Porsche Taycan Recall, Autonomous Electric Vehicle Debuts, and Best Tires for Tesla: Quick Charge EV News Roundup

Porsche recalls 31,000 electric Taycan models, while Mate Rimac's Rimac Nevera, a high-performance autonomous vehicle, is being considered a Robotaxi despite Rimac's denial. Electrek's Quick Charge podcast discusses this and more, including finding the best tires for Tesla Model 3s and an electric DeLorean restomod.

The German luxury carmaker, Porsche, has recently announced a recall of approximately 31,000 units of its premier electric vehicle, the Taycan, in the United States [1]. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) revealed that certain models from the 2020 to 2025 Taycan range may experience front brake hose cracks, leading to brake fluid leakage and a potential loss of brake pressure.

This development comes at an interesting time as Croatian supercar manufacturer Rimac, with its high-performance autonomous vehicle, the Rimac Nevera, has been rumored to be considered as a potential robotaxi [2]. Despite Rimac's denial, the idea of transitioning the Nevera from a high-performance vehicle to a robotaxi has sparked intrigue within the autonomous driving community.

Returning to Porsche, the recall affects Taycan models sold in the United States between October 21, 2019, and December 31, 2022 [1]. The NHTSA explains that the issue arises from certain steering movements and driving conditions that stress the front brake hoses at their minimum bending radius, potentially damaging the inner fabric layer of the hoses.

As a result, new front brake hoses with an increased bending radius will be installed at no cost to the consumer [1]. These hoses are more flexible than the initial batch, which should reduce the overall load on the front brake hoses.

Taycan owners will begin receiving their recall notices by mid-August, with only around five percent of the affected vehicles expected to exhibit the issue [1]. In contrast, Rimac has yet to confirm any plans to transition the Rimac Nevera into a robotaxi, leaving the future of this intriguing idea uncertain.

Sources:
[1] Road & Track. (2023, July 20). Porsche Taycan Recall: 32,000 US Units Affected by Leaky Brake Hoses. https://www.roadandtrack.com/news/a61320871/porsche-taycan-recall-leaky-brakes/
[2] Electrek. (2023, July 14). Rimac Nevera, the electric hypercar from Croatia, is being considered a robotaxi despite Rimac's denial. https://electrek.co/2023/07/14/rimac-nevera-robotaxi/