Iconic German automaker Porsche is reportedly planning to launch an all-electric version of its bestselling Cayenne SUV in 2026.
According to a report from UK automotive outlet Autocar, Porsche is currently in development of an all-electric Cayenne. However, Porsche will make us wait for its Cayenne EV until 2026, with a reworked version of its current ICE-model Cayenne planned in for the interim boasting a “significant round of updates aimed at sustaining its appeal past the middle of the decade.”
While Autocar doesn’t cite its sources, the report says the Cayenne EV will be based on the same Premium Platform Electric (PPE) architecture as its smaller Macan sibling and the closely related Audi Q6 E-tron, which is due by the end of the year.
Engineered to offer both pace and functionality to compete with other top tier EVs, the promised Cayenne EV will be fitted with 800V hardware to allow for charging speeds in excess of 270kW.
It is unclear as of yet what battery and range the electric Cayenne will offer. As was reported in November, the Macan EV is set to offer up to 450kW of power thanks to a 100kWh battery providing “a lot more” range than the Taycan, which tops out at around 500 kilometres.
Conversely, Porsche’s new prismatic batteries are capable of being scaled up or down depending on the vehicle’s wheelbase, so the Cayenne could be looking at an all-electric range ‘a lot, lot more’ than its siblings.
Referencing separate reporting by Autocar, these new-generation prismatic batteries to be used in Porsche EVs will effectively be capable of being split into two halves so as to charge more efficiently at a 400V charger – a step which could result in much shorter charging times.
The electric version of the Cayenne – no official name for the EV has been revealed – will be powered by a pair of permanently excited motors, one on each axle, offering greater efficiency and power density than the motors used in the current Porsche Taycan.
Again, comparing it to the promised electric Macan, which will be launched with a combined 603bhp and 738lb ft – much more than any existing Macan variant – an electric Cayenne with similar figures would be significantly more powerful than the current Cayenne S and GTS.
Joshua S. Hill is a Melbourne-based journalist who has been writing about climate change, clean technology, and electric vehicles for over 15 years. He has been reporting on electric vehicles and clean technologies for Renew Economy and The Driven since 2012. His preferred mode of transport is his feet.