Porsche Taycan proves crossing the Australian Outback in an EV is possible

Porsche might not have crossed the Simpson Desert in a 911 – we’ll keep that credit for ourselves – but the Stuttgart Marque has proven EVs can do remote road trips in Australia by taking a Taycan Cross Turismo on a 19 day, 5000km run from Darwin, NT to Bondi Beach in Sydney.

Not only was this a test of the Taycan 4S Cross Turismo's 469km driving range (WLTP), but also a challenge for charging infrastructure. Along with public ultra-fast charging stations run by ChargeFox, Evie, Tesla, and more, the Taycan was also able to take advantage of Porsche’s own destination charger network.

In total, 27 charge stops were needed to make it to Sydney and together those stops represented 85 hours of stoppage time – most of which were at Porsche dealers where the Taycan recuperated at a rate of 22kW (AC).

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It wasn’t all plain sailing, though, with Mark Webber having to rejuice the 4S Cross Turismo at a remote cattle farm on his way through. Well-known destinations included Nitmiluk (Katherine) Gorge in the NT, the township of Daly Waters, the ‘Big Red’ sand dune in the Simpson and a tour around Bathurst’s Mount Panorama racetrack on the way to Bondi Beach for a surf.

Those used to smash-and-grab road trips might think 19 days is a pretty relaxed schedule for the above trip, but Porsche wasn’t out to prove how fast the drive could be done, just that road-tripping in an EV is very much possible.

“Embracing the spirit of exploration, on this all-electric trip the Taycan Cross Turismo redefines the very essence of reduced impact adventure”, said Porsche Cars Australia CEO and managing director Daniel Schmollinger.

“The Taycan Cross Turismo offers a thrilling driving experience while exploring nature. This is how Porsche captures the hearts of Australians."

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Porsche’s Taycan was the brand’s first EV that generated into the long-roofed and gently raised Cross Turismo used for this trip.

However, Porsche's pipeline has a whole laundry list of electric models. The electric revolution will continue with the all-new Macan SUV shortly, followed by the brand’s first all-electric sports car – the 718 – and finally the Cayenne large SUV.