A decade after its launch, the Porsche Macan is transitioning into its second model generation, now in an all-electric form.
By 2025 more than half of all new Porsche cars sold are expected to be electrified – either fully or as plug-in hybrids. Porsche’s Premium Platform Electric (PPE) is one of the tools the company is deploying to fulfill this ambition, using the platform as an opportunity to profitably market high-volume models with high technical standards.
The Macan model is built on the PPE and is a completely new development that has undergone rigorous testing.
The motors in the electric Macan draw their energy from a lithium-ion battery in the underbody, with a gross capacity of 100kWh, of which up to 95kWh can be actively used.
The 800V architecture of the PPE is designed to enable high-performance fast charging and is being tested worldwide as part of the development process.
Jörg Kerner, VP of the Macan product line, explained, “There are different charging standards in our main markets. A major focus of the testing has therefore been on checking these different framework conditions in the different locations with our prototypes and adapting the technology accordingly where necessary. Charging simply has to work, wherever and whenever.”
The DC charging capacity for the EV at 800V charging stations is up to 270kW. The charge level can be increased from 10% to 80% in less than 22 minutes at 400V charging stations; a high-voltage switch in the battery enables bank charging by effectively splitting the 800V battery into two batteries, each with a rated voltage of 400V. This enables particularly efficient charging, without an additional HV booster, at up to 150kW. AC charging is possible with up to 11kW.
To date, the camouflaged prototypes of the all-electric Macan have completed more than three and a half million test kilometers on test tracks and public roads. Kerner explained, “An SUV also has to work on any surface. That’s why we test not only on roads but also off-road, on gravel, snow and ice.”
To address this, Porsche used the latest generation of permanently excited PSM motors on the front and rear axles, which provide more than 450kW of over-boost power.
The electronically controlled Porsche Traction Management manages the distribution of more than 1,000Nm of torque, with Launch Control in the top model in almost real time. To offer high performance and comfort, the engineers have deployed a Porsche Active Suspension Management system with two-valve damper technology, air suspension, rear-axle transverse lock and, for the first time, rear-axle steering with a steering angle of up to 5°.
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