Porsche is taking a very slow and methodical approach to electrification. Right now, the Porsche Taycan is the only fully-electric model in the Stuttgart brand's lineup. Moreover, if anyone has it all to lose during their EV switch, it's Germany's most legendary sports car manufacturer. Despite that, the brand is gradually prepping its infrastructure to accommodate more electric models. Remember, the Porsche Cayman is going electric soon.

In light of all that, the brand has announced the integration of battery repair hubs into Porsche Centers. Unlike the relatively mild risk associated with repairing conventional engines, high-voltage batteries require special caution when being worked on, necessitating a new approach.

But the idea goes well beyond simple repairs. Porsche says the initiative will cover "sourcing and manufacturing, consulting, sales and servicing, and logistics and recycling." Daniel Schukraft, VP of Aftersales and Customer Care, also said, "We are working intensively on a plan of action for our dealership organization to ensure that it is as well prepared for the age of electromobility as possible."

In addition to integrating battery repairs into dealerships, Porsche is making sure that the batteries themselves, like the ones found in the Taycan, are more easily serviced. For example, the battery housing can be opened up easily to repair individual cells. Ideally, this paves the way for Shadetree EV mechanics somewhere down the line.

The shops will also be able to fully diagnose any issues with a battery thanks to special diagnostic tools. In fact, that has already been integrated to support the Taycan. Porsche began rolling that program out in March 2022 to dealers. Supposing you'd like to skip the dealership, Porsche will also roll out an app for customers to self-diagnose with. Just don't cross-check with WebMD.

As impressive as that is, the brand is working towards some recycling initiatives for batteries that aren't able to be placed back in their original homes. All Porsche would say about that is that "these batteries are dismantled down to the module level and installed in stationary energy carriers." Of course, training will be needed to perform everything we've discussed thus far.

Porsche has introduced three qualification levels for its techs: qualified electricians, high-voltage technicians, and high-voltage experts. The qualified electricians can only perform standard repairs, without really getting into the guts of the battery, and from there the levels become increasingly more involved. If you need a high-voltage expert for your Taycan, you're probably looking at a huge bill. Regardless, it's good to see Porsche planning for the future and anticipating potential problems before they become a challenge.