The Macan EV will be one of Porsche’s most important cars between now and the end of the decade, when the automaker hopes EVs will account for 80 percent of sales. The push was supposed to begin this year, but software problems meant Porsche was forced to delay the launch of the Macan EV by 12 months until 2024. So, to keep expectations high, Porsche is constantly adding technical details and has just released a video showing its SUV testing at various locations around the world.
While it looks a lot like the gasoline-powered Macan it will be sold with, the electric version will ride on the VW Group’s new PPE platform for premium EVs, which will also find a place in cars like the Audi Q6 e-tron SUV .
Porsche hasn’t revealed what the lower-end Macan EV range will look like, but we do know the range-topping dual-motor all-wheel-drive car will have 603 horsepower (612 PS) and over 738 lb-ft (1,000 Nm) at launch, with more extreme versions likely to follow later car models. The popular Macans will feature rear-biased 48:52 weight distribution, rear-axle steering and Porsche Torque Vectoring plus an electronically controlled rear differential.
But all models will feature 800-volt technology, like the Taycan, but Porsche says the Macan will charge faster than its 270 kW sedan sibling (though it didn’t specify). It takes less than 25 minutes to boost the SUV’s battery from 5 percent to 80 percent, which is actually slower than the 22.5 minutes it takes the Taycan, but it has a 93.4 kWh battery, and every Macan will come with a 100 kWh power pack.
Porsche says fast charging is thanks to bank charging, which effectively turns the 800-volt battery into two 400-volt batteries that can be charged in parallel. It also claims to have developed an innovative way to combine an on-board AC charger, high-voltage heater and DC converter, saving space, weight and cost.
With Porsche still at least a year away from fully unveiling the Macan EV, we can expect to hear more refreshing technical details and see more prototypes unmasked in the coming months.
