The Porsche Taycan is getting new features with a big free software update

A free software update promises a wide range of new features for every Porsche Taycan ever made, including wireless Android Auto, improved efficiency, and better assisted parking.

Available as a complimentary upgrade from Porsche Centres, the update brings 2023 model year features to every model and configuration of Taycan from 2019 onwards. Customers will benefit from an increase in powertrain efficiency, as well as a whole suite of new features that have been gradually added to the Taycan since it first went into production.

The software update includes new functions and improvements in the Porsche Communication Management system (PCM), as well as Porsche Connect and the car’s driver assistance technology. Simply put, the upgrade brings every model of Taycan into line with the 2023 version, giving every example the same software and feature set as every other.

In a bid to improve vehicle efficiency, the front motor of dual-motor Taycan models is disconnected and de-energised when in Normal and Range driving modes, and when in partial load operating (in other words, when accelerating gently). When coasting and at a standstill, the updated software ensures both axles are free of drive torque, in a further bid to improve efficiency.

Changes have also been made to how energy usage is shown on the dashboard display, and the new software includes improvements to the thermal management and conditioning of the battery, especially at low temperatures, helping the Taycan rapidly charge more frequently, and over a wider range of battery charge levels.

Inside, wireless Android Auto is added with the free software update, and the Spotify app can now be used with voice control for the first time in pre-2023 model year Taycans. In the navigation app, charge stations can be filtered and selected based on their charging capacity, and if you own a 2021 Taycan your head-up display will be updated with a new navigation view, among other changes.

Lastly, the Taycan’s ParkAssist function has been upgraded to work across a greater range. It also has an improved ability to search for spaces, and present smaller spaces as an option for the driver to have the car park itself into.

Although the new software is not available via an OTA (over the air) update, like with some other electric vehicles, Porsche is giving the upgrade away for free. Taycan owners just need to book an appointment at their local Porsche Center to have the work carried out. While there, they can also have the optional 22kW onboard AC charger retrofitted, at their own expense. This was previously only available as an option when buying the car as new.

Kevin Giek, vice president of the Taycan model line, said: “We have extensively optimised the model series in almost every respect since 2019. New functions have been added and others have been revised or tweaked…anyone driving a Taycan from early in the car’s production run will be pleasantly surprised by how much has developed”.