Porsche's redesigned Cayenne due in the second half of the decade will be powered by batteries, the automaker announced on Monday during its annual general meeting.
Porsche predicts as much as 80% of its sales will be electric by the end of the decade, and that means most of the automaker's lineup will swap cylinders for battery cells in the years ahead. Porsche has previously said only the 911 is expected to still have a gas engine by the time 2030 rolls around.
The Taycan, Porsche's first EV, is already close to matching the 911 for sales, and an electric Macan compact crossover is due to start sales in the first half of 2024. Porsche is out testing an electric 718 sports car that will arrive around 2025, and the automaker has also confirmed an electric flagship SUV with three rows of seats that will arrive around 2027.
The electric Cayenne will come after the electric 718, Porsche said on Monday, pointing to a launch around 2026. It is expected to use a version of parent company Volkswagen Group's PPE platform designed for high-volume luxury EVs. The platform makes its debut later this year in an Audi Q6 E-Tron compact crossover—essentially Audi's version of the electric Macan.
Electric Porsche Macan prototype
The PPE platform is flexible enough to spawn low- and high-riding models in multiple size categories. For the electric Macan, the platform will feature a 98-kwh battery pack and a motor driving each axle. Combined output of at least one grade will be more than 603 hp, and even higher outputs are likely for an electric Cayenne.
Though it's yet to be confirmed, a four-motor powertrain may be offered in the electric Cayenne. Such a system would not only deliver high power outputs but also quicker and more precise control for torque vectoring. Porsche in 2019 said it was developing just such a system.
Similar to how Porsche plans to sell the current gas-powered Macan and 718 alongside their electric successors for a short period, the gas-powered Cayenne will also likely stick around after the arrival of the electric version. To keep it fresh, the gas-powered Cayenne is set to receive a major update this spring. The update will include new styling on the outside, several chassis upgrades, and more electric range for plug-in hybrid variants.
