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Porsche Celebrates ‘Back To The Future Day’

26/10/2021

Not so long ago, harnessing 1.21 gigawatts meant a trip Back to the Future with Marty McFly and Doc Emmett Brown. Today, it’s thankfully a little less fraught and a whole lot more practical, as this is the total power being contained within a rapidly expanding network of chargers readily available to the Porsche Taycan.

Between the European Ionity and Electrify America charging network, 1.21 gigawatts of combined power has been exceeded for the first time. The rapid expansion of both networks means that they now represent the largest DC fast charger networks in Europe and the US.

An additional range of third party publicly available charging networks complements the total. There are currently 372 Ionity locations and 670 Electrify America and counting – which equates to more than 4,800 individual chargers. With this network of chargers containing more power than ever before, charging a Taycan is both quicker and easier.

In just 22 minutes, the Porsche Taycan can charge from five to 80 per cent, thanks to its 800-volt battery architecture and 270 kW charge speed – meaning less time spent charging and more time travelling. Additionally, with Plug-and-Charge – which must be only second in convenience to the infamous ‘Mr Fusion’, the power source of the DeLorean time machine in the blockbuster film Back to the Future – the user simply plugs-in and charging starts automatically, just as the name suggests.

The Taycan’s built-in Charging Planner also makes locating charging stations less onerous than trying to coincide a charge with a bolt of lightning, as in the film.

Above, you will find a light-hearted 60-second film to make fans of the Back to the Future films smile. Created with the kind permission of Universal Studios LLC and Amblin Entertainment, by filmmaker J.F. Musial, it marks the charging network exceeding 1.21 gigawatts of electricity – a threshold that coincided, just by chance, with Back to the Future Day (21 October being the date that the character Marty jumps forward in time in the film).

Among several 'easter eggs', the clip features Donald Fullilove. In 1985, the actor and EV enthusiast played the determined and progress-focused character of Goldie Wilson, who – inspired by Marty McFly – went from café cleaner to become mayor of Hill Valley in Back to the Future.