What it's like to spend 29 hours inside a Porsche Taycan
27 Jul 2023|2,862 views
Not many people can say that they spent exactly five hours in one of the swankiest hotels in Bangkok. And there’s no reason you should. You pay good money for a classy space where you can rest, relax and get a good night's sleep. I used the toilet a bunch, ate some room service food, and when I left the room five hours later, the bedsheets were exactly as perfectly uncreased as the moment I entered.
But, not many people will agree to co-driving an EV effectively non-stop from Bangkok to Singapore, immediately after flying back from London. My SGP-BKK flight took off exactly 1h50m after my LDN-SGP flight landed.
Meeting for the first time at 4:00am, the three of us were going to have plenty to time to get to know each other, and plenty of distance to cover
So yes, I find myself wide awake at 4:00am Bangkok time (body still very much on London time), staring at a lovingly liveried Porsche Taycan 4S Cross Turismo, shaking hands with my two co-drivers that I'm meeting for the first time, and getting ready for the number on the big LCD TAG Heuer clock to tick over.
The starting flag waves, this Porsche Taycan Record Run begins, and a very long 30 hours lay ahead.
The journey south
Why am I even doing this? Well, Porsche wants to prove a point about electric cars and their ability to travel long distances (with some planning ahead), and it's understandably also a good showcase in its celebratory 75th year.
And, because Porsche has collaborated with Shell to build up a network of high-speed chargers that run through Malaysia and into Thailand, fast-charging the car in short stops is a very viable option (I'll get to that later).
The availability of fast chargers along the way, thanks to the High Performance Charging network developed by Shell and Porsche, means that recharging the car to full took less than 30 minutes each time
So yes, we push off at exactly 4:00am from Shell Bang Yai, and because I am still on London time, I have been tasked to do the dead-of-night shifts. So, I'm first.
The initial going is pretty forgiving. Traffic is understandably light early in the morning, and though there are roadworks aplenty on/beside the highway that's been in construction for 10 years (and counting), I make good progress, with my co-drivers in relative high spirits.
As night turns to dawn, we pass through Hua Hin, making a brief stop to charge the car (this will be a recurring event). As we travel further south, the roads become notably less refined - looser surfaces, narrower lanes, and of course, more traffic.
The Taycan is unbothered, even when the skies opened up. With extra ground clearance and four-wheel drive, there was never really any worry that we'd be overcome by the conditions. (Correction: we DEFINITELY were going to be overcome by the conditions. The car, not at all.)
With its elevated ride height and all-wheel drive, the Taycan was equally adept at tackling highway tarmac as it was small Thai side roads
As we moved off from our final Thailand Shell stop in Hat Yai, I was back in the driver's seat. Nightfall had come, so it was my turn at the wheel again. So far, our stops have been very pleasant - excellent hospitality (and plenty of refreshments) from the Shell staff, and the car was typically back to full charge in under 20 minutes.
Crossing the border into Malaysia, the fatigue was definitely showing. Conversations in the car have become quieter, complains about backaches become more frequent, and the immensity of this challenge was really setting in. As we roll into Porsche Centre Penang, it dawns on us that we were about halfway through. Wait, only halfway??
Once more, the car is recharged faster than the drivers, so we are bundled back into the car and told to push on.
Crossing the length of Malaysia in the dead of night requires extra concentration, focus, and stamina
Crossing the entire length of Malaysia under moonlight is a vastly different experience from daytime. We are tired, other drivers on the road are almost certainly tired as well, so there's an added degree of focus and concentration that's needed. Not so easy for the driver when the other two in the car are desperately catching up on sleep.
Nonetheless, we push on towards to Tapah, then a long 370km stint to Tangkak. There, I hop back into the drivers seat for the very last leg - Singapore-bound!
Funnily enough, our very last leg through Singapore was the toughest - hold-ups at the Checkpoint, then shockingly bad storms and crawling traffic in Singapore. Funny, the last 40km is proving tougher than the preceding 1,800. But eventually, we reached the finished line. Our backs/legs/bums could not be more joyous.
The TAG Heuer Connected Callibre E4 helped me to keep track of my actual body clock time - London time
The Taycan Cross Turismo also scores high on practicality - all our stuff just gets chucked into the boot
Point taken, point proven
Not many people can say that they have driven 1,840km from Bangkok to Singapore, in 29h15m, in an electric car. Actually, exactly three people can - myself, and my two co-drivers. We have certificates to prove it (and are now in the Singapore and Malaysia Book of Records, apparently).
