Porsche gives the Taycan virtual gears and pushes range to 700 kilometres

Porsche wants to put mechanical feel back into the EV

E-Shift is not a new gearbox. It is a software layer designed to change how the Taycan’s electric powertrain feels from behind the wheel. That distinction matters, because the Taycan already uses a real two-speed transmission on the rear axle. The new system adds eight simulated gears, which the driver can shift using the paddles on the GT sports steering wheel. Porsche mimics the logic of a PDK gearbox, reshaping power delivery, introducing a perceptible shift pulse, adding virtual engine braking and displaying a simulated rev counter in the instrument cluster.

At first glance, it sounds like a marketing trick, but the technical idea has merit. Very powerful EVs often accelerate in near silence and without interruption, which makes them objectively ferocious but subjectively rather one-dimensional. E-Shift tries to give the driver rhythm, a clearer sense of load and more defined moments through which to read the car in corners and under braking. Hyundai has already shown with the Ioniq 5 N that this approach can work. Its N e-Shift also simulates an eight-speed dual-clutch gearbox, using motor torque management and regenerative braking to create the effect.

A 700 km WLTP figure makes the Taycan more serious on European motorways

For European buyers, the new range figure may matter even more than the virtual gears. For rear-wheel-drive base models in the European Union, Porsche is offering lower rolling-resistance 20-inch “Range Plus” summer tyres. Paired with the Performance Battery Plus, they add up to 20 km of range. The Taycan sports saloon now reaches up to 700 km on WLTP for the first time, while the Sport Turismo tops out at 671 km.

In Germany, Taycan pricing starts at €102,600. The base model delivers 300 kW and 410 Nm, accelerates from 0–100 km/h in 4.8 seconds, reaches 230 km/h and posts combined energy consumption of 16.1 to 19.1 kWh/100 km. On a DC fast charger, Porsche quotes 18 minutes for a 10 to 80% charge, provided the charger can deliver and the battery is at the right temperature.

New cabin software tackles the Taycan’s weakest point

The Taycan had already gained a stronger powertrain and faster charging with its previous update. Now Porsche is turning its attention to the cabin. The new Porsche Communication Management system uses up to five times more computing power than the previous set-up. Porsche Digital Interaction brings freely configurable widgets, deeper Apple CarPlay and Android Auto integration, an App Center, more accurate online route calculation, an optimised Charging Planner and an AI-assisted Voice Pilot. Infotainment updates can be delivered over the air, while the smartphone tray now charges at up to 25 W, around 1.5 times faster than before.

This update is strategic for the Taycan. Porsche’s driving dynamics were already strong, but rivals — especially Tesla and China’s luxury electric saloons — have trained buyers to expect a fast, flexible and constantly evolving software experience. Porsche has to preserve its sense of mechanical quality while adding the same immediacy on the digital side.

Manthey Kit turns the Turbo GT into an electric track weapon

At the top of the range, Porsche is adding a Manthey Kit for the Taycan Turbo GT with Weissach package. This is not merely a set of spoilers. It includes aerodynamic, chassis, tyre, brake and powertrain tuning. Porsche is offering it directly from the factory for an electric sports car for the first time, and points to a 6:55.533 Nürburgring Nordschleife lap in the electric executive-car category.

At this end of the market, the Taycan is no longer fighting only the Tesla Model S Plaid, but also a new wave of electric powerhouses from China and the United States. The Turbo GT with Weissach package produces 760 kW, accelerates from 0–100 km/h in 2.2 seconds and runs on to 305 km/h. The Tesla Model S Plaid counters with 611 km of WLTP range, a 2.1-second 0–100 km/h time and a 322 km/h top speed, although Tesla’s acceleration figure uses a rolling start and reaching the full top speed requires Tesla’s optional hardware upgrade.

Global pressure means Porsche has to sell more character

The 2027 model-year update for the Taycan arrives at a difficult moment. Porsche delivered 16,339 Taycans in 2025, a 22% decline, and linked the drop to a slower take-up of electric mobility. At the same time, Porsche’s European customer base moved quickly towards electrified models, with electrified cars outselling combustion-engined models in Europe for the first time.

The Taycan’s 700 km WLTP figure puts it back into the long-distance conversation, but the Lucid Air Grand Touring shows how far efficiency has already moved on: in Europe, Lucid claims up to 960 km on WLTP, 611 kW and the ability to add 400 km in 16 minutes. That means Porsche cannot win on range alone. It has to sell the complete package: steering feel, braking, chassis control, track durability and, now, a deliberately staged sense of mechanical drama.