Motoring news: Porsche investing in all-new, all-electric Macan SUV

MOTORING NEWS: PORSCHE INVESTING IN ALL-NEW, ALL-ELECTRIC MACAN SUV

PORSCHE is applying the finishing touches to an all-new, all-electric version of its best-selling Macan giving it a radical overhaul within the next 18 months.

The company is investing six billion euros in electricity, with half of all Porsches sold by 2025 expected to be battery-powered in some form.

“Electromobility and Porsche go together perfectly, not just because they share a high-efficiency approach, but especially because of their sporty character.” Pointed out Porsche board chairman Oliver Blume.

Key to the development of the all-new Macan is a new electrical architecture called Premium Platform Electric (PPE) that will underpin larger, higher-riding vehicles from the VW Group. The move to overhaul the firm’s most popular new car could be a risky decision, given the relatively small, but growing, market share EVs currently have around the world. Therefore, in order to counter any resistance from buyers who may not want an electric Macan, they will continue to sell the existing SUV alongside the all-new version.

“The electric Macan will be based on a new electric platform, not a derivative,” said Dr Michael Steiner, Porsche’s executive board member for R and D. “It was developed jointly with Audi and is called the PPE. Knowing that there is not a lot of speed in the transition from ICE to electric, we are preparing to have both paths running in parallel.

“For a few years, the internal-combustion-engined Macan of today will be sold in parallel with the new fully electric car,” he told us. “And it depends on the market demand all around the world how long we will have both.”

The electric Macan will adopt an evolutionary approach to its new design, borrowing elements from the Taycan, such as the blanked-off front end and hollowed-out LED headlights, meaning the SUV is identifiable as an electric model. However, the electric Macan’s overall shape and silhouette are unlikely to change much from that of the petrol car. The electric platform will allow Porsche to totally rethink the cabin design, and the flat floor should free up considerably more space inside for passengers.