Porsche Macan EV: X-ray analysis of the premium electric SUV
Designed on a brand-new 800-volt platform, it promises up to 402 miles of range and 270 kW of charging power.
With the electric Macan, Porsche officially opens a new chapter in its zero-emission history. Not that the Taycan is a car that is out of step with the times, but it is with the battery-powered SUV that the Zuffenhausen-based manufacturer is bringing to market the new PPE platform that has been designed specifically to create a whole range of purely electric cars.
Compared to the petrol variant of the same name, the car changes a lot in terms of styling and introduces a number of aesthetic elements that will be taken up by other models, starting with the 718 compact sports car that will also become zero-emission soon. Overall, however, it remains true to its name and retains almost unchanged dimensions and proportions.
The Macan Electric and its brother from another mother:
Porsche Macan EV: platform and dimensions
The electric Porsche Macan is based, as mentioned, on the PPE platform developed by German engineers. The name stands for Premium Platform Electric and sees the contribution of a team of engineers from Audi. This is because the high-end electric cars from the brand with te Four Rings will also be based on the same platform (as the Audi Q6 e-tron demonstrates).
Porsche Macan EV
Audi SQ6 e-tron
Modular and scalable, it has an 800-volt architecture and is particularly flexible, allowing electric cars of different sizes and with different body types, from saloons to SUVs to sports cars, to be created. It is set up in such a way that it mounts a main motor at the rear and, in the case of all-wheel drive variants, adds a second one at the front.
In the case of the electric Macan, the platform has a wheelbase of 2.89 metres. In total, the car has a length of 4.78 metres, a width of 1.94 metres, and a height of 1.62 metres. In its base version, with a single electric motor, it has a weight of 2,405 kg.
- Length: 4.78 metres
- Width: 1.94 metres
- Height: 1.62 metres
- Wheelbase: 2.89 metres
- Weight: 2,405 kg
Porsche Macan EV: space on board
The PPE platform is designed to allow the best possible arrangement of the battery and the entire powertrain. The electric Macan, therefore, benefits from this architecture to offer a truly spacious cabin, with extra centimetres compared to similarly-sized combustion models. Perhaps only those sitting in the back risk being forced to travel with a little legroom, especially if the driver is a taller-than-average person.
Convenient front compartment for storing charging cables or other small items
Cargo capacity is also good. The boot, although the roof is quite tapered, offers a capacity of 540 litres (on the Turbo version, which is equipped with a subwoofer, it is 480 litres). Added to this is a handy 84-litre frunk.
- Luggage compartment: 540 litres
- Frunk: 84 litres
Porsche Macan EV: software
Stepping inside the electric Porsche Macan, one discovers a dashboard completely occupied by monitors. There are three displays: a 12-inch instrument display, a 10-inch central infotainment display, and a 10-inch diagonal display in front of the passenger seat.
The whole system is based on Android Automotive and is compatible with over-the-air updates. At the moment, Porsche is expected to release new versions of the software to introduce improvements and new functions only in the telematics area, but it is not excluded that there will also be future releases to improve powertrain efficiency.
The three front displays: the passenger display is 'invisible' to the driver
Porsche Macan EV: battery and range
Mechanically speaking, the new Porsche Macan debuted with the 4 and Turbo versions, both equipped with two engines and all-wheel drive. Identical in terms of general layout, they both have a 100 kWh gross (95 kWh net) battery comprising 12 modules each with 15 prismatic cells supplied by CATL. The differences between the two concern power and overall torque, 408 bhp and 650 Nm in the first case and 639 bhp and 1,130 Nm in the second.
The Turbo, by necessity, concedes something in terms of range: claiming a value of 367 miles according to the WLTP cycle. The Macan 4, on the other hand, promises a range of up to 380 miles on a full tank.
The model range has recently been expanded with the introduction of the rear-wheel-drive Porsche Macan and the Porsche Macan 4S. The former becomes a kind of a base model: it is equipped with a single engine and unleashes 340 bhp. The second, an ideal middle ground between the 4 and the Turbo, comes in at 516 bhp. Ranges are 398 and 378 miles, respectively.
The EPP platform
Porsche Macan EV: recharging
The adoption of an 800-volt platform brings benefits in terms of efficiency and charging speed. The electric Macan can receive power from a high-powered charging station up to a speed of 270 kW. This makes it possible to go from 10 per cent to 80 per cent in about 21 minutes.
All versions are equipped with an 11 kW on-board charger as standard. At the moment, a 22 kW on-board charger for AC charging is not planned - not even as an option.
Much work has also been done on aerodynamics to improve efficiency
Porsche Macan EV: prices
In the United Kingdom, the Porsche Macan EV has a starting price of £67,255. For this figure, you buy the base rear-wheel-drive model. The most expensive Macan Electric starts at £96,955.
Gallery: Porsche Macan (2024)
