OVER-THE-AIR UPGRADES

You can read elsewhere in News this month about detailed revisions to the Taycan. But the big change is the addition of so-called over-the-air upgrades. Put simply, you will be able to add functionality to a Taycan by purchasing features from Porsche Connect Store just as you might buy an app on a smartphone. There’s no need to visit a dealer.

This is neither a novel idea nor strictly news for Porsche. Tesla has been offering this kind of service for years and Porsche signalled its intention to offer over-the-air upgrades some time ago. But now it’s a reality and it may leave some owners scratching their heads.

For the service to work, the car must obviously already have all the required hardware installed. That implies customers are paying for hardware which isn’t fully utilised as standard. For now, the upgrades aren’t earth shattering and involve things like improved cruise control and steering tweaks. What’s more, if those features are largely software based, then there’s an argument that it makes sense to charge money for access.

However, the eventual end game may include added performance or battery range. If that happens, some noses may be put out of joint. Why should you have to pay to access the inherent performance of the car you already bought? Or perhaps not. Maybe consumers are so used to adding apps and functionality with purchases on various devices that unlocking performance or range on an electric Porsche won’t bat a single eyelid.