Hunting for the Northern Lights in an electric Porsche
How a Taycan helped fulfil a lifelong ambition to capture the aurora borealis
Photographer Marcus Valeur sets out to find the perfect Northern Lights picture on a road trip through Norway in a Taycan Cross Turismo
Setting out on a 2,000km-long road trip across Norway’s challenging and changeable terrain is tricky, even if you are a local. Although photographer Marcus Valeur was born and raised in Norway, he had yet to fulfil his lifelong dream of shooting that colourful wonder of the sky – the Northern Lights. But armed with the perfect vehicle in the shape of the Taycan Cross Turismo, Marcus and his videographer Patrik Westli spent almost six days inside an electric Porsche amid the beautiful Norwegian landscape. It was a journey through wind, snow and everything else in between that culminated in dazzling fashion.Given the green light The Northern Lights hunters: photographer Marcus Valeur and the Taycan Cross TurismoIt’s no surprise that one of the natural world’s most beautiful phenomena attracts flocks of tourists on road trips to Norway each year. With its mysterious, magical dance of green and blue, violet and red, the aurora borealis is on the top of bucket lists for many intrepid travellers. But it also retains an enduring significance in the lives of those who grow up with the Northern Lights on their doorstep. “It’s always been special to me and something I’ve wanted to capture for a long time,” says Marcus. “It’s part of Norwegian culture and linked to Norway in such a positive way.” His lengthy journey gave him the chance to view his own country though a fresh lens, he says. A chance to discover new angles and take unexpected turns, resulting in him feeling like a visitor in his own homeland. “I kind of felt like a tourist,” he adds. “When you talk to the locals, they have seen the lights so often that it’s just the most natural thing.” But while it’s easy to understand why residents in the Lofoten archipelago – where the bulk of the expedition took place – might get blasé about seeing the Northern Lights (spoiler alert – they never do), as the six-day trip in the electric Porsche wore on, it soon became apparent that this would not be the experience for Marcus. Hopes of witnessing the Northern Lights began to dwindle as the weather in northern Norway progressed from bad to worseWeathering the storm in the Taycan Cross TurismoAfter quickly getting comfortable in the Taycan Cross Turismo – their home away from home for their Norwegian road trip – Marcus and Patrik drove headlong into the worst weather they could have possibly anticipated. Clear skies are a must for witnessing the Northern Lights, so day after dreary day of 100% cloud cover meant that their spirits slowly became as damp as the weather. Yet they ploughed on regardless, determined to retain their optimism. And while they were battling the elements, Marcus was grateful that there were no such challenges when it came to charging the Taycan. “If you asked me before we left if I had charging anxiety, I would have 100% said yes. Although Norway is at the forefront when it comes to providing charging stations, the further north you go, the density of them drops. But in the end, we never once had to plan or worry about anything.” Even when their ferry from Bodø to Lofoten was cancelled due to a storm – meaning they would have to embark on an additional nine-and-a-half-hour drive – the journey was completely problem-free and as comfortable as you might expect in a car as well-equipped as the Taycan. “On the days that we charged overnight, a full battery was more than enough for the whole day, even when heading to six different locations during the cold, rain and snowstorms,” says Marcus.
The pure joy of driving is what I love about Porsche
Having already sold his own diesel car, with a view to switching to electric, Marcus was struck most by how it felt to drive the Taycan Cross Turismo on this epic Norway road trip. “I didn’t even think of it being an electric car,” he says. “It was so great in those challenging conditions because of its speed and ability to react quickly when slippery, snowy or rainy.” Entire days of pure driving became effortless. Taking cover for eight hours in high winds, storms and snow – waiting and hoping for a window in which to shoot – was spent in total comfort, thanks to the heated seats and steering wheel. And when it came to negotiating more challenging off-road conditions, switching to Gravel Mode became their best friend. Despite spending 16 hours a day in the car, Marcus says his enthusiasm never faltered. “I could go out in the Taycan for two weeks straight,” he adds. “I really couldn’t have asked for a better vehicle. It ticks all the boxes and is a nice place to stay for a long time.”Despite the miserable conditions, Marcus’ journey was illuminated by the Taycan Cross TurismoThe greatest light show on EarthAnd so, what was meant to be a triumphant entrance into Lofoten – grand stage of the Northern Lights – became a cycle of waiting, venturing out, and retreating to the comfort and luxury of the Taycan. Grabbing only a few hours’ sleep at their lodge, the electric Porsche quickly became an office, shelter and wardrobe in one. With luggage space front and rear, the pair’s clothes, firewood, camping and camera equipment that came for the ride fitted in comfortably. For a time, all hope seemed lost – their morale not improving with locals helpfully divulging that if they had been there seven days earlier, they would have experienced a week of clear skies and a heavenly light show night after night. With one last day available to them, Marcus headed out to the location, despite the still dismal nature of the weather, and began the waiting game. Again. Then, just as it felt like things couldn’t get more dismal, a snowstorm hit. Eight hours later, they looked skywards through the Taycan’s panoramic glass roof. It became a window of hope, quite literally. The clouds in the ever-darkening evening sky had begun to disappear. In just five minutes the heavens had transformed. Goodbye total darkness, hello light show, the aurora borealis spreading a 360° blanket above them to grant Marcus and Patrik the finale on which they had almost given up. On the beach nearby, locals were also craning their necks skywards at the mesmerising display. It’s an event that never ceases to amaze.Amid the gloom of a Norwegian winter, there’s always the prospect of brighter times aheadAfter all the dreaming, waiting and hoping, did capturing the shots and living the moment meet Marcus’ expectations? “Definitely. Not only because I’ve dreamed about it for years, but because we’d waited so long during the trip and started to lose hope. But if we hadn’t persisted and waited until the last minute, we would have missed it. It was just so magical.” It’s a prudent lesson in never giving up, of patience, even when all looks lost – an approach that Marcus adopts when it comes to his work. Weathering stormy, gloomy conditions were effortless inside the Taycan Cross TurismoAn electric future that’s looking upWith his mission accomplished, Marcus’s thoughts turn back to the car that kept he and Patrik company on their epic six-day stake out. “The pure joy of driving is what I love about Porsche,” he says. Looking further ahead, and as a motorist about to make the move from diesel to electric, it’s been an experience that has helped settle a few things in his mind. “Electric is definitely the future – more people are realising the benefits of having an electric car,” adds Marcus, while pointing out that in Norway, his compatriots have already fully understood this. Recent figures suggest that two-thirds of new cars sold in Norway are electric.” In the wake of such a truly spellbinding electrical adventure of his own, it’s not hard to see why Marcus is fully supportive of an exciting vision for electric mobility. Marcus and Patrik’s long waiting game for the Northern Lights to appear finally paid off in spectacular fashion
