- Next generation switches from gasoline power
- Based on 800-volt Taycan technology
- Moves to new platform developed with Audi
- Change could come as soon as 2020-21
Porsche announced that the next generation of its compact Macan SUV will be going all-electric. The battery-powered Macan will make the transition after the introduction of Porsche’s flagship EV, the Taycan sports car. That model is expected to launch by the end of this year, followed in short order by the Taycan Cross Turismo.
“Electromobility and Porsche go together perfectly; not just because they share a high-efficiency approach, but especially because of their sporty character,” Oliver Blume, Chairman of the Board of Management of Porsche AG, said. “By 2022 we will be investing more than six billion euros in electric mobility, and by 2025 50 percent of all new Porsche vehicles could have an electric drive system. Nevertheless, over the next 10 years we will focus on a drive mix consisting of even further optimized petrol engines, plug-in hybrid models, and purely electrically operated sports cars. Our aim is to take a pioneering role in technology, and for this reason we will continue to consistently align the company with the mobility of the future.”
Part of the decision to switch the Macan over to pure electric powertrains is driven by its production in Porsche’s Leipzig, Germany, assembly plant. That site was selected to build the Taycan, so Porsche felt it should turn the factory into one dedicated to solely making electric vehicles. Porsche will also use the new 800-volt technology developed for Taycan in producing the Macan. The SUV will be moving from its existing platform to the new PPE (Premium Platform Electric) architecture developed in conjunction with Audi AG.
