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

  • Macan EV is in the global testing phase, and a prototype has even been sighted in California
  • To deliver "significantly more" range than the Taycan, probably around 300 miles (EPA)
  • Will rival the Tesla Model Y, Polestar 3 & Audi Q6 e-tron high-performance SUVs
  • Could start at USD 75,000-80,000 in the U.S.

Update: ‘Interior & Features’ section revised.

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

2024 Porsche Macan EV rendering illustration
The all-electric Macan (rendered) will get a more angular fascia, and sport a lower and wider stance compared to the gasoline model.

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.

New Porsche high-res matrix LED headlight
The next-gen Porsche Macan will feature the company’s new LED headlights with HD matrix beam. Image Source: Volkswagen Group

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 has kept the front-end lower than that of the gas model. 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.

Audi virtual mirror
The Porsche Macan Electric could come with virtual mirrors, a feature that is already available on the Audi e-tron range. Image Source: Volkswagen Group

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 complements the sloping roofline to improve the airflow for enhanced range, and it extends in four stages depending on the speed.

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.

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

Porsche Macan Electric interior dashboard
The Porsche Macan Electric features a modern and high-tech interior in a conventional layout Image Source: Volkswagen Group

The interior of the Porsche Macan EV is clean, driver-focused, and highly digital, something Porsche is gradually adopting as it transitions to the EV era, as we noted above. It has a minimalist and classy design with inspiration from the new Cayenne for the dashboard, a fully digital instrument cluster, a large touchscreen infotainment system, and a passenger-side display.

Porsche has used the same new climate control panel as in the 2024 Porsche Cayenne, with analog controls that are simpler and less distracting than touch-control buttons. This panel features a black color, ensuring the illuminated climate control functions are clearly visible in contrast.

Porsche Macan Electric center console
The Porsche Macan Electric features a new climate control panel with knurled toggle switches and a knob. Image Source: Volkswagen Group

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.

The Macan Electric features a 12.6-inch curved instrument cluster. Like in the Taycan, which features a 16.8-inch unit, 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 probably has a real glass and a vapor-deposited, polarizing filter to ensure good visibility even in sunny conditions.

One of the coolest features of the instrument cluster of the Macan EV is displaying third-party navigation maps. When the customer is using Apple Maps or Google Maps, they don’t need to glance at the central display, as the instrument cluster also displays that map. An augmented reality head-up display further reduces distraction when seeking navigation directions.

Clock

The Macan EV features an analog clock that can serve even as a lap timer, positioned on the dashboard, and a special steering wheel. It will be available as part of a Sport Chrono Package.

New infotainment system & passenger display

Porsche Macan Electric cockpit
It won’t be possible to natively use Google Maps in the Porsche Macan Electric’s infotainment system. Image Source: Volkswagen Group

The Porsche Macan Electric features an all-new infotainment system running on Google’s Android Automotive operating system and supports both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. It comes with a 10.9-inch touchscreen and optionally an equally-sized passenger display. The front passenger can operate core functions like navigation and music as well as stream YouTube videos on their 10.9-inch touchscreen.

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 doesn’t include Google’s Play Store in the infotainment system.

Called ‘One.Infotainment,’ the system features a new app store co-developed with Samsung-owned Harman. Spotify, Tidal, Amazon Music, Tubi, TikTok, Stingray Karaoke, FRVR, etc. keep the passengers entertained on the go. Convenience and information apps available on the new app store include AccuWeather, Vivaldi, Yelp, etc.

Route planning with EV chargers on the way works brilliantly in the new infotainment system. It calculates routes blazingly quickly, with YouTube channel Out of Spec Reviews’ Kyle Conner claiming to have seen it load up a European route (Leipzig-Lisbon) in just one and a half seconds! Thus, we expect the navigation experience to be pretty smooth and snappy.

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.

