Porsche Macan EV: Performance SUV’s launch pushed to 2024 [Update]

Update: ‘LED headlamp with HD Matrix beam’ sub-section of ‘Porsche Macan EV Design’ updated.

Here’s everything you need to know about the next Porsche electric car, the Porsche Macan Electric (working title), which would rival the Tesla Model Y and the BMW iX from 2024.

Porsche Macan EV Design

The Porsche Macan EV test prototypes wear heavy camouflage and carry plenty of disguises to delude onlookers until it’s showtime. The silhouette cannot be masked and so we have a fair idea of the body style and the overall shape of the upcoming Porsche electric car.

The first-gen Macan, which broke cover in 2013, is a modern-day SUV with a gently sloping roofline. While it will continue alongside the next-gen model until Porsche’s main markets are ready for full-scale EV adoption, the Porsche Macan Electric will be an SUV with a hunchback.

Video Source: YouTube/CarSpyMedia

LED headlamp with HD Matrix beam

On August 24, 2023, car spotter Wilco Blok shared a spy shot (via Instagram), providing a detailed look at the two-tier headlight setup. Judging from the comments section of this post, certain Porsche enthusiasts are disappointed with the unconventional headlight layout.

At the hood level, the Macan Electric should feature a Porsche Mission R-inspired headlight housing consisting of just the DRLs, arranged in the signature four-point design. The low- and high-beam lights will likely slot in a separate housing positioned right above the side air inlets at the middle level of the front fascia.

The Macan EV will get Porsche’s new LED headlights with HD matrix beam. Compared to current systems, these headlights are up to 2X brighter than on a surface 4X larger. They have a range of up to 600 meters, and they only activate the pixels that are necessary, thus saving energy. Porsche has equipped them with advanced features like welcome/leaving animation, lane illumination, construction and narrow-lane light, and adaptive motorway high beam. Plus, they have a new non-dazzling high beam function which doubles the HD matrix module’s light in the large areas to the right and left of the anti-dazzling gap.

Greater focus on aerodynamics

As Porsche is designing the next-gen Macan as an EV from the outset, it is at liberty to make some principle changes to the design that can significantly improve aerodynamics and energy efficiency. For example, it can keep the nose lower. Julian Baumann, Director Sales and Marketing Product Line SUV, Porsche, has told Autocar that the body structure is different from the first-gen Macan and that the Taycan team is working on the aerodynamics.

In addition to differentiating from the gasoline-powered Macan, the SUV-coupe body style would help the EV achieve better aerodynamics. An active spoiler edge should complement the sloping roofline to improve the airflow for enhanced range. Andreas Huber, the manager for digital prototypes at Porsche, has told CAR that his team has been virtually working on the Macan’s aerodynamics for around five years. Keeping the drag low is “fundamental” to ensure the next-gen, all-electric model delivers a long range, Huber said.

Porsche may offer a virtual mirror option a feature that potential customers would expect to see on the ‘everyday’ alternative from the VW Group portfolio – the Audi Q8 e-tron Sportback. Sleek virtual mirrors can further reduce aerodynamic drag and add to the range in the race to catch Tesla. The Macan EV would have a rotary gear selector instead of a traditional gearshift lever.

New Porsche logo

The Macan EV will come with a new brand logo, potentially making it the first production vehicle to carry the new identity. Celebrating its 75th anniversary, Porsche has introduced a new crest. The company has been using the crest since 1952, and over the years, it has received subtle changes, and the latest version is no exception. As you can see in the second picture in the gallery, the 2023 version is differentiated with a new texture, and features “Stuttgart” inscription above the rising horse.

Interior & Features

The interior of the Porsche Macan EV should be clean, driver-focused, and highly digital, something Porsche is gradually adopting as it transitions to the EV era, as we noted above. Expect a minimalist and classy design for the dashboard, a curved, fully digital instrument cluster, a large touchscreen infotainment system, and a passenger-side display in the Macan EV.

Curved instrument cluster

Porsche is one of the few brands well-known for holding on to its traditions. However, with the EV era calling for radical changes, it has acknowledged the need to break the rules in some aspects. Consider the adoption of a fully digital instrument cluster in the Porsche Taycan, for instance.

