customers in Texas, making it one of the largest electricity providers in the state.
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Texas is about to get a major power boost – a new AI-powered virtual power plant (VPP) delivering capacity equivalent to 200,000 homes during peak demand.
NRG Energy is teaming up with Renew Home to bring nearly 1 gigawatt (GW) of capacity to the Texas grid by 2035, aiming to make it more resilient while helping residents save on energy costs.
The new VPP will rely on hundreds of thousands of smart thermostats and other connected home devices, making use of AI technology provided by Google Cloud. These devices, like Vivint and Nest smart thermostats, will be offered to eligible customers at no cost. By automating HVAC adjustments, they help shift energy use to when electricity is cheaper, cleaner, and less strained.
NRG and Renew Home have big plans for the VPP. Starting in spring 2025, the companies plan to roll out the program across Texas, installing these smart thermostats in homes served by NRG’s retail electricity providers. Eventually, they plan to add home battery storage and EVs to expand the power plant’s capabilities.
Texas has faced record-breaking energy demands, with peak usage hitting 85 GW in 2023. As the state’s population grows and extreme weather becomes more frequent, VPPs like this one could play a key role in stabilizing the grid. VPPs aggregate a lot of small-scale energy resources, from smart thermostats to home batteries, and use them to help balance supply and demand during times of high stress on the grid.
This nearly 1 GW VPP will be one of the largest of its kind in Texas. NRG’s president of consumer operations, Rasesh Patel, calls it a “pivotal step” for improving customer experience while making Texas’ energy infrastructure more sustainable and resilient.
In addition to Renew Home, NRG is working with Google Cloud to maximize the power plant’s effectiveness. Google Cloud’s AI and analytics tools will help predict weather conditions, forecast renewable generation, and optimize energy usage, all of which will help make energy management smoother for both customers and the grid.
Ben Brown, CEO of Renew Home, said:
NRG’s commitment to creating a more resilient and sustainable energy future while also making electricity bills more affordable makes them an ideal partner for co-developing this unique VPP program.
This initiative raises the bar for future-proofing our electricity infrastructure and delivering cost savings to customers.
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