Porsche Mobileye Supervision Sensorset
The Porsche Macan Electric will feature many new advanced driver assistance systems developed by Mobileye. Image Source: Volkswagen Group

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 as small as 19 inches and as big as 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. Autocar reports that Porsche is targeting a minimum WLTP range of 500 km (311 miles) and InsideEVs.com claims that the company is aiming for a maximum WLTP range of “well beyond” 500 km (311 miles). We expect at least one configuration to have an EPA-est. range of somewhere between 275 and 300 miles.

Reports say that Porsche will launch the Macan Electric in standard RWD, 4S AWD, and Turbo AWD variants. When Autoblog test-drove a prototype of the Macan Electric Turbo in California, its electronics showed 150 miles of remaining range when the battery pack was still only half used. Theoretically, this particular unit could’ve delivered a range of about 300 miles on American roads. One can only imagine how good the base Macan Electric with just one motor could be in the range aspect.

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.com 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

~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 near 300 kW, as test prototypes have been seen being charged at 295 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.

Porsche Macan Electric prototype charging
Charging the battery pack of the Porsche Macan Electric from 5 to 80% SoC at an 800-volt charging station will take less than 25 minutes. Image Source: Volkswagen Group

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

The Porsche Macan Electric will employ only one motor in the RWD variant and two motors in the AWD variants. Porsche 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.

Porsche Macan Electric prototype rear three quarter
The top-end Porsche Macan Electric will have a rear-biased eAWD drivetrain layout. Image Source: Volkswagen Group

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

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.

Driving Impressions

Porsche conducted a media drive of the Macan Electric using its prototypes in the U.S. in Summer 2023, and reviews from that event are out. It is said that the weight of the Macan Electric brings down its driving pleasure, as it feels quite heavy and doesn’t match the athleticism of the gas-powered, first-gen Macan. The steering wheel also disappoints, feeling unnatural, although it does make driving comparatively easier, requiring less effort.

Not all is bad, though, and Porsche may already be figuring out ways to improve the driving experience, as we compile this report – that’s the whole idea behind conducting these prototype drives before debut and launch, after all. The Macan Electric accelerates crazy fast, just as expected, and it’s brilliant at attacking corners, too. Porsche uses a rear-axle steering system in the new model, which enhances its agility and precision.

The Macan Electric feels quite comfortable and very refined, and this is saying from an early prototype; the final models shipping to customers should be even better. Naturally, air suspension is on the list of chassis systems, and we wouldn’t be surprised if Porsche offers it as standard in the U.S.

A Sport drive mode sharpens the throttle response and firms up the suspension when the driver wants to have some fun. On top of that, there’s a Sport Plus drive mode that makes it feel lively and enables a superb throttle response. There is some understeer, but not at an alarming level, and pro drivers will find themselves oversteering and swinging the tail out if they want. It is important that we explicitly mention the intentional part, as oversteer was an issue in the gas-powered Macan earlier, but it hasn’t been reported for the electric model.

The Macan Electric has a brake-by-wire system and, as is the case with most EVs, depends mostly on the regenerative braking system. The brakes have good feedback and we’ve seen no complaints having been reported in this area. The lack of one-pedal driving is a bummer, and elite clients who aren’t driving enthusiasts but plan to buy the Macan Electric simply for that Porsche badge and the status it offers might be the ones most disappointed by that. We think this feature will be most missed by commuters in big cities like LA and NYC, where people sometimes spend hours stuck in traffic on freeways and downtown streets.

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

Porsche Macan Electric front and rear angles
Porsche’s electric SUV could be unveiled at the 2023 Los Angeles Auto Show. Image Source: Volkswagen Group

Customer deliveries of the Porsche Macan Electric will begin in 2024. 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 that 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

What is the Porsche Macan Electric release date?

The all-electric Porsche Macan will launch in 2024. Expect it in the U.S. market the same year.

What are the Porsche Macan EV rivals?

The Porsche electric SUV will compete with the likes of the Lotus Eletre, Tesla Model Y & BMW iX.

What will be the Porsche Macan EV price?

The Porsche Macan electric will likely cost around $80,000 onwards in the United States.

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