Spy pictures have revealed a curved instrument cluster. It looks the same as that of the Porsche Taycan, and if that’s indeed the case, it should measure 16.8 inches. Like in the Taycan, Porsche has avoided using a cowl to give that area a slim and contemporary appearance that is comparable to high-end smartphones and tablets. The instrument cluster could feature a real glass and a vapor-deposited, polarizing filter to ensure good visibility even in sunny conditions.

Clock

A new set of spy pictures InsideEVs published on December 9, 2022, revealed the Macan EV featuring a clock that can serve even as a lap timer, positioned on the dashboard, and a special steering wheel. These features would be part of an optional Sport Chrono Package.

New infotainment system

The Porsche Macan Electric will feature an all-new infotainment system running on Google’s Android Automotive operating system. CARIAD, Volkswagen Group’s software arm, is developing a new vehicle software architecture based on the open-source version of Android Automotive OS. Using the license-free version means that, unlike Volvo Car Group, the German conglomerate won’t include Google’s Play Store in the infotainment system.

Called ‘One.Infotainment,’ the system will feature a new app store co-developed with Samsung-owned Harman. Spotify, Tidal, Amazon Music, Tubi, TikTok, Stingray Karaoke, FRVR, etc. will keep the passengers entertained on the go. Convenience and information apps available on the new app store will include Home Assistant, The Weather Channel, Vivaldi, Yelp, Parkwhiz, and Plugshare. For those who need to need to work on the go, even Webex will be available on this app store.

Porsche will use the same new climate control panel as in the 2024 Porsche Cayenne, with analog controls (knurls) that are simpler and less distracting. This panel will feature a black color, ensuring the illuminated climate control functions are clearly visible in contrast.

ADAS

The Macan EV will likely have a wide range of advanced driver assistance systems developed by Mobileye. Porsche says that future models, presumably including the Macan Electric, will feature automated assistance and navigate-on-pilot functions based on the premium ADAS solutions provider’s SuperVision technology platform. SuperVision enables cars to follow the navigation routes, autonomously change lanes, and automatically overtake slower vehicles on multi-lane roads. It uses a normal camera and a long-range camera, a long-range radar at the front, and two corner radars at the front, four cameras on the sides, and multiple cameras at the rear.

PPE Platform

The Porsche Macan Electric will ride on the brand-new dedicated EV platform for luxury models called Premium Platform Electric (PPE) or PPE-Architektur in German. Porsche and Audi are jointly developing this platform, and at least three Audi models are planned on it, including the Macan’s technical cousin called the Audi Q6 e-tron and the Audi A6 e-tron. PPE is similar to MEB (Modularer E-Antriebs-Baukasten) but allows better outputs and new technologies and thus higher performance levels.

Cost & no-compromise

Porsche isn’t converting existing ICE platforms for EVs. “There’s always some compromise in weight, package, and other dimensions,” says Michael Steiner, the company’s Member of the Executive Board for Research and Development, according to Autocar‘s report dated May 9, 2022.

Lutz Meschke, Deputy Chairman of the Executive Board and Member of the Executive Board Finance and IT, Porsche, has told Autocar that utilizing the PPE platform instead of developing a new in-house platform provides 30% cost savings.

Porsche Torque Vectoring Plus with an electronically locking differential

The Macan Electric will have a fully revised double-wishbone front suspension with a detached strut level at the front and a multi-link rear suspension. In higher configurations, Porsche Torque Vectoring Plus with an electronically locking differential will be standard. Regardless of their suspension choice—steel suspension or air suspension—customers will be able to check the electronic Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM) option in their Macan Electric configuration.

Rear axle steering

Unlike in the gas-powered Macan, rear-axle steering will be available in the Macan Electric. At speeds of approximately 80 km/h (50 mph), the rear wheels will steer up to five degrees in the opposite direction to the front wheels, reducing the turning circle by around 1 m (3.3 ft.). At higher speeds, the rear wheels will steer in the same direction as the front wheels.

22-inch wheels

Speaking of wheels, Porsche will offer sizes of up to 22 inches. Obviously, they’ll be wrapped in mixed tires, but the company says the widths on the front and rear axles will differ even more significantly than on the gas-powered model.