I'm not for a moment suggesting that anyone should attempt what we just did. As hearty of an endeavour and ambitious of a challenge this journey may have been, it has also been an undeniably intense and tough one.
This was our bedroom - space for one to sleep, and the rest for all the snacks/pillows/equipment that we needed
Stops to charge the car were also welcome stops to go to the toilet, stretch our legs, grab some snacks and down yet another coffee
It helps to have the fast chargers - our stops at each checkpoint were never more than 30 minutes, and typically the car would be fully charged in less time than that. State of charge (SoC) matters, so at lower SoC the charging rate is higher, but with the Taycan's 800V architecture charging time was honestly the least of our worries.
Quick charging stops aside, spending roughly 25 hours physically inside a car (driving or not) takes its toll on you - just from all the sitting alone, the back aches endlessly, and the legs start to lose some feeling. And, trying to catch up on sleep (and slowly adjusting back to this time zone) in the back of a quick-moving Taycan (as not uncomfortable as it may have been all things considered), is not an experience worth constantly repeating. The sheer fatigue when stepping out of the car at the end point is hard to put into words. That mix to adrenaline, fatigue and jet lag-induced delirium is not one I want to recreate.
However, this journey has illuminated the fact that when it comes to long cross-country road trips, perhaps we might have our EV worries misplaced. With capable cars and a stellar (and growing) fast charge network, it is perhaps the human behind the wheel that is the limiting factor. Not simply in driving stamina, but perhaps also in the mental approach. You see, on any long drive, you will be stopping for toilet/coffee/food breaks. As we've seen, that's plenty of time to get an EV charged back up (though admittedly not all EVs can charge this quickly). So, maybe gripes about "waiting for the car to charge" are harder to justify - we found that the car was always ready to go before we were.
Exactly three people right now can say that they've driven an EV from Bangkok to Singapore in 29 hours and 15 minutes, and I've got a certificate to prove it
With reasonable planning and judicious driving, long trips in an EV are verifiably doable. Yes, it's perhaps not yet for every single driver (not all of us can buy a Porsche), but for those that can, the fast-charging network is present, the appropriately equipped EVs are available, and the destinations haven't changed.
Not many people need to drive 1,840km in 29 hours. But as this experience has shown, it's eminently doable. You could do it. Now, let's see who's next to set a quicker time. I can guarantee it's not going to be me.
Not many people can say that they spent exactly five hours in one of the swankiest hotels in Bangkok. And there’s no reason you should. You pay good money for a classy space where you can rest, relax and get a good night's sleep. I used the toilet a bunch, ate some room service food, and when I left the room five hours later, the bedsheets were exactly as perfectly uncreased as the moment I entered.
But, not many people will agree to co-driving an EV effectively non-stop from Bangkok to Singapore, immediately after flying back from London. My SGP-BKK flight took off exactly 1h50m after my LDN-SGP flight landed.
Meeting for the first time at 4:00am, the three of us were going to have plenty to time to get to know each other, and plenty of distance to cover
So yes, I find myself wide awake at 4:00am Bangkok time (body still very much on London time), staring at a lovingly liveried Porsche Taycan 4S Cross Turismo, shaking hands with my two co-drivers that I'm meeting for the first time, and getting ready for the number on the big LCD TAG Heuer clock to tick over.
The starting flag waves, this Porsche Taycan Record Run begins, and a very long 30 hours lay ahead.
The journey south
Why am I even doing this? Well, Porsche wants to prove a point about electric cars and their ability to travel long distances (with some planning ahead), and it's understandably also a good showcase in its celebratory 75th year.
And, because Porsche has collaborated with Shell to build up a network of high-speed chargers that run through Malaysia and into Thailand, fast-charging the car in short stops is a very viable option (I'll get to that later).
The availability of fast chargers along the way, thanks to the High Performance Charging network developed by Shell and Porsche, means that recharging the car to full took less than 30 minutes each time
So yes, we push off at exactly 4:00am from Shell Bang Yai, and because I am still on London time, I have been tasked to do the dead-of-night shifts. So, I'm first.
The initial going is pretty forgiving. Traffic is understandably light early in the morning, and though there are roadworks aplenty on/beside the highway that's been in construction for 10 years (and counting), I make good progress, with my co-drivers in relative high spirits.
As night turns to dawn, we pass through Hua Hin, making a brief stop to charge the car (this will be a recurring event). As we travel further south, the roads become notably less refined - looser surfaces, narrower lanes, and of course, more traffic.
