Joined
·
4 Posts
A Macan EV prototype was recently spotted lapping the Nürburgring.
Some standout features that make the EV stand out from the ICE Macan include slimmed-down headlights are visible, the lack of any physical grille, bar a lower air intake.The roofline also appears to be lower and more coupé-like than the current Macan. The rear end has also been subtly reconfigured.
With the arrival of all-electric power comes the removal of the conventional gear shifter, making way for a smoother, less cluttered center console featuring a small rotary knob – presumably for controlling the large central infotainment screen – and a climate control touchscreen. Porsche's new-generation PCM 6.0 communications system will also feature, as will a fully digital, curved gauge cluster.
The electric Macan will arrive later this year and initially be a high-performance model in the mold of the Taycan, carrying the same Turbo badging to identify it as the top-of-the-range version.
It will be based on the Volkswagen Group’s new Premium Platform Electric (PPE) architecture, developed from the Taycan’s J1 platform to allow the physical flexibility required when low-slung GTs and high-riding SUVs share the same hardware. That platform is currently reserved for Audi and Porsche models only and will be used by Audi for a Q5-sized sibling model to the Macan EV, called the Q6 E-tron.
Despite the performance potential of the PPE architecture, which delivers sub-3.0 sec for the 0-60 sprint with the Taycan, Porsche has already pointed out that the Macan EV will not be a coupé-SUV.
The Macan EV will provide four-wheel drive, using a motor to drive each axle. The most powerful version will potentially be able to offer around 700 hp, though Porsche will want to keep some performance distance between it and the Taycan. The electric Macan will be offered with a variety of power outputs beneath this level, but the two most powerful versions will be badged Turbo and Turbo S, as with the Taycan.
Besides offering excellent on-road handling, the high degree of precision provided by electronic control of the motors and the wheels should enable the Macan EV to be very effective off-road, too.
