Latest Car News: The Porsche Cayenne will Go All-Electric in 2026

Latest Car News: The Porsche Cayenne will Go All-Electric in 2026

By Libby Foster
21-02-2023
With a large wave of modifications intended to maintain its attractiveness until the middle of the decade, Porsche will extend the lifespan of the current-generation Porsche Cayenne, which is still unquestionably its best-selling vehicle on the market. But, work is already underway on an all-electric successor.


The electric Cayenne is anticipated to go on sale in 2026, about two years after the delayed Porsche Macan EV and a year before the brand's new K1 range-topping SUV. It will give its manufacturer a vital zero-emission substitute for the vehicle that has supported its dramatic growth trajectory over the past 20 years.


What Can We Expect from the Porsche Cayenne EV? 

The Cayenne EV, whose official title has not yet been determined, will share the same Premium Platform Electric (PPE) architecture with the smaller Macan model and the upcoming Audi Q6 E-Tron. This means that to take some of the Cayenne's distinctive sports car-aping qualities into the electric era, it will get the same cutting-edge torque-vectoring technology and four-wheel steering capability.


It will be designed to provide a level of performance and functionality comparable to those of today's top-tier EVs. It is known that the PPE platform has 800V hardware installed for charging at rates of more than 270kW. However, Porsche's new modular prismatic batteries can be scaled up or down according to the vehicle's wheelbase, so the larger Cayenne could obtain an uplift in capacity to compete with the long-legged Mercedes-Benz EQS SUV. The Macan EV will be equipped with a 100kWh battery for an expected range of more than 300 miles.


Porsche hasn't provided any other information about the electric Cayenne, but the vehicle will be essential to the company's effort to sell more than 80% of EVs by 2030. It is anticipated to be sold, at least initially, alongside a more advanced Cayenne, which will soon receive significant updates, including a new engine lineup and a host of aesthetic improvements. The two, like the Macan EV, are probably only connected by name, with the electric version adding a variety of EV-specific design elements and a different silhouette.


Why Does Porsche Need SUVs?

Due to an increasing trend among consumers seeking a balance between performance and utility, Porsche's best-selling models over the past 20 years have been the Cayenne and Macan. With 95,604 and 86,724 sales, respectively, the Cayenne and Macan were once again Porsche's two best-selling vehicles in 2017. About 59% of its 309,884 global annual sales were due to this.


Porsche has had tremendous growth because of the recognition of its SUVs in markets like China and North America. The two markets made for 55% of the German company's overall sales in 2022. These two markets are crucial to the future of the new flagship SUV, which is being developed to capitalise on this success.


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