That’s no secret the Porsche Macan EV is in the pipeline for quite some time, and it is only logical that the brand’s best-selling model in recent years (by piece numbers) will be the new face of the German automaker’s electric evolution. While Taycan While the Macan is more of an expression of Porsche’s electrification prowess, it will – due to its cheaper price and larger customer base – be a much more accurate indication of how well the company’s electric strategy can scale.
If the Macan is to continue to be Porsche’s main earner, some things must remain familiar even in the electric transformation chaos. Above all, this means that the silhouette of a compact SUV would have to remain intact, which means that the battery architecture would have to be tailored to its design and not the other way around. Then the Macan would have to maintain a price that allows it to remain as the brand’s entry-level model (and entry-level drug).
At first glance, this probably isn’t an easy task – considering how expensive electric powertrains currently are – but Porsche has an excellent track record that proves they can overcome these challenges with relative ease. Now we’ve gotten a clearer look at Porsche’s vision for the future, as the company has started testing prototypes in full view, dropping some hints at what things will look like inside and out.
It should be noted that Macans with combustion engines continue to be sold alongside electric vehicles, which can only help hedge the bet on their success. However, Porsche intends to make the Macan EV its star player on the list and is only offering the ICE versions as a “behind the scenes” alternative for those who aren’t convinced by what is aggressively marketed as “better.” . Possibility.
How things develop
The Macan EV is scheduled to launch in time for the 2024 model year and as part of the Macan’s overall design refresh, which also includes the gasoline-powered versions. We’re told the EV models will gain some distinctive design features that will set them apart from the ones mentioned above while offering the functional benefits that their all-electric powertrains require. As part of the VAG conglomerateThe Macan will also share the same underpinnings with the upcoming Audi A6 e-tron.
Porsche has long touted its own 800-volt architecture as the basis for building all future electric vehicles, and the Macan will use exactly that. Of course, that doesn’t mean there haven’t been improvements in this department specifically for the Macan. Porsche says customers can expect improved range figures compared to the Taycan and, perhaps crucially, a simpler 100kWh battery design to access and carry out repairs. Regrettably, there hasn’t been any significant progress in charging – with the same maximum intake of 270kW and a state of charge replenishment from 5% to 80% in 22.5 minutes – so the Macan EV is no better than the Taycan in this regard.
At launch, it looks like Porsche will be taking the old playbook and launching the all-wheel-drive Macan EV in both a ‘standard’ and ‘high-performance’ variant before adding additional and/or or brings intermediate equipment onto the market. This suggests that we can expect an S (or 4S) and a Turbo model to arrive as initial offerings for the Porsche Macan EV, while a GTS and a Turbo S model will arrive in of the pipeline. What may be more questionable at this point is whether the Macan EV will follow the Taycan, and eventually offering a base model with rear-wheel drive in an attempt to broaden the appeal of compact SUVs – after all, “rear-wheel drive” and “SUV” don’t usually go together.
In detail
Sources estimate that the Macan Turbo EV will produce at least 603 hp and 738 lb-ft of torque, making it the fastest Macan ever produced, despite the weight penalty caused by the electric powertrain. Base EV models will likely have similar performance figures to the current GTS variants, which would put them somewhere in the mid-400 hp range, while a 4S equivalent would likely land in the low 500 hp range.
Under normal driving conditions, the Macan EV’s rear electric motor provides 100% of the drive power, while the front electric motor comes into play during sportier driving styles or when additional traction is required. The electric motor control system is also able to distribute torque front and rear immediately and in whatever permutation it deems optimal at the moment. With regenerative braking, up to 250 kW can be recuperated.
The new Porsche Macan EV will continue to use a multi-link front and rear suspension, with a fixed steel spring arrangement and an air suspension system (PASM) standard on the entry-level and turbo models respectively. For the latter, this allows the ride height to be adjusted based on the Macan EV’s different driving modes, allowing the car to be lowered by up to 5.9 inches in Sport+ mode and raised by up to 8.7 inches in Off-Road mode – the normal benchmark for ride height is set at 7.1″.
For the first time, a Macan will also have rear-wheel steering (standard on the Turbo models, optional on the lower models). This system helps improve the overall driving dynamics of the Macan EV by minimizing turning radii at lower speeds while improving stability at higher speeds. Macan electric vehicles equipped with this feature also have a front steering rack that rotates 15% faster than standard fare.
Compared to the previous generation Macan, there will also be some changes to the interior, but this will also make it more consistent with the other models in the Porsche range. This means the Macan EV will inherit Porsche’s now conventional infotainment system, which features a 10.9-inch touchscreen in the center of the dashboard and a 12.6-inch digital instrument cluster – as seen in the image TaycanThe new CayenneThe new Panamera and partly the 911 of the 992 generation. This provides a sort of “standardization,” if you will, so that you can step into any new Porsche model today and have the same experience when it comes to interfacing with the car’s operating system.
Continue
There is no word yet on an exact release date for the Porsche Macan EV, nor are there any officially reported pricing figures. Some sources estimate that the MSRP of the initial release “standard” Macan EV (i.e. the rumored 4s model) will likely start at $80,000, putting it in the middle of the price range between the current-generation Macan S ( $72,300) and Macan GTS ($86,800). The Macan EV Turbo variant is expected to hit the $100,000 mark. Future base models would lower the starting price to about $70,000.
We’ll share more details about Porsche’s latest (and only second) all-electric vehicle as it becomes available. The Porsche Macan EV is intended to be an automobile that can delight both Porsche enthusiasts and zero-emissions lovers. It is definitely shaping up to be a product that will deliver in terms of performance, utility and environmental friendliness – three times what a car needs to be commercially successful in modern times.
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