Porsche takes an EV road trip to new heights
Photo Porsche
A Porsche Taycan Cross Turismo has set the bar high for EV driving records, by not only covering more than 1,400 miles in less than 34 hours, but also climbing over three miles in the process.
The journey took a team of drivers led by JF Musial from a nickel and copper mine in Michigan to the very top of Pikes Peak in Colorado. Musial chose the Eagle Mine as it allowed the Taycan to drive down to 1,774.4 feet below sea level. It also happens to produce key elements that are essential to the production of EVs such as the Taycan.
This subterranean starting point is far deeper than America’s lowest surface at Badwater Basin in Death Valley and meant that the total elevation gain from start to finish would be 15,889 feet, setting a Guinness World Record that will be tough to beat.
Photo Porsche
During the day and half-long road trip the Taycan paused only to recharge and swap drivers, but Musial himself remained aboard for the entire journey. For the final stretch up to the snow-capped Pikes Peak driving duties were handed to 2020 hillclimb racer Dai Yoshihara who won his class at the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb in 2020.
The adventure was tracked using sealed GPS devices and altimeters to meet Guinness World Records requirements. The total distance driven was 1,413 miles at an average speed of just under 42 mph, including charging breaks.
“It was among the hardest things I’ve ever done,” says Musial. ”But I guess that’s why it’s a record! Thank you to the teams at Eagle Mine and Pikes Peak, and at Guinness World Records, for supporting what started out as a daydream and ended up being something none of us will ever forget. Now, I need to sleep for a week…”
