Porsche's zero-emission plans are rather simple. Over 80 percent of the German automaker's production output will be fully electric in 2030, or so claims big kahuna Oliver Blume. It's widely believed the 911 will soldier on with internal combustion engines, more so after Germany convinced EU legislators to exempt synthetic fuel vehicles from the 2035 ban on fossil-fuel vehicles.
Ferdinand Porsche is credited with designing the first-ever hybrid car in the form of the 1900 Lohner-Porsche Semper Vivus. Two years prior, the Egger-Lohner C.2 Phaeton rolled out as Porsche's first electric car. Nearly a century later, the Cayenne S Hybrid was unleashed as the automaker's first series-production hybrid. But going forward, the company's first SUV will switch to electrons only.
Expected to debut in the latter part of 2025 for the 2026 model year, the zero-emission Cayenne has been spied testing in sub-zero weather conditions with Macan EV-like camo. Hiding the mechanicals of the newcomer using the Macan EV makes perfect sense due to something called PPE.
Premium Platform Electric is a brand-new electric vehicle architecture developed by Porsche and Audi for the Volkswagen Group. The PPE will be later absorbed into the Volkswagen Group Scalable Systems Platform, a highly modular electric vehicle architecture that will assimilate the MEB as well.
A different animal from the J1 platform of the Taycan, which is derived from the MSB platform of the Panamera, the PPE boasts 800-volt setup that promises 603 horsepower and 738 pound-feet (1,000 Nm) in the upcoming Macan Turbo EV. Upcoming as in Porsche will unveil its zero-emission sport utility vehicle on January 24, 2024.
Photo: Baldauf
One can imagine a bigger punch from the Cayenne EV or whatever the roomier SUV will be called. The Zuffenhausen-based automaker won't be stopping here, though. Back in July 2022, none other than Olive Blume confirmed a flagship electric utility vehicle slotted above the Cayenne. In March 2023, the flagship model was confirmed to use the SSP Sport, which – obviously enough – is based on the group's Scalable Systems Platform.
With development headed by Porsche, said platform is likely to feature a 920-volt electrical system and oil-cooled electric drive units. Codenamed K1, the family-sized utility vehicle is a three-row affair that will join the lineup in 2027. Turning our attention back to the Cayenne, it's hard to ignore the larger arches and longer wheelbase.
The headlight design appears different as well, and rather curiously, the prototype also flaunts a pair of exhaust finishers. Look even closer, and you'll notice a different windshield slope and poorly camouflaged rear quarter windows. Based on the relatively flat roofline, this fellow is more SUV than coupe SUV. Another interesting detail is the visually large battery in the Cayenne EV's floor.
There's no concrete information regarding its capacity, but from the looks of it, you can expect more than 100 kilowatt hours. For reference, the 100-kWhMacan EV is much obliged to cover 298 miles (make that 480 kilometers) at an average of 60-plus miles per hour (97 kilometers per hour).
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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