The difficult second act after Taycan is coming. Porsche reveals details of its forthcoming electric Macan
Porsche has revealed new technical details of its forthcoming electric Macan, an all-electric replacement for its very popular midsize SUV and follow up to the brilliant Taycan. Porsche hasn’t been coy about the development of the EV Macan, sending prototypes to all corners of the globe in preparation for its mid-2023 debut, but this is the first time we’ve been given technical insight into the project.
The new SUV will be based on a brand new platform called PPE that’s been co-developed with Audi. It will go on to underpin the next generation all-electric Cayenne, not to mention a range of midsize Audi EVs including the A6 e-tron. In Porsche’s case, though, the sports car company has gone to some length to ensure the Macan EV still feels like a Porsche despite these shared underpinnings – an exercise it did to impressive effect with its current Macan SUV.
Some of these details have been revealed courtesy of our sister title Auto Express, with an elaboration of what we should expect when it is revealed. First of all, the Macan will be available with both single and dual-motor layouts, but it’s the latter we’re more interested in, as it’ll go on to form a 600bhp flagship with around 738lb ft (1000nm) of torque. As well as its variable all-wheel drive capability, Porsche will also fit a torque-vectoring rear differential, allowing drive to be mechanically split between the two rear wheels.
Power will be drawn from a new battery pack with around 100kWh in capacity, and will match the Taycan’s 800V electrical system, with the ability to revert to 400V when required. Its fast charging capability will reportedly be even more impressive than the Taycan’s 270kW maximum charging speed, giving the new Macan EV the ability to replenish its battery from five to 80 percent in as little as 25 minutes. Porsche has not revealed estimated range, or whether there will be more than one battery capacity available as is the case with the Taycan.
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Porsche has also revealed more about the Macan EV’s chassis layout, which includes new dual-valve dampers that are a first for Porsche. These will be paired with either steel coils or an air spring setup, mounted in conjunction with a double wishbone front and multi-link rear axle design. Porsche will also offer a rear-wheel steering system, although it comes with a relatively subtle 5-degree maximum radius, which is more conservative than the systems found on rivals like the Mercedes EQE SUV. Porsche has confirmed that it will have a 48/52 weight distribution front-to-rear, and will offer staggered wheel sizes of up to 22-inches, fitted with EV-optimised tyres.
Externally, the changes compared to the current Macan are expected to be less dramatic than under the skin, with a familiar design language merging the clean concept car-like design elements of the Taycan with a shape not dissimilar to the existing Macan. While we’ll have to wait a little while longer to see the new Macan EV in full, we can already see the use of oblong-shaped LED headlights and a rear light bar, both now synonymous with the Taycan.
In order to build the Macan EV, Porsche has converted its Leipzig factory into an electric vehicle manufacturing plant, allowing the firm to reuse the combustion vehicle production lines. The brand has invested over £1.1 billion into the factory since its opening, and will be adding a considerable amount to that figure with the adaptations required for the next-generation of electric vehicles.
Of course, the Macan EV comes with some fairly public baggage in terms of its course of development, with issues surrounding the VW Group’s CARIAD software company reportedly delaying the Macan’s launch. Porsche denies that any delays have come from the software hold-ups, instead stating its production schedule has remained unchanged. Regardless, it’s expected that we’ll see the all-electric Macan in mid-2023, with customers receiving first deliveries in early 2024.
Keyword: Porsche Macan EV details revealed – up to 600bhp available on upcoming SUV