Porsche will launch its brand new fully electric Macan in 2023. Prototypes were tested on public roads. They will cover two million miles before takeoff. Michael Steiner, technical director of Porsche, told TopGear.com about the car.
About the styling, he says: “It will look like a typical Porsche and meet your expectations of an electric vehicle. It’s a typical Macan, but much more modern and sporty. “
The intentional leak footage shows a car with a wedge-shaped hood line that sits lower than the headlights. It can pull that 911-like trick because there is no engine underneath. The lamps themselves are flat like those of the Taycan. Like that scoop nose, a tapered fastback is obviously going to be good for aero.
Ignore the wrong chrome window line on the back. It’s just a disguise. So are the fat rear bumper and – durr – fake exhaust tips.
We ask for specifications, but he prefers to speak in impressions first. “It will drive like a Porsche. It will look like a Porsche, feel like a Porsche, and have the soul of a Porsche. “
To be more precise, he says: “It will have everything that the current Macan has for performance technology and, in addition, high-end electrical engineering from the Taycan.” A helpful technical drawing shows the four-wheel drive and air springs. With weakly installed batteries, you have to expect that the E Macan will be delivered in curves.
E Macan is the working name, says Steiner. You didn’t choose the production badge. But it will be Macan size and not much more than Macan price.
Neither an internal combustion engine platform nor the J1 platform from Taycan or the MEB from the VW Group are used. It has a new electric platform called PPE that is shared with the Audi A6 e-tron and others. Audi and Porsche would both have brought their best qualities. “On our part, these are the best genes for a sports car and fast charging.”
Steiner confirms that, like the Taycan, 800 V electrics are used. This enables ultra-fast charging – more than the 270 kW of the Taycan. This also means a high level of regenerative braking for better efficiency at increasing and decreasing speeds. In other words, when you drive like a Porsche and not drive at a constant speed on the highways.
According to Audi, the battery capacities of its PSA vehicles will increase to 100 kWh, and Steiner confirms that Porsche shares this.
Of course, there won’t just be a battery or power supply version. “We will have a typical Porsche model range, including a high-end super-performance variant [doubtless called Turbo]. For reasons of efficiency, the two-wheel drive is worth considering. “
So I ask how big the battery capacity and range could get at some point. Or will there be a sweet spot as chargers move closer together and become more powerful? “It will be different for different car brands. At Porsche, weight plays a major role. Adding kilograms for range isn’t the answer. Our main goal is to reduce the weight and loading times from the current 20 minutes. We are convinced that the motorway infrastructure should be improved. We plan to increase the range slightly, but we are not aiming for the World Cup. “
Big batteries also mean the car is carrying a lot of lithium that its owner rarely actually uses. He says this uses more energy in mining and makes the car less efficient, so the CO2 break-even point will be further away in its life cycle compared to a gasoline car.
The original Macan remains Porsche’s biggest seller. It may not feel old, but it is – it’s been around since 2013. So, says Steiner, “before the electric Macan in 2023, we’ll be investing in upgrading the existing one”.
This facelifted Macan will then be sold alongside the electric one. “So customers and regulators can choose. We don’t know how quickly the changeover will happen in different regions. “
There won’t be a PHEV version of the revamped Combustion Macan. That’s only for the Cayenne and Panamera, says Steiner. In the entire Porsche range, half of Porsche sales will be EV or PHEV by 2025, he adds. Since the 911 and 718 do not have a power cord, this means that a very high proportion of the four-door and SUVs will be PHEV (Panamera and Cayenne) or EV (Taycan and Macan).
This should boost business, says Steiner. “More than half of Taycan customers are new to the brand. But some have a Porsche and have kept it. We’re also looking forward to the E Macan. “
Photo: Michael Steiner and the Porsche E Macan
