Electric vehicles are taking over the automotive industry. Many major automakers have publicly claimed to cut down on gas-powered vehicles by 2040 drastically. As EVs become more common and popular issues become more common as well. EV technology is still in its infancy for many companies, and bugs are still being worked out. Porsche just recalled over 40,000 Porsche Taycan models due to power issues.

EV growing pains

Though EVs and hybrid models are becoming regular fixtures in lineups, they are still in their early days in the automotive industry. Unfortunately, consumers have been doing their fair share of troubleshooting unintentionally. Now that automakers are producing these innovative vehicles in mass, there are bound to be hiccups.

Companies like Tesla have experienced issues with their electric vehicles. Tesla has been working on EV technology for much longer than most automakers, so recalls are expected. Some issues with newer EVs are minor, but some very serious issues are arising as well.

Porsche’s intro to electric vehicles: The Porsche Taycan

The Porsche Taycan is German automaker Porsche’s luxury, fully electric car. It officially debuted in 2019. The Porsche Taycan is Porsche’s first fully electric vehicle and the company’s future as a manufacturer of emission-free automobiles.

Now, according to Car and Driver, the Porsche Taycan has hit a major pothole on the road to success. The 2020 and 2021 four-door models are being recalled. The luxury cars have been experiencing power issues, completely dying at times. To make matters even worse, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) received numerous complaints about the Porsche Taycan losing power while being driven.

The recall affects over 43,000 Porsche Taycans internationally. Porsche is currently issuing a software update to fix the issue. Taycan owners are getting their vehicles fixed for free at Porsche dealerships. The update will be installed during the production process for new vehicles.

Is the damage to the Porsche Taycan irreparable?

Porsche Taycan owners can get the issue fixed and move on with their lives but is the damage to the nameplate already done? The cheapest Porsche Taycan starts at $79,900, so a power issue can be extremely discouraging to consumers who have spent that much on an EV. Several EVs on the market have yet to have major reliability issues and are a fraction of the Porsche Taycan’s price.

None of the Porsche Taycan models boast high ranges compared to other EVs either. The Taycan 4S has the furthest driving range with a 227 mile EPA estimate. The Tesla Model 3 and Tesla Model Y are both cheaper alternatives with driving ranges above 300.

Porsche’s EV is luxurious and sporty, but a recall of this magnitude could be hard for consumers to forget anytime soon. Porsche may continue to expand its EV lineup over the years, and now the German luxury automaker has some experience with the complications of EV production. There may still be hope for the Porsche Taycan. Still, Porsche and other potential EV manufacturers should take this incident as a lesson as the automotive industry produces EVs on a larger scale.