Underbody Protection Panel damaged. Batteries and coolant lines need inspection. $72.5K replacement & labor cost. Dealership is Tom Wood in Indiana

[Jasper4S]

I’m pretty dumb. What I understand; none of the batteries modules are damages but the casing. Casing is not repairable, so a complete new battery is needed?

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[Singularity]

I’m pretty dumb. What I understand; none of the batteries modules are damages but the casing. Casing is not repairable, so a complete new battery is needed?

This is my understanding also. If true, Porsche will be almost forced to figure out how to repair the casing, as this sort of situation is unacceptable and reports of this will certainly hurt demand and increase insurance cost further.

 

[WasserGKuehlt]

The computer should be able to read individual cell temperatures and indicate a hot spot if there was one. This should all be part of the BMS.

The app seems to indicate each module has its own temp sensor, but they curiously fall into 2 groups. (As I recall, there are 2 cooling circuits.) I’m not sure if they’re just that well balanced, or there are only two sensors (one per circuit). I note some of the modules have different values in the screenshot below, though in past measurements they were all aligned across banks.

 

[Sly_North]

I’m pretty dumb. What I understand; none of the batteries modules are damages but the casing. Casing is not repairable, so a complete new battery is needed?

The batteries themselves are fine, yes. At least for now.

The casing is deformed, which pushed/closed a bit the cooling system locally. Whether this will cause a local overheating is unknown, and cannot be measured (not enough temperature senors in the battery pack).

Given the risk, I think I would want to take the risk of not replacing the battery pack... but I'm afraid Porsche would take advantage of this to cancel the 8 years warranty.

Ideally, the Porsche repairmen would add an additional sensor in this specific battery, and use it to measure the temperature on a long period of time, to know for sure whether the cooling system is in good shape.

 

[Vercingetorix]

The batteries themselves are fine, yes. At least for now.

The casing is deformed, which pushed/closed a bit the cooling system locally. Whether this will cause a local overheating is unknown, and cannot be measured (not enough temperature senors in the battery pack).

Given the risk, I think I would want to take the risk of not replacing the battery pack... but I'm afraid Porsche would take advantage of this to cancel the 8 years warranty.

Ideally, the Porsche repairmen would add an additional sensor in this specific battery, and use it to measure the temperature on a long period of time, to know for sure whether the cooling system is in good shape.

By forcing a new battery to be bought, Porsche has canceled the eight year warranty.

 

[Jasper4S]

The battery pack consist of modules and housing right? Why are they not replacing just the housing? If it is not available as separate part, it is not our (us as consumers) problem but Porsches? They can tear apart a new battery pack and just use the housing, the left over modules can be used to replace broken modules in other Taycans?

 

[Sly_North]

By forcing a new battery to be bought, Porsche has canceled the eight year warranty.

Good point: they already refused to apply that warranty, it's gone. I guess: assuming this is an incident, not normal wear.

The battery pack consist of modules and housing right? Why are they not replacing just the housing?

The issue being, the case with the cooling channels is not a serviceable and replaceable part. Since it's been damaged, it needs to be replaced. It's an issue where we can't get that housing for replacement without replacing the complete unit.

Yeah, Porsche just said they don't or cannot do that. Replacing the whole thing is probably more cost profits-effective.

 

[Scandinavian]

Surpising that a new housing frame is not available. The battery is assembled by Dräxlmaier in Germany, so surely the could divert one from the assembly line. The cells them selves come from LG, Korea I think..

Perhaps time to get a senior technical director from Porsch NA or even better Porsche AG to explain this. It all sounds so wrong.

And all this because the dent was 0.33 mm over the limit?

Also given that the cooling comes from one side to the other side of the pack, I can not believe that one channel being restricted in flow will mean much. There is another steel plate that evens out the temperature after all.

I guess Porsche have chosen to fit the cooling below the battery, due to risk of leakage? Cooling on top would likely be much more efficient than from the bottom?

I would insist on a senior technical director to come and explain this.

 

[Jasper4S]

I’m missing the human part. In a B2B situation replacing is probably cheaper. But I expect more from Porsche in B2C cases.

For the 65k I assume you can keep the old modules? They could buy them back from you if SoH is above 95% right? If you can’t keep them they should give a massive discount as the “old” batter pack still has most of the worth

 

[Hirschaj]

Yeah, Porsche just said they don't or cannot do that. Replacing the whole thing is probably more cost profits-effective.

Only in the short term. This is unacceptable to me and I’m sure to most other consumers. Out of all the issues I’ve seen on this forum, this is the one that makes me think “no chance of buying another electric Porsche unless they figure out a better way”.

 

[Sly_North]

This is unacceptable to me and I’m sure to most other consumers. [...]

Yes, same here. I'm even more worried due to all the Swiss regulations that are 100% pro-company and 0% pro consumer rights here

 

[DerekS]

Only in the short term. This is unacceptable to me and I’m sure to most other consumers. Out of all the issues I’ve seen on this forum, this is the one that makes me think “no chance of buying another electric Porsche unless they figure out a better way”.

I will one-up that and say it has me actively thinking of getting rid of the one I have.

I've opened up the configurator for a Model 3 Performance more than once. I could easily see a future where I sell the Taycan now, bank the cash for a future fun car, and lease a Model 3 for 2 years while waiting to see what happens.

I really had my heart set on that E-Boxster, but these repair costs are just too disproportionate to vehicle cost.

 

[Hirschaj]

I will one-up that and say it has me actively thinking of getting rid of the one I have.

I've opened up the configurator for a Model 3 Performance more than once. I could easily see a future where I sell the Taycan now, bank the cash for a future fun car, and lease a Model 3 for 2 years while waiting to see what happens.

I really had my heart set on that E-Boxster, but these repair costs are just too disproportionate to vehicle cost.

I don’t fault you for this logic at all.

Porsche… WTF are you doing? You’re about to lose your EV customer base.

 

[bluesky]

I will have to say that now I’m not so hot on ordering a Taycan, assuming I ever get an allocation. Price has risen, tech has aged, the car is fragile and repair costs high. That really isn’t the dream car I had in mind.

 

[whitex]

This would be correct. If a single cooling passage was blocked it may lead to a local battery hot spot which would not show up in the outlet temperature once the coolant is mixed up flowing through the whole pack.

A local hot spot is bad news.

Individual cell temperatures can be monitored via OBD using free CarScanner app, so a test could probably be performed - some spirited launches, watch the cells heat up, look for hot spots.

That said, I am surprised that the individual battery temps are not monitored by the car, or maybe they are but dealer does not not this.

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