Aesthetic, athletic and design-savvy are attributes that equally apply to the Taycan 4S and to aware_. The aware_ co-founders Lena Schrum and Kim Fischer drove Porsche’s electric sports car through downtown Berlin for a week and took us along for the ride.
“Countering the advancing global climate change is a task for society as a whole that affects us all – and one in which Porsche AG must take responsibility,” says Dr. Sebastian Rudolph, Vice President Communications, Sustainability and Politics at Porsche AG. “Porsche is expanding its start-up ecosystem. With the collaboration between aware_ and our company builder Forward31 | by Porsche Digital, we will further develop the Berlin-based start-up’s strategy and business model with its two founders, Lena Schrum and Kim Fischer, helping them to achieve the goal of supporting companies and consumers on their way to a sustainable future.”
Kim Fischer grew up in a family of gas stations and racing drivers. She has always had a keen sense for trends and loved to question things. Which is why driving in an electric car from Porsche was a particularly exciting experience for the female founder. “When you first lay eyes on the car, it resembles other Porsche models: an elegant and futuristic design. The car radiates an energy of ‘anything is possible’,” says Kim.
Behind the wheel is Kim’s co-founder Lena Schrum. Having grown up on an organic farm in northern Germany and as the daughter of an entrepreneur in the field of regenerative energies, Lena was born into sustainability. As a former professional soccer player, Lena loves a sporting challenge.
Appropriately, the Taycan 4S accelerates to 100 km/h in four seconds using Launch Control. Unlike usual electric cars, the Taycan 4S is not silent. Instead, the unmistakable sports car sound emanates from inside the vehicle, giving you that Porsche sports car feeling. In addition, the car has a perfect grip on the road. Even when accelerating to 100 km/h on a wet road, driving feels safe and smooth.
But the sustainability performance of the Taycan 4S also leaves nothing to be desired: The Taycan 4S has an energy efficiency rating of A+ and its CO2 emissions are 0 mg/km. Electricity consumption is 27 kWh/100 km. This makes it the perfect choice for anyone who is environmentally conscious but wants to enjoy the driving experience of a high-quality car.
One feature that particularly appealed to the two founders is the especially driver-friendly design. The controls are quick to use and free of distractions. “When sitting in cars these days, you often feel like you are in a disco – too many lights, too many buttons, too many distractions. The Taycan 4S decelerates with its subtle, minimalist yet elegant design,” says Kim. “You feel like in an oasis of peace, decoupled from the outside world. The simple, elegant design is not distracting, concentrating on the essentials.” Furthermore, the co-driver also gets entertained: The dedicated display on the passenger side offers any navigation and infotainment features that work in the same way as the instrument cluster. This keeps the front passenger entertained and the driver undistracted – so simple and yet so innovative. The car’s interior is clean and minimalist. And because it is a 4-seater, even office dog Hans had enough space. The trunk has a volume of 407 liters, and has enough space for a large suitcase and several additional pieces of luggage.
At the touch of a button, you start the Taycan whose price starts at 106,487 euros in one of four modes: Range, Normal, Sport or Sport Plus. “Of course, we selected the Sport Plus mode. Accelerating in the fast lane is an indescribable feeling, like being on a roller coaster. If it had been a convertible, our hats would have fallen off our heads,” jokes Lena. But as sporty as the Taycan is to drive, its ride is just as smooth. With the help of automatic braking, you keep enough distance from other road users – which is especially helpful in high-traffic situations – and even recover energy thanks to the recuperation system. Even sharp curves and unexpected turns are easy to navigate.
The Taycan’s 800-volt battery enables better performance compared to other sports cars that only have a 400-volt battery. The maximum driving range is 464 km according to WLTP. However, the actual range can be affected by a number of factors: For example, if the weather is warmer, the range will be longer. If you drive extremely fast, it will be shorter. And if you drive in Range mode, which means a maximum speed of 150 km/h, the car achieves its optimum range: around 365 km for long distances. Although the charging process is a breeze, the infrastructure in Berlin is still expandable in this regard, according to the co-founders. “Charging stations are widespread in Berlin, easy to find and use. However, many of them were in use or defective. The infrastructure needs to be improved here to make innovative mobility possible,” says Kim. Charging times depend on the charging station. Maximum charging performance is 270 kW; this allows to recharge the car from 5% to 80% SOC (State of Charge) in just 22.5 minutes. With the command “Hey Porsche, navigate me to a charging station,” you are immediately navigated to the nearest station.
Driving a car without having a guilty conscience, and without having to compromise on design and aesthetics, is what particularly excites the founders about the Taycan 4S. “At aware_, we want to embody sustainability as something aesthetic and design-savvy. It doesn’t require a raised index finger to live environmentally friendly. The Taycan embodies exactly this idea, which we also grasp at aware_,” says Kim. And Lena adds “Driving the Taycan 4S felt free and easy. And it feels even better knowing that the car runs on zero emissions.”
by Marie Klimczak
