Next Porsche Macan to be electric-only model

The next-generation Porsche Macan will be offered exclusively with electric drivetrains, in a move that further distances the German car maker from traditional internal combustion engine technology.

In an official announcement, Porsche said: "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 second iteration of the firm’s mid-size SUV is set to become the third electric Porsche, following the Taycan due out later this year and the Taycan Sport Turismo estate, which is planned to go on sale in 2020. The firm had previously revealed that it was working on a battery-electric SUV.

No details have been made about the electric drivelines planned to power to the new Macan, but it's expected to receive a twin motor set-up and standard four-wheel drive, as planned for higher-end versions of the Taycan.

As with the existing facelifted version of the first-generation Macan on sale today, the electric SUV is also set to be sold with a number of different power outputs in a multi-model range. 

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

Porsche Macan

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

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 with varying wheelbase and track widths.

Confirmation that the new Macan will be electric-only suggests Audi may take a similar route with the third generation Q5. The two models currently share similar underpinnings and internal combustion engine drivelines.  

A concept of the new Macan is expected to be shown this year, with rumours suggesting it may appear as soon as next week’s Geneva motor show.

In announcing plans to take the Macan electric, Porsche confirmed it will continue to produced in Leipzig, Germany – a decision it says was taken in July 2018. This will mean electric models being produced on existing Porsche production lines for the first time.

The Taycan and Taycan Sport Turismo are planned to be produced on a dedicated production line currently being established at Porsche’s traditional Zuffenhausen manufacturing base on the outskirts of Stuttgart.