Porsche Cayenne goes electric - and remains a combustion engine

The fourth generation of the Porsche Cayenne will be fully electric. The test program for the first camouflaged prototypes has already begun. At the same time, the Stuttgart-based manufacturer has now announced that it will also continue to develop the current hybrid and combustion engine models "at great technical expense" and offer them beyond the year 2030. In particular, the V8 biturbo engine developed by Porsche is to be "prepared for future legal requirements through extensive technical measures".

This is Porsche CEO Oliver Blume's response to the weakening demand on the electric car market. Although Porsche is committed to electromobility and, according to Blume, has aligned its general product strategy in such a way that "we could deliver more than 80 percent of our new vehicles fully electrically in 2030", this "depends on customer demand and the development of electromobility in the world regions". And as with the smaller Macan model brother, this will vary greatly, meaning that Porsche customers will also be able to choose from a wide range of powerful and efficient combustion and hybrid models for the large bestseller SUV "well into the next decade," says Blume.

At the same time, the new generation, as a completely newly developed and redesigned model, is intended to further advance the ramp-up of electric mobility at Porsche. The all-electric luxury SUV is based on a further development of the Premium Platform Electric (PPE) with 800-volt architecture. "We will use the potential of electrification to take the Cayenne to a completely new level in many respects - including driving performance," promises Porsche's Chief Research and Development Officer Michael