Porsche Macan EV Range

Better range than the Taycan

If there’s feedback Porsche has taken seriously from customers of the Taycan, it’s the lack of confidence-inspiring range. Steiner has told journalists that the Macan Electric range will be “significantly more” than the Taycan range, as per a report from cnet.com.

The Porsche Macan Electric’s range will exceed that of the Taycan, which is up to 504 km or 313 miles (WLTP), depending on the configuration. The targeted maximum figure could be around 550 km or 341.7 miles (WLTP).

Spy pictures from December 2022 showed the Macan EV’s instrument cluster displaying 391 km (243 miles) as the remaining range at almost a full level of charge. However, these images are from a test run on a race track, so the driving style may have been anything but efficiency-focused! The official range (WLTP) should be much better, as stated above.

In April 2022, a new set of spy shots showed a Macan Electric test mule’s instrument cluster displaying 234 km (145 miles) of remaining range with 82% charging left. This means it could’ve delivered just 285 km (177 miles) of range on a full charge. However, this test mule was being driven close to the Arctic Circle, which means cold weather could’ve led to abnormally high energy consumption. Moreover, the driver may have put the vehicle through various strenuous tests. Companies take their prototypes drifting, off-roading, and other types of torturous driving during development, but the average customer rarely encounters such extreme conditions.

Battery

~100 kWh capacity

The Porsche Macan Electric has a battery pack with a total capacity of about 100 kWh. According to a report InsideEVs published on November 13, 2022, the net (usable) capacity of this battery pack is really close to the installed capacity – 96-98 kWh. This capacity offers a fine middle ground for range and performance, so the company won’t need an option in any of the variants.

Porsche hasn’t used cell-to-pack technology like Tesla and some other automakers who are more advanced in this aspect already. The ~100 kWh battery pack consists of 12 battery modules, inside which there are prismatic lithium-ion NCM cells. The mixing ratio of the active material (nickel, cobalt, and manganese) is 8:1:1. What this means is content of the short-supply cobalt and manganese materials is just 10%. Porsche says the energy density is high but doesn’t give a figure.

According to an earlier report from Automobilwoche, Porsche will source the battery packs of the Macan EV from Draxlmaier. The German automotive supplier currently makes the battery packs of the Taycan at its 100,000 sq. ft. factory in Sachsenheim, near Stuttgart, which it opened in 2019.

Charging

275-300 kW DC charging rate

Thanks to its 800-volt technology, the Porsche Macan Electric will allow DC fast-charging at high rates. Porsche hasn’t revealed the exact number, but it has confirmed it will be higher than the Taycan’s 270 kW. We expect that number to be nearer to 275 kW than 300 kW. The spy picture Reddit user VegarHenriksen shared showed the Macan EV accepting charging at 172 kW in North Norway while it was snowing.

DC fast chargers featuring 800-volt charging technology will allow charging the ~100 kWh battery pack from 5 to 80% in less than 25 minutes. However, such chargers are hard to come by, at least in the U.S. they are, and Porsche knows that. The company has given the Macan Electric a ‘bank charging’ feature.

At charging stations using the more commonly found 400-volt technology, corresponding high-voltage switches (gates) are automatically switched in the battery pack before the vehicle starts receiving supply. Effectively, the 800-volt battery pack is split into two, each with a nominal voltage of 400 volts, so they can be charged in parallel using the same 400-volt charging station without an additional high-voltage booster.

22 kW AC charger

The Macan Electric’s on-board AC charger, high-voltage heater, and DC/DC converter are part of a patent-pending ‘Integrated Power Box.’ This box has not only saved space by clubbing the three components but also reduced the cables required, the weight, and the costs. An 11 kW (AC) charger could come as standard, while a 22 kW charger could be optional equipment, which will charge the battery completely overnight.

Exclusive charging stations

Porsche has a tie-up with Ionity but is setting up exclusive charging stations that cater to only Porsche customers. The exclusive Porsche charging station network supplements the Ionity outlets and offers consumers a unique experience as they plug in their premium Porsche electric sports cars and SUVs.

By 2025, the number Ionity sites is planned to increase to 1,000. The perspective is to increase availability to more than 7,000 charging points. In addition, we plan to develop our own Porsche charging infrastructure. The high-power charging locations exclusively for Porsche customers are to supplement the Ionity network.

