Porsche Going Electric-Only With Macan CUV

Porsche confirms its second-generation Macan will be offered exclusively with battery-electric drivetrains in a move that further distances the German automaker from traditional internal-combustion engines.

In an official media announcement made Tuesday on its Newsroom internet site, Porsche says, “The Supervisory Board of Porsche AG has decided to manufacture the next generation of the Macan as a fully electric series.”

Set for introduction in 2021, the new midsize CUV will become the third electric model sold by Porsche, following the Taycan due out later this year and the Taycan Sport Turismo going on sale in 2020.

No details have been released about the electric drivelines planned to power the new Macan, though it is expected to receive a twin motor setup and standard all-wheel drive – as is planned for higher-end versions of the upcoming Taycan.

As with the facelifted version of the first-generation model on sale today, its all-electric successor is to be sold with several different power outputs in a multi-model range.

Commenting on the decision to make the Macan an all-electric model, Porsche Chairman Oliver Blume says, “Electromobility and Porsche go together perfectly; not just because they share a high-efficiency approach, but especially because of their sporty character.”

The new Macan, which has been under development at Porsche for over two years, will be the first model to be based on the PPE (Premium Platform Electric) underbody being engineered by Porsche and its Volkswagen Group sister company, Audi.

A development of the J1 platform used by the Taycan and Taycan Sport Turismo, the more flexible PPE platform has been conceived to support models with both low and high ground clearance and in varying wheelbase and track widths.

In announcing plans to take the Macan all-electric, Porsche confirms it will continue to be produced at the company’s Leipzig factory. The move will see battery-electric models produced on existing Porsche production lines for the first time at Porsche.

The Taycan and its sister model, the Taycan Sport Turismo, are planned to be produced on a dedicated production line being installed at Porsche’s traditional Zuffenhausen manufacturing base near Stuttgart.

Confirmation that the new Macan will be sold exclusively with electric drivetrains suggests Audi may take a similar route with the third-generation Q5. The two current models share similar underpinnings and ICE drivelines.

A concept of the new Porsche Macan is expected to be unveiled this year, but Porsche neither confirms nor denies a concept will be displayed at the upcoming Geneva auto show.