Why The Macan EV Could Be The Most Important Porsche Of The Decade

By Jeremy J.Zacharias

When you think of the most important vehicle Porsche is developing for their electrified future, what vehicle do you think of? The Taycan? Perhaps. How about the more mainstream Macan EV? 

The Taycan, the first fully electric vehicle offered by Porsche,will go down in history as a leader of innovation and technology for the iconic sports car company, but with a hefty MSRP (particularly for the performance-oriented Turbo and Turbo S variants), the Taycan’s reach and practicality is severely diminished. 

The Macan EV, which will compete in the highly anticipated EV crossover segment alongside the Audi E-tron and the Tesla Model Y, among others, is the latest player in the electric compact SUV market. 

What It Is?

The Macan EV, Porsche’s first offering in the electric crossover segment, will take advantage of a much needed re-design for the vehicle by now two model types: a traditional gas-powered model and an all-electric model. Both models will most likely be built on two different platforms (the Macan EV will be built of the premium platform electric architecture, detailed below, and the standard gas Macan will continue to use the MLB Evo platform used on the current Macan).

The jury is still out on the particulars of the Macan EV’s performance and battery stats, but knowing Porsche’s incredible performance lineage and innovations with rapid battery charging seen with the Taycan, Porsche will surely not disappoint. 

Platform 

The Macan EV will be built off the premium platform electric architecture (“PPE”), which is the same platform to be used for all-electric Bentley, Audi and Porsche models beginning in 2022. The teams at Bentley, Audi and Porsche, which are all under the corporate umbrella of VW Group, will work in tandem to bring engineering solutions for further future EV offerings. 

The PPE architecture is a skateboard type platform which, like Tesla’s platform, has the batteries under the floor and between the axles. The Macan will be offered in a rear (single motor) or all- wheel drive (dual motor) configuration. It is also expected that the Macan EV will also be fitted with air suspension and rear-wheel steering for added handling performance.

Final Thoughts

As an electric car owner and a fan of Porsche’s latest offerings with a focus on its traditions and history, I am excited for the new Macan EV. With the current sale trends for the sports compact SUV market, this segment will continue to define the auto sales market for the future years to come. With the VW Group focusing its EV platform development on PPEarchitecture, this is a smart move to perfect this platform over time across multiple premium auto brands. The Macan EV, which may offer a starting price around $65,000, will offer consumers an introduction into Porsche’s electrified future without needing to drop six figures on the high performance Taycan. Here is to hoping that the Macan EV won’t use the “Turbo” moniker as the company did for the Taycan, but I believe I will be sadly disappointed.