Dr. Oliver Blume, CEO, Porsche (Porsche Annual Press Conference 2022 on March 18, 2022)

Porsche plans to set up its charging stations along main traffic routes and highways in Europe. With up to 12 charging points at each charging station, the plugs will offer a charging power of at least 350 kW. The company hasn’t confirmed, but it should expand the charging network to the U.S. and Canada before the Macan Electric launch.

We will set up these sites along main traffic routes and motorways in Europe. The plan is to have up to 12 charging points per station offering charging power of 350 kW and more and we plan to open the first station in Southern Germany at the turn of the year.

Dr. Oliver Blume, CEO, Porsche (Porsche Annual Press Conference 2022 on March 18, 2022)

Porsche has set an ambitious goal of converting more than 80% of its sales to EVs by 2030.

In 2025, around half of all new Porsches sold should be electrified – i.e., fully electric or plug-in hybrids. In 2030, the share of all new vehicles with a fully electric drive should be more than 80%. For the all-electric Macan, preparations are currently underway. To this end, we want to hybridize the 911 in the form of a very sporty variant as we know it from motorsport.

Dr. Oliver Blume, CEO, Porsche (Porsche Annual Press Conference 2022 on March 18, 2022)

Performance

AWD

Porsche has confirmed all the configurations of the Macan Electric will have two motors, a normal unit at the front and a more powerful unit at the rear, meaning all-wheel drive will be standard. In select configurations, the company will position the rear motor particularly far back, in what it calls a ‘performance rear axle.’ The motive behind that relocation will be increasing the weight at the rear and achieving a 48:52 front-rear weight distribution.

603 hp & 1000 Nm

Porsche will “initially” offer the Macan Electric with powertrains that produce up to around 450 kW (603 hp) and more than 1,000 Nm (738 lb.-ft.) of torque. The company has used permanently excited synchronous electric motors (PSM) with water jacket cooling and double V lamination (the arrangement of the permanent magnets within the rotors).

As for power electronics, the Macan Electric’s components feature silicon carbide (SiC) instead of silicon, which is a more commonly found semiconductor material, in the pulse inverter (PWR) on the rear axle. Porsche says this considerably reduces switching losses in the PWR and enables higher switching frequencies.

No one-pedal driving

According to the InsideEVs report, one-pedal driving won’t be possible in the Macan Electric. Porsche will continue offering “blended braking system with moderate to light lift-off regeneration,” as it does in the Taycan. Porsche will use its learnings from the Taycan to offer a better powertrain in the Macan Electric. According to the same report, the company will use SiC semiconductors in its power electronics.

Manufacturing

Production of the Porsche Macan EV will be held at the Porsche Leipzig plant in Germany. On September 14, 2020, Porsche announced that preparations for manufacturing the next Porsche electric car have begun. On July 18, 2022, Automobilwoche reported that the Leipzig plant should be ready to manufacture the Macan EV in mid-2023.

The new all-electric Macan is also to be produced in a net carbon neutral manner at the Porsche plant in Leipzig. Like the car itself, the high-voltage battery cell modules for the new Macan are planned to be manufactured in Germany. Plans are in place for the production of the cell modules to be done using only renewable energy sources.

Dr. Oliver Blume, CEO, Porsche (Porsche Annual Press Conference 2023 on March 13, 2023)

On August 20, 2022, Porsche celebrated the 20th anniversary of the Porsche Leipzig plant and said that a new body shop has been built for the Macan Electric at the facility. On August 21, 2022, Automobilwoche reported Albrecht Reimold stating that the company will continue making the current, gas-powered Macan alongside the next-gen, electric Macan for around two years. Reimold is the Executive Board Member for Production and Logistics at Porsche and the Chairman of the Executive Board at Porsche Leipzig.

Reimold has said that Porsche makes more than 80,000 units of the current Macan annually. It is planning the same level of volume for next-gen Macan (EV) in the long term. It will start building the electric model in 2023, the German publication reported.

Release date

Customer deliveries of the Porsche Macan Electric will begin in 2024. British publication CAR Magazine is suggesting that the world premiere of the vehicle will be held at this year’s Los Angeles Auto Show that opens on November 16, 2023, for the media.

