Electric Porsche breaks battery record by driving from LA to New York with just 2.5 hours of charge

The 4,500km journey cost just $76.82 in electricity from the charging stations

The Porsche Taycan pictured on a portion of the San Bernardino Mountain range (Wayne Gerdes/ Clean MPG)

An electric Porsche has broken the record for crossing the United States with the shortest charging time, travelling from Los Angeles to New York with less than 2.5 hours of charge.

The 2021Porsche Taycan, driven by electric car enthusiast Wayne Gerdes, travelled over 4,500km (2,800 miles) from coast to coast, spending just two hours, 26 minutes and 48 seconds recharging at Electrify America stations along the way.

It broke the existing record by nearly three times, and was five times better than the record charging time set by a Tesla Model S.

The journey was completed on 12 November, 2021, but was only recently recognised by the Guinness World Records.

“I’m proud and honestly a little surprised to have se the new benchmark by such a margin,” Mr Gerdes said.

“The Taycan performed even better than expected. Its performance, comfort and road holding were excellent, but the standout metric alongside the charging capacity was its efficiency.”

The entire journey cost just $76.82 in electricity from the charging stations.

“I cannot drive a gas or diesel fuelled anything across the country for that small amount today, and I am driving a performance oriented exotic sports car,” Mr Gerdes added.

“Minimising wait time at the charger and maximising owners’ time on the road or at their destination is a benefit that will pay dividends in years to come.”

The record was completed using a standard 2021 Porsche Taycan, however emerging battery technologies could soon radically improve the charge times and range of electric vehicles.

Last year, a modified Tesla equipped with a next-generation battery was able to travel more than 1,200km on a single charge – nearly double the typical range of the standard Model S and most mass-produced gasoline-powered vehicles.

Mercedes has also promised a 965km range for its Vision EQXX prototype vehicle.