The Taycan is unbothered, even when the skies opened up. With extra ground clearance and four-wheel drive, there was never really any worry that we'd be overcome by the conditions. (Correction: we DEFINITELY were going to be overcome by the conditions. The car, not at all.)
With its elevated ride height and all-wheel drive, the Taycan was equally adept at tackling highway tarmac as it was small Thai side roads
As we moved off from our final Thailand Shell stop in Hat Yai, I was back in the driver's seat. Nightfall had come, so it was my turn at the wheel again. So far, our stops have been very pleasant - excellent hospitality (and plenty of refreshments) from the Shell staff, and the car was typically back to full charge in under 20 minutes.
Crossing the border into Malaysia, the fatigue was definitely showing. Conversations in the car have become quieter, complains about backaches become more frequent, and the immensity of this challenge was really setting in. As we roll into Porsche Centre Penang, it dawns on us that we were about halfway through. Wait, only halfway??
Once more, the car is recharged faster than the drivers, so we are bundled back into the car and told to push on.
Crossing the length of Malaysia in the dead of night requires extra concentration, focus, and stamina
Crossing the entire length of Malaysia under moonlight is a vastly different experience from daytime. We are tired, other drivers on the road are almost certainly tired as well, so there's an added degree of focus and concentration that's needed. Not so easy for the driver when the other two in the car are desperately catching up on sleep.
Nonetheless, we push on towards to Tapah, then a long 370km stint to Tangkak. There, I hop back into the drivers seat for the very last leg - Singapore-bound!
Funnily enough, our very last leg through Singapore was the toughest - hold-ups at the Checkpoint, then shockingly bad storms and crawling traffic in Singapore. Funny, the last 40km is proving tougher than the preceding 1,800. But eventually, we reached the finished line. Our backs/legs/bums could not be more joyous.
The TAG Heuer Connected Callibre E4 helped me to keep track of my actual body clock time - London time
The Taycan Cross Turismo also scores high on practicality - all our stuff just gets chucked into the boot
Point taken, point proven
Not many people can say that they have driven 1,840km from Bangkok to Singapore, in 29h15m, in an electric car. Actually, exactly three people can - myself, and my two co-drivers. We have certificates to prove it (and are now in the Singapore and Malaysia Book of Records, apparently).
I'm not for a moment suggesting that anyone should attempt what we just did. As hearty of an endeavour and ambitious of a challenge this journey may have been, it has also been an undeniably intense and tough one.
This was our bedroom - space for one to sleep, and the rest for all the snacks/pillows/equipment that we needed
Stops to charge the car were also welcome stops to go to the toilet, stretch our legs, grab some snacks and down yet another coffee
It helps to have the fast chargers - our stops at each checkpoint were never more than 30 minutes, and typically the car would be fully charged in less time than that. State of charge (SoC) matters, so at lower SoC the charging rate is higher, but with the Taycan's 800V architecture charging time was honestly the least of our worries.
Quick charging stops aside, spending roughly 25 hours physically inside a car (driving or not) takes its toll on you - just from all the sitting alone, the back aches endlessly, and the legs start to lose some feeling. And, trying to catch up on sleep (and slowly adjusting back to this time zone) in the back of a quick-moving Taycan (as not uncomfortable as it may have been all things considered), is not an experience worth constantly repeating. The sheer fatigue when stepping out of the car at the end point is hard to put into words. That mix to adrenaline, fatigue and jet lag-induced delirium is not one I want to recreate.
However, this journey has illuminated the fact that when it comes to long cross-country road trips, perhaps we might have our EV worries misplaced. With capable cars and a stellar (and growing) fast charge network, it is perhaps the human behind the wheel that is the limiting factor. Not simply in driving stamina, but perhaps also in the mental approach. You see, on any long drive, you will be stopping for toilet/coffee/food breaks. As we've seen, that's plenty of time to get an EV charged back up (though admittedly not all EVs can charge this quickly). So, maybe gripes about "waiting for the car to charge" are harder to justify - we found that the car was always ready to go before we were.
Exactly three people right now can say that they've driven an EV from Bangkok to Singapore in 29 hours and 15 minutes, and I've got a certificate to prove it
With reasonable planning and judicious driving, long trips in an EV are verifiably doable. Yes, it's perhaps not yet for every single driver (not all of us can buy a Porsche), but for those that can, the fast-charging network is present, the appropriately equipped EVs are available, and the destinations haven't changed.
Not many people need to drive 1,840km in 29 hours. But as this experience has shown, it's eminently doable. You could do it. Now, let's see who's next to set a quicker time. I can guarantee it's not going to be me.
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