In an interview with Automobilwoche, which the German publication released on July 17, 2023, Reimold said he and his colleagues will do everything to ensure customer deliveries start in 2024. He is confident that the EV’s software development is on track, and that they have moved to the project’s finishing touches.

Porsche’s top executives are quite vocal about the 2024 launch of the Macan Electric, in a bid to instill confidence in customers and investors following the multiple delays due to external factors like the COVID-19 pandemic, semiconductor chip shortage, and supply chain issues, and the internal software development issues. CEO Dr. Oliver Blume has reaffirmed the revised launch timeline multiple times. During the company’s annual press conference on March 13, 2023, he said:

Our goal is for more than 80% of the new cars we deliver to customers in 2030 to be all-electric. Our entire product strategy is focused on this objective. Let’s begin with the all-electric Macan: it is scheduled to go out to our customers in 2024.

Dr. Oliver Blume, CEO, Porsche (Porsche Annual Press Conference 2023 on March 13, 2023)

At the Volkswagen Group Capital Markets Day 2023 held at the Hockenheimring on June 21, 2023, Blume reaffirmed that the Macan EV is on track to go on sale next year:

After the very successful market launch of the first all-electric model, our Taycan, we are now focusing on the development of the all-electric Macan. First deliveries to customers are planned for the next year.

Dr. Oliver Blume, CEO, Porsche (Volkswagen Group Capital Markets Day 2023 on June 21, 2023)

At the 2023 Annual General Meeting of Porsche held at the Porsche Arena Stuttgart on June 28, 2023, Blume brought up the pure-electric Macan’s 2024 launch once again:

Our ambition is to deliver more than 80% of our new vehicles to our customers fully electric by 2030. Our product strategy is fully aligned with this. Let’s start with the all-electric Macan. It is scheduled to go on sale in the course of 2024.

Dr. Oliver Blume, CEO, Porsche (Porsche Annual General Meeting 2023 on June 28, 2023)

Porsche had announced in May 2021 that the all-electric Macan would be on the roads in 2023. However, issues at CARIAD are holding back the Macan EV project. Automobilwoche says that Porsche originally planned to use the E³ 2.0 software, but now it has decided to employ the E³ 1.2 software. However, even the less advanced version is proving to be a challenge.

Discussing Volkswagen Group’s Q1 2022 results and the company’s outlook for the future on May 4, 2022 (via YouTube), Dr. Herbert Diess, former CEO, Volkswagen Group, said that E³ 1.2 development is “hugely complex.” It is and will continue to be a challenge within the next months, the former Volkswagen Group CEO said.

It’s (E³ 1.2 is) more complex than 1.1 was, far more complex, but I can tell you that the teams are really focused on the launches and we are confident that we can launch the cars as planned next year.

Dr. Herbert Diess, former CEO, Volkswagen Group (Investor and Analyst Conference Call Q1 2022 on May 4, 2022)

Macan EV spotted testing in the U.S.

Porsche rigorously tests all models worldwide during development, and the Macan EV is no exception. The company is also testing the upcoming electric SUV on U.S. soil. The spy video, courtesy of Auto Spies car spotter 00K (via Youtube), shows five prototypes being driven on an American highway. Like others from before, these units have plenty of fake body cladding and camouflage to hide the actual design, especially around the lights, bumpers, and pillars – nothing unusual from the previous sightings.

TFLcar reader Jason had recently spotted a prototype at an Electrify America charging station in the State of California. A Ford Mustang Mach-E and a Kia EV6 accompanied the test mule, and they could be used for benchmarking by the Porsche development team.

TopElectricSUV says

The gas-powered Macan is Porsche’s second most popular model worldwide. The first-ever Macan EV could be an equally big hit in China and the USA, the company’s two largest single markets worldwide, and open new doors in European countries which are taking to premium electric SUVs in a big way. Though it’s battling software issues that have delayed the launch, when it finally goes on sale in 2024, the Macan EV could return six-digit figures annually and turn into Porsche’s cash cow.

Porsche Macan Electric FAQs

Featured Image: TopElectricSUV’s rendering of the Macan EV.