Porsche's Best-Selling Macan Crossover Is Going Fully Electric For 2021
However, the company today just announced some jaw-dropping news regarding its best-selling vehicle, the Macan. The second-generation Macan, which will go into production early in the next decade, will be electric-only. What makes this move so shocking is that fact that this isn't some low-volume vehicle that Porsche can just "experiment" with. Porsche sold nearly 90,000 units globally last year, representing roughly one third of its entire production volume.
In its current form, the Macan is a compact SUV powered by turbocharged four- or six-cylinder engines (for the U.S. market). Global versions of the crossover are available with diesel engines as well.
"Electromobility and Porsche go together perfectly; not just because they share a high-efficiency approach, but especially because of their sporty character," said Oliver Blume, who serves as Chairman of the Board of Management for Porsche AG.
"By 2022 we will be investing more than six billion euros in electric mobility, and by 2025 50% of all new Porsche vehicles could have an electric drive system. Our aim is to take a pioneering role in technology, and for this reason we will continue to consistently align the company with the mobility of the future.”
According to Porsche, the next-generation Macan will be based on the company's Premium Platform Electric (PPE), which will form the basis of many models including future versions of the upcoming Taycan and its Taycan Cross Turismo variant. However, the Macan likely won't be as fast or as powerful as the performance-oriented Taycan. That vehicle is expected to feature dual electric motors with around 600 horsepower on tap. However, you can count on the Macan maintaining the dual-motor configuration with performance models delivering in excess of 500 horsepower.
Given its PPE roots, the next-generation Macan will inherit the company’s 800-volt charging system, which means that it should be able to recharge fast enough to add 250 miles of range in around 15 minutes.
With that being said, it will be interesting to see how Porsche prices the all-electric Macan, which will likely be going toe-to-tow with the Tesla Model Y. The current generation vehicle starts at $47,800 with a 252hp turbo-charged four-cylinder, and can hit in excess of $87,0000 for the Macan Turbo with Performance Package. The Taycan, on the other hand, is expected to have a base MSRP of $92,500.
