When Porsche gave two electric Taycan cars to Bill and Ted stars Keanu Reeves and Alex Winter, they basically just told them to have fun. In the hands of TV science guru Bill Nye, things are a bit more clinical, but still fun.
The Science Guy explains all the features that make the Taycan, Porsche’s battery electric vehicle, unique. In a five-part video series from Cramer-Krasselt on the Porsche YouTube channel, titled “Bill Nye Explains The All-Electric Taycan,” from the regenerative breaking that actually creates energy for the car, to the 800 volt battery and two speed transmission, all in his signature easy-to-understand style.
Porsche utilized Nye because it wanted to be clear why the $80,000 Taycan ($185,000 for the Turbo S model) is different from all the other electric cars.
“Bill Nye is a such a well-known science educator, respected in culture for his ability to help everyone understand the science behind all manner of things. He has a disarming ability to explain complex ideas in simple terms in an entertaining way. And, as a mechanical engineer, he was a perfect choice to communicate the innovations and technology that make Porsche Taycan unique,” Pedro Mota, vice president, marketing, for Porsche Cars North America, said in a statement.
The series even includes an explanation by Nye tying the power of a toothbrush battery to that of an electric vehicle battery, with Nye standing next to an outdoor bathroom in the middle of a test track. It’s one of the many reasons the brand and agency wanted to use Nye for its educational series.
“On early calls he was taking books off his shelf and explaining aerodynamics to us. Enthusiasm for science just pours out of him. He definitely brought the Bill Nye touch,” Cramer-Krasselt creative director Conn Newton said in a statement. “The films came together through a process of workshopping the scripts with Bill, the product team, and the creatives. Bill’s years of putting scientific principles into terms people can easily understand, and his sense of humor, came in very handy.”