The upcoming electric Macan will share the Taycan's tech.
The Porsche Taycan is a technological tour de force. Based on Porsche's bespoke J1 platform, Porsche's first EV incorporates a pair of electric motors that produce 750 hp and 774 lb-ft of torque in the Turbo S model, enabling the electric sedan to sprint from 0-60 mph in 2.6 seconds.
And now Porsche wants to adapt this advanced tech for its future electric models, starting with the upcoming Macan EV. We've known for a while that Porsche is developing an electric version of the best-selling Macan to capitalize on its popularity, and now Autocar has revealed some juicy new details.
According to Autocar, the Macan EV will sport a radically different body style to differentiate it from its combustion-powered sibling. Initially, it will be sold alongside the regular Macan as a Turbo S model when it arrives in 2021. It will also be based on Volkswagen's new Premium Platform Electric platform developed from the Taycan's J1 platform since its flexibility allows different body styles such as a low-slung GT and high-riding SUV to share the same architecture.
"There are no real differences in the challenges of developing the Taycan and Macan," said Porsche deputy chairman Lutz Meschke. "The current Macan is not so aerodynamic and we're working hard on this. It's the Taycan team working on it. With the Taycan, we haven't given anything up to get the aerodynamic performance and I'm confident it will be the same for the Macan. The 600kg battery isn't beneficial to dynamics, but the low center of gravity is an advantage."
The free space from the lack of a conventional powertrain has also allowed Porsche to design the Macan with a lower nose, so it should have a sleeker design. However, Meschke assures it will still be "immediately recognizable" despite it having "no common body structure," which is essential since the Macan is Porsche's best selling model. Meschke also predicts the regular Macan will continue to be sold alongside the EV version for "a couple of years" before being phased out. That means it will have been on sale for around five years since the facelift model was introduced in 2018.
The electric Macan will have four-wheel-drive, with a motor driving each axle. Potentially, the most powerful variant will deliver around 700 hp and 750 lb-ft of torque according to Autocar – that's 300 more hp than the current Macan Turbo. Less powerful variants will also be available, but the two most powerful versions will be badged the Turbo and Turbo S to match the Taycan.
Acura
Alfa Romeo
Aston Martin
Audi
Automobili Pininfarina
Bentley
BMW
Bollinger
BrightDrop
Bugatti
Buick
Cadillac
Caterham
Chevrolet
Chrysler
Dodge
Ferrari
Fiat
Fisker
Ford
Genesis
GMC
Gordon Murray Automotive
Hennessey
Honda
Hyundai
Ineos Automotive
Infiniti
Jaguar
Jeep
Karma
Kia
Koenigsegg
Lamborghini
Land Rover
Lexus
Lincoln
Lordstown
Lotus
Lucid Motors
Maserati
Mazda
McLaren
Mercedes-Benz
Mini
Mitsubishi
Nissan
Pagani
Polestar
Porsche
Ram
Rimac
Rivian
Rolls-Royce
Spyker
Subaru
Tesla
Toyota
VinFast
Volkswagen
Volvo
Join The Discussion