Porsche has released its own set of 'spy shots' as the new Macan takes to the public road for testing for the first time. This is no ordinary Macan, however, as this one is powered purely by electricity. Porsche has confirmed that the electric Macan will be launched in 2023, so we've a while to wait yet before we see the SUV's design uncovered in full.
New electric platform
We do know, however, that the electric Porsche Macan will share its 800-volt electrical architecture with the Porsche Taycan range allowing superfast recharging of the battery pack.
It's likely that customers of the electric Macan will be offered a range of battery options, possibly including the 83.7kWh (net) capacity of the Performance Battery Plus upgrade available in the Taycan. That could mean an electric range on a fully charged battery in excess of 450 kilometres.
However, it's thought that the electric Macan could go further again, as it will use the new PPE (Premium Platform Electric) co-developed by Audi, and previewed in the A6 e-tron concept. On that car's debut, Audi stated that some models built on the new dedicated EV platform would exceed 700km on a charge.
Extreme digital testing regime
Porsche began work on the electric Macan project four years ago, with a vast amount of computer simulation and optimisation carried out before a single wheel turned in the real world. Apparently, there are 20 discrete digital prototypes to cover aerodynamics, energy management, operation and acoustics.
"We regularly collate the data from the various departments and use it to build up a complete, virtual vehicle that is as detailed as possible," explains Dr Andreas Huber, manager for digital prototypes at Porsche. Some three million kilometres will be covered by prototypes in total before market launch.
Sportiest in class
When the electric Macan does arrive in 2023, Porsche is aiming for its junior SUV to be the sportiest model in the sector. Member of the Executive Board, Michael Steiner, said: "Like the Taycan, the all-electric Macan, with its 800-volt architecture, will offer typical Porsche E-Performance. The all-electric Macan will be the sportiest model in its segment."
Despite that, Porsche has confirmed that the internal combustion engined Macan will be replaced by a new model later this year. It points out that, while EV sales are on the rise in Europe, there is still strong demand for petrol power elsewhere in the world.