Yes, you read that correctly. The Macan -- Porsche's compact SUV and the company's best-selling model -- will be an electric-only affair in the not-too-distant future.
The next-generation Macan will go into production "early in the next decade," Porsche confirmed in a statement Tuesday, and will be built at the same facility as the current Macan, in Leipzig, Germany. The Macan will ride on the PPE (Premium Platform Electric) architecture being co-developed by Audi, which will underpin a number of EVs across Volkswagen Group brands.
Specific details are slim as of now, Porsche only confirming the Macan will have 800-volt charging technology. For reference, Audi says the 800-volt system will allow its upcoming E-Tron GT to achieve an 80-percent charge -- good for about 200 miles -- in just 20 minutes.
"Green" will soon apply to more than just the Macan's paint.
Steven Ewing/RoadshowThe Macan EV will arrive on the heels of Porsche's Taycan hatchback and Taycan Cross Turismo high-riding wagon, formerly known as the Mission E. "By 2022 we will be investing more than 6 billion euros in electric mobility, and by 2025, 50 percent of all new Porsche vehicles could have an electric drive system," Oliver Blume, chairman of the board of management for Porsche AG, said in a statement.
As of now, the Macan is Porsche's best-selling model by a long shot. The company sold 23,504 Macans in 2018, more than doubling the sales of its second-best-selling model, the Cayenne SUV. In fact, last year, the Macan outsold the entire Porsche 911, 718 and Panamera model ranges combined.
Whether or not this will be a smart move remains to be seen. The global EV charging infrastructure will no doubt get more robust over the coming years, and by transforming its most popular model into an electric-only offering, Porsche is indeed jumping on that bandwagon something fierce.
"Our aim is to take a pioneering role in technology," Blume said, "and for this reason we will continue to consistently align the company with the mobility of the future."
