Porsche recalls Taycan EV globally

Porsche has issued a global recall notice for its 2020 and 2021 Taycan, with the EV hero car understood to suffer from a loss of power in some markets.

Potentially affecting 43,000 units worldwide, Porsche says the fault stems from a software issue in the Taycan's power electronics and engine control units, having initially been made aware of the issue from a number of complaints in North America.

An investigation by the United States National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) found nine customers had reported their cars switching into emergency mode and suffering "a loss of motive power while in motion at any speed without warning to the driver".

The investigation report says while the Taycan runs on an 800-volt battery pack, the auxiliary 12-volt battery on board could lose charge, taking out the whole electrical system with it.

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A failure in the Taycan's 12V auxiliary battery could be behind the issue

Porsche USA has outlined the issue, saying the fault could lead to a power loss but it is still safe for owners to drive their Taycans as usual. "In the case of the affected vehicles, there is the possibility in certain instances a shutdown of the power train, resulting in loss of motive power may be triggered incorrectly and sporadically," said Porsche. "A software update will be installed in the workshop.

"The issue was already remedied in the ongoing series. Owners of the affected vehicles can continue to use them and will be contacted directly by their responsible Porsche partner.

"A workshop appointment will be free of charge and should take place as soon as possible, and the software update will take about an hour."

Porsche Australia last spoke to WhichCar before the close of business on Friday afternoon, saying it had no comment to make on the recall at this stage.

Up until the end of May this year, Porsche has sold 326 Taycans in Australia.