Adaptive Cruise Control is one of those features you’ll find on most modern vehicles. It can be used as part of the InnoDrive system, and allows you to travel on the highways at a constant speed, except when approaching a slower-moving car ahead.
You’ll find ACC on the Porsche Taycan. It might be tough to work out how to use it. This article will walk you through how to switch Adaptive Cruise Control on and off, as well as activating and using it.
As usual, ensure you read through your Porsche Taycan owner’s manual before operating the Adaptive Cruise Control.
Table of Contents
What is Adaptive Cruise Control?
Porsche Taycan Adaptive Cruise Control “adapts” to your immediate surroundings. It uses a radar sensor in the front of your car to detect cars in your lane ahead. The system maintains a constant speed until you get too close to one of these vehicles, at which point it’ll slow down to match it.
On the Porsche Taycan, Adaptive Cruise Control will operate between 20 and 130 mph (approximately). In the event of a gentle slowdown to a stop ahead, your car will do the same. However, it won’t slam the brakes on. This is a purposeful system limitation to prevent accidents caused by sensor faults.
In this case, you’ll hear an audible warning. You must always keep aware of the road conditions and be ready to brake or accelerate at any time.
Important: read your Porsche owner’s manual. The Adaptive Cruise Control isn’t a self-driving system – it’s for assistance purposes only. It comes with many system limitations. Not reading the manual in full would lead to severe and potentially fatal driving conditions. For instance:
- Never use ACC in tight turns or bends.
- Don’t obscure any sensors.
- The radar sensor won’t pick up pedestrians, bicycles, motorcycles, horses, oncoming traffic, cars turning into your path or moving lanes, etc.
- Bad weather such as heavy rain, snow, fog, or dust could obscure the radar sensor and make it malfunction.
- And many more things to be aware of.
Porsche Taycan Adaptive Cruise Control modes
ACC in the Taycan comes in three modes:
- Active – the Taycan is controlling your speed and checking for cars ahead. The icon is green with a displayed number.
- Passive – the default state. Adaptive Cruise Control is on and ready but not yet doing anything. The ACC icon is gray and shows no number.
- Temporarily Passive – the system is in Passive mode until you release the accelerator. The icon turns gray but still displays the stored speed.
You might see a car icon in place of the ACC light. This means the Taycan is actively slowing you down because of a slower-moving vehicle ahead.
Turning Adaptive Cruise Control on in the Porsche Taycan
Before using the Porsche Taycan’s Adaptive Cruise Control, you must turn it on. This puts the system into Passive mode. It’s on and ready but not yet active.
It’ll stay on if you leave the car without switching the ACC off. The system will remain in its Passive state.
You could then immediately use the steering wheel rotary knob to scroll to and select ACC.
Turning Porsche Taycan ACC on if no other assist systems are on
- Push the button on the end of the Cruise Control stalk.
- Use the knob on the steering wheel to scroll to ACC.
- Press it to activate ACC.
The Taycan’s Adaptive Cruise Control will activate in Passive mode.
Switching ACC on if other assist systems are already on
- Press the button on the bottom of the Cruise Control stalk.
- Select ACC using the steering wheel’s rotary knob.
- Activate ACC.
The Taycan’s Adaptive Cruise Control will activate in Passive mode.
Activating Porsche Taycan Adaptive Cruise Control
Switch the ACC status from Passive to Active by following these instructions.
- Accelerate to your desired speed.
- Press the Cruise Control stalk backward.
- Release the throttle pedal.
The ACC display will turn green, showing the speed it’s maintaining. Adaptive Cruise Control is now actively controlling your speed and the distance to any cars in front.
Changing Adaptive Cruise Control speed once active
You adjust the Porsche Taycan Adaptive Cruise Control speed using the stalk.
- Press the stalk away from you briefly to increase the speed by 1 mph.
- Press and hold the stalk away from you to increase the speed by 6 mph.
- Pull the stalk towards you briefly to decrease the speed by 1 mph.
- Pull and hold the stalk towards you to reduce the speed by 6 mph.
The ACC icon will turn green again as soon as the Taycan reaches the set speed. The car returns to Active from Temporarily Passive.
Changing the set distance in Porsche Taycan ACC
Follow these instructions to alter the distance to the car in front.
- Press the Cruise Control stalk rocker switch up to increase the distance.
- Press the Cruise Control stalk rocker switch down to make the space between you smaller.
Temporarily overriding the Adaptive Cruise Control
Sometimes, you need to speed up – for example, when overtaking. To do this:
- Press the accelerator pedal.
The Taycan will switch into its Temporarily Passive mode. For the moment, Adaptive Cruise Control isn’t doing anything.
As soon as you release the pedal, the system becomes Active again. You’ll gently slow back down to the ACC’s set speed.
Pausing and resuming Porsche Taycan Adaptive Cruise Control
You can temporarily deactivate the ACC by putting it into its Passive mode.
To do this, either:
- Tap the brake pedal; or,
- Press the Cruise Control stalk down.
The set speed and distance are stored, but ACC switches into Passive.
If you come to a complete stop and remain there for more than 15 seconds, the system will also switch to Passive mode.
When you’re ready to resume Adaptive Cruise Control:
- Press the Cruise Control stalk upwards.
It’ll switch back to Active.
Turning Porsche Taycan Adaptive Cruise Control off
Follow these instructions to shut the ACC entirely off.
- Press the button on the end of the Cruise Control stalk.
The ACC will turn off, and the display icon will disappear. Although the set speed is deleted, the distance will be stored for the next time you use it.
Read the owner’s manual for more information on the Taycan’s ACC system limitations. Knowing the many situations in which the feature is unsafe to use is vital.
See a PDF from part of the Taycan owner’s manual below.
