Why Porsche Taycan doesn't offer one-pedal driving

The speed of new vehicle development over the past few years has been dizzying as EVs introduce novel charging, energy storage, and propulsion systems. Regenerative braking has been a significant topic of discussion, but it’s not end-all silver bullet for range recovery. Porsche dove into the EV game in 2020 with the Taycan and has used its considerable engineering prowess to develop an innovative regenerative braking setup for the car.

Porsche uses the Taycan’s motors as an on-demand stand-in for the car’s hydraulic brakes in most stopping scenarios. The transition between the two systems is a weakness for many EVs, but the Taycan also varies its hydraulic braking pressure to ensure the smoothest experience possible. Rather than apply regenerative braking force as soon as the driver lifts off the throttle like in many other EVs, Porsche's system allows the car to roll unpowered, which feels more natural and keeps more kinetic energy in the vehicle. One-pedal driving initiates regeneration first and then has to convert it to propulsion, which the automaker says results in "twice the losses."

Porsche noted that 90 percent of Taycan owners’ braking could be done electrically without the car’s traditional brake system. In fact, the car only needs 100 percent hydraulic braking at speeds under 5 km/h (a little over 3 mph) when electric motors can’t provide enough stopping force.