At a time when every other automaker seems to be running away from EVs, Porsche is doubling down. There are electric versions of both SUVs now. The electric 718 Boxster and Cayman are confirmed a-go. Sure—we’ll see more pure combustion and hybrid powertrains than the company probably would’ve anticipated earlier in the decade, but they don’t seem to be coming at the expense of the future. The 2026 Porsche Cayenne Electric is proof of that. I don’t and can’t pretend to know how many buyers, especially here in the States, are lining up for a battery-powered large Porsche SUV. Policy changes, markets change, and who knows what the next five years will bring. That’s outside my scope. What I want to know is if Stuttgart has delivered the best big electric SUV it could, and I believe that, with a few rough edges, it has. And it’ll probably only get better. The Pros The greatest thing I can say about the Porsche Cayenne Electric is that it does indeed feel like a Porsche. It may not be as quick as other Porsches, and we’ll get to that in the other half of this review, but dynamically, there’s no question that it belongs in the family. That pin-sharp steering, the flat ride that neutralizes undulations, and the overall balance of comfort and poise are still world-class. And that’s all true of the standard two-chamber air suspension; the base model doesn’t even get Porsche Active Ride as an option. There are more than a few high-end electric SUVs out there today, and that’s the “it factor” that the Cayenne has, and they probably don’t. Even the regenerative braking—often the aspect that torments me in most EVs—is so gentle and unintrusive here that you barely notice it in regular driving. Stepping up to Sport or Sport+ mode actually makes it more aggressive, to recapture greater jolts of energy. But all this is to say, the Cayenne Electric behaves like a normal car. Better yet, a normal Porsche, which is to say, telepathic. The other reason you’d choose one of these is that it goes pretty dang far on a charge. Porsche officially quotes a maximum range of around 322 miles from the Cayenne Electric’s 113-kWh pack, but I’ve seen more than 330 miles, with average consumption around 2.94 miles per kilowatt-hour. That’s respectable for a vehicle that weighs over 5,600 pounds. If you’re careful, I’ve seen some people run for 350 miles between charging stops. Speaking of charging, it’s fast, too. While 800-volt charging is table stakes for a luxury EV, it’s still good to see here, and the Cayenne Electric can recharge at up to 400 kW over a DC fast charger. There’s a slight caveat, too, which I’ll touch on soon. While I wasn’t necessarily taken by the Espresso Club Leather interior of my tester, the seats were very comfortable, and I went on a couple of long-distance drives across Georgia and Alabama during my time with this Cayenne Electric. Taken together, the impressive range, quick charging, and pleasant cabin make this Porsche a very competent long-distance EV. Porsche opted for a portrait-style touchscreen in the Cayenne Electric, and it drives almost everything. Physical fan speed and temperature toggles sit below it, but most climate controls run through this panel. It’s curved, with shortcuts and widgets in the bottom portion and more complex stuff in the upper part. I didn’t initially enjoy navigating this system, because some of the default widgets are truly puzzling (there’s a shortcut to tweak the “mood” of your cabin lighting, for example). Fortunately, it got much better after I realized that you can replace all of these little controls and toggles and pin whatever you like to this prime real estate instead. Oh, and one more thing: Kudos to whoever designed the wireless phone charger. As someone who normally avoids charging pads at all costs, this one surprised me. For starters, it worked at all, which is usually too much to ask from these things, but it also kept my iPhone 17 in place and juiced it back up quickly. Give its engineer a raise, please. The Cons The Cayenne Electric’s two motors combine for 435 horsepower and 615 lb-ft of max torque when deployed with launch control. For a normal luxury EV, this is enough, especially for low-speed acceleration. At the same time, I think buyers expecting to be wowed in a straight line, particularly at highway pace, will want to spring for the pricier, 657-hp Cayenne S instead. [Ed. note: I disagree. I think a large segment of Cayenne buyers want the luxury, ride quality, and panache of a Porsche SUV and don’t necessarily want to melt into their seats under acceleration.] As I wrote about before, the Cayenne Electric accepts a J1772 plug on one side, and a NACS plug on the other. Normally, that would be a plus—who wouldn’t want broader support for charging standards—except they cannot be used interchangeably for all charger types. The J1772 port is for destination and home AC charging, while the NACS one is for DC fast charging. You can, of course, use adapters, but the fact that this needs explaining at all means the situation isn’t as intuitive as you’d hope, and with any luck, Porsche will set it right in a future model refresh. I couldn’t get CarPlay to work wirelessly at all—the vehicle flat-out wouldn’t connect to my phone unless I used a USB cable, even though it shouldn’t need one. I didn’t see any point to the passenger screen, but that’s true of all vehicles with passenger screens. Ditto for the electronically controlled vents. I don’t love the exterior. This surprised me, because I thought I would from the pictures, and I’m that guy who thinks the first-gen Cayenne looked great, with its Dakar-runner stance. This strikes more like a heavy, dense egg, though I think I could endorse it in another color. My example’s Vanadium Grey finish blended in with the black grille and trim for a totally invisible presence. At the same time, I couldn’t find a single angle I liked photographing it from. Verdict The cheapest Cayenne Electric available starts at $111,350 delivered; mine landed at an eye-watering $143,410 with all its options. That is far too expensive, though you could definitely drop most of those add-ons—like the $3,850 “SportDesign Package in High Gloss Black” or the $3,460 panoramic roof—and still get the crux of the experience. It’s a shame the Cayenne Electric is so pricey, because it distracts (and I suppose, to some extent, nullifies) the fact that Porsche nailed the assignment here. This is a zippy, if not blisteringly fast, long-distance electric SUV that handles phenomenally for its size and rides even better. It looks a little anonymous, and the charging situation is a bit strange, but it has a soul that transcends its powertrain. You could argue it’s reflected in its window sticker, though. Porsche provided The Drive with a 3-day loan of this vehicle for the purpose of writing this review. 2026 Porsche Cayenne Electric Specs Base Price (as tested) $111,350 ($143,410) Powertrain 113-kWh lithium-ion battery | dual-motor all-wheel drive Horsepower 435 hp Torque 615 lb-ft Seating capacity 5 Curb weight 5,604 pounds Cargo volume 27.6 cubic feet behind second row | 56.1 cubic feet behind first row | 3.2 cubic feet in front trunk EPA-estimated range 322 miles Max DC fast-charge rate 400 kW Ground clearance 7.5 inches at normal ride height | 9.6 inches at max ride height Max towing capacity 7,716 pounds Approach/breakover/departure angles 18.6° approach | 18.8° breakover | 18.6° departure at max ride height 0–60 mph 4.5 seconds Top speed 143 mph Score 8.5/10
Liked by Samuel Roy, Ava Tremblay
Liked by Samuel Roy, Ava Tremblay
Liked by Samuel Roy, Ava Tremblay
