The fully galvanised body of the Taycan is mainly a mix of aluminium and steel. The strut mounts, axle mounts and the rear side members are made of die-cast aluminium. The shock absorber mounts are made of forged aluminium. The front side members combine an aluminium shell construction with extruded sections. The 1,941-mm sills are designed as seven-chamber extruded sections. Compared to steel sills, this reduces the number of components per side from 15 to three.
Hot-formed steels protect the passenger compartment (A-pillar structure, B-pillar inside/outside, side roof frame, seat cross member). A special highlight is the bulkhead cross member, which is made of manganese-boron steel. Special manufacturing processes are used to produce various cross-sections within the tubular component. This results in maximum strength with optimised weight. Apart from the front and rear end components, the complete outer skin is made from aluminium. With a draw depth of 325 mm, the one-piece aluminium side panel posed a particular challenge for development and production. The total aluminium content for the Taycan is around 37 per cent.
The battery is installed low-down in the car, and centrally, which ensures a very low centre of gravity. Its integration was an essential cornerstone in the design of the body. The aluminium housing of the underfloor battery was designed as a load-carrying component and forms part of the Taycan’s safety structure. A total of 28 bolts are used to attach the housing to the body.
‘Foot garages’ – recesses in the battery in the rear footwell – provide improved rear seating comfort, while at the same time allowing for the low car height and ‘flyline’ typical of sports cars. The result is a low sitting position and sufficient head clearance at the rear, despite the underfloor battery. The car features two luggage compartments: 84 litres at the front, and up to 407 litres at the rear.
The fixed glass panoramic roof: a clear view without distracting roof bows
Due to its flat design, the optional fixed glass panoramic roof blends harmoniously into the silhouette and transverse bows are not required. This means the continuous area of the roof in the Taycan measures one square metre, and therefore provides an even more pleasant feeling of space and airiness. It is also possible to use a Porsche roof transport system.
For the first time in a Porsche, low-emissivity thermal insulation glass is used for the fixed glass panoramic roof in which several wafer-thin metal layers are applied to the insulating glass. As the thermal insulation glass allows short-wave radiation to pass through and reflects long-wave infra-red radiation, the vehicle interior will heat up more slowly in summer. This also means that the heat in the interior is retained longer in winter. In combination with the glass tint, this has made it possible to dispense with a roller blind. An intermediate layer in the glass structure also provides acoustic insulation for the interior.
