It’s crunch time for Porsche’s popular crossover model. Not long after the official announcement for the all-new Macan T—albeit as part of the existing petrol powered platform—more details about the upcoming Macan EV surfaced.
This has been accompanied by spy shots, along with statements provided by Porsche’s brass, which help paint a picture of what the next-gen-fully-electric Macan will look like and what it has in store in terms of performance and range. It has been long known, though not necessarily broadly known, that the Macan roster is next in line for the succession and proliferation of Porsche’s blossoming electric dynasty.
It’s straight to full-on EV mode for the Macan too, so Porschephiles who were hoping for a “best of both worlds” E-Hybrid option in between, will have to be content with a Panamera and Cayenne for now. Porsche has already hinted that a hybrid version of their flagship 911 is in the works, while it’s also understood that the Cayman/Boxster will follow the Macan’s lead in becoming fully-electric for its next generation of models.
Electric Drivetrain
The new Macan EV will carry over the 800V architecture used in the Porsche Taycan, but most notably improves upon it from a range standpoint. Despite expectations that the Taycan was always going to be more of a sporty/performance platform, its less impressive range—particularly when compared to its direct competition—has remained a point of contention since its release.
Porsche has addressed this for the upcoming Macan EV by reportedly increasing battery capacity to well above 100 kWh, compared to (a maximum of) 93.4 kWh for the Taycan roster. Parent company, Volkswagen Auto Group, has already targeted over 600 km of range for this new platform, which it plans to incorporate in other models and brands within the conglomerate. Charging capabilities will remain at least as good as the “5%-80% in 23 mins at a level 3 charger, with a speed capacity of up to 350 kW” benchmark.
Performance, from a traditional standpoint, remains a bit more of a mystery at this time. However, through the Taycan, we know that it’s easy enough to move the horsepower dial any which way, without having to change much of anything else. Therefore, it is expected that we’ll see a familiar lineup of Macans for the next-gen EV roster, which will progress from a base model all the way up to a Turbo variant.
In theory, the new electric platform should unlock more power across the range. So, a base model with around 300 hp, 350 hp in the S, becoming 450 hp in a GTS, then 550 hp in the range-topping Turbo (or even Turbo S) model, seems like an educated guess at this time. If Porsche also delivers on the improvements to range, I think they’re onto something pretty significant here, as this should allow the new Macan models to retain their status as the company’s breadwinner in this new era.
Design
There was never any doubt that the Macan EV was always going to cut a utilitarian crossover figure, though it doesn’t appear that it’s just a simple matter of recycling everything from the current body style. To begin with, the new design takes on more of a sloped roofline—similar to the one seen on the Cayenne Coupe models—which was likely done in the interests of aerodynamic efficiency, reduced drag and ultimately, better range.
Even with camouflage tape disguising the test mule’s most intricate features, there’s certainly a vastly different front fascia underneath, which I suspect will share more design cues with the Taycan than it does with the current-gen Macan—the headlights are the first giveaway. From an imaging standpoint, this makes the car more marketable and distinguishable as a member of Porsche’s growing EV family, while there’s also good science behind a more streamlined appearance.
Expect a similar philosophy being applied to the interior, where the Macan will follow suit with the Taycan and take on a more minimalist approach, forgoing the button-laden control centers seen in past iterations. This means a fully digital instrument cluster and touchscreen infotainment system for starters, amongst a slew of other new age tech goodies.
Summary
“It is about five criteria(s): distinctive design, the Porsche-typical performance, and our high aspiration for quality, but also sporty traveling by quick-charging and the driver experience play an important role.” Porsche CEO Oliver Blume said in a statement to the press. Living up to the aforementioned should put the Macan in a really good place amongst its competition—which at the moment, are the Audi e-tron Sportback and BMW iX—as it will offer the dynamism of Porsche sports car performance in a utilitarian, and hopefully, range-friendly package.
No word yet on pricing, though the current sentiment is that there will be a slight increase in prices across the range after the integration of the new electric architecture and other improvements. Some media outlets are projecting roughly a 7% to 10% increase over the respective petrol powered models, which would make a base model Porsche Macan EV starting at around the $62,000 USD mark, while a GTS would just about crest the $90,000 USD mark using the same formula.
Porsche has stated that the Macan EV will be revealed as early as the tail end of 2022, with first deliveries beginning sometime in 2023 if that ends up being the case.
On a final note, I would also like to mention that I am curious about an often overlooked, but hugely important detail. For me at least, this particular detail is with regards to towing capacity, especially for a vehicle in this segment. Frankly, barely any data is available for EV-powered towing in general, so I will be closely following any details that come out with regards to the next-gen Macan’s towing capacity, and in particular, how range factors into this equation.
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