Electric Macan heads onto the home straight

Porsche is putting the prototypes of the all-new fully-electric Macan SUV through a gruelling test global programme in preparation for its upcoming world premiere.

The new Macan is the first Porsche model to be built on the new Premium Platform Electric (PPE).

Porsche says it places great importance on real-world testing with camouflaged prototypes. At the same time, it says simulations in both the virtual world and wind tunnel are increasingly precise and play an ever-greater role. 

Drag coefficient (Cd value) of 0.25 

“When we develop a new model, it’s always about the driving dynamics and precision. That’s Porsche. It’s in our DNA. But it’s always about efficiency too. And design,” Macan product line vice president Jörg Kerner says. 

“Finding the optimal connection between our design principles and the specifications given to us by the aerodynamics engineers is certainly a challenge,” Porsche exterior design director Peter Varga says. “We’re working together on every millimetre to achieve the optimal balance between aesthetics and function.”

Through this teamwork, Porsche combined its design DNA with range-optimised aerodynamics.

“The active aerodynamic elements all significantly contribute to the range,” Aerodynamics and Aeroacoustics director Thomas Wiegand says. “We have an automatically extending rear spoiler and active cooling flaps on the front air intakes.” 

The vehicle floor is flat and closed in like a racing car, even in the rear axle area where the fairings are flexible and also ensure low air resistance when rebounding – an innovative solution in combination with the streamlined, largely closed wheels and the aerodynamically optimised tyre contours. 

The Macan automatically assumes its ideal streamline during normal cruising on a country road. The rear spoiler moves into the eco position, the air flaps close and the chassis level lowers. In this situation, Wiegand and his team measured a drag coefficient of 0.25 (previously 0.35). 

Fast charging with up to 270 kW

The electric motors in the new Macan draw their energy from a lithium-ion battery in the underbody, with a gross capacity of 100 kWh, of which up to 95 kWh can be actively used.

The 800-volt architecture of the PPE in the new Macan enables high-performance fast charging, which is being tested worldwide as part of the development process. The new Macan offers up to 270kW of DC charging capacity at 800-volt charging stations.

The charge level can be increased from 10 to 80% in less than 22 minutes at 400-volt charging stations, a high-voltage switch in the battery enables bank charging by splitting the 800-volt battery into two batteries, each with a rated voltage of 400 volts. This enables more efficient charging, without an additional HV booster, at up to 150 kW. AC charging up to 11 kW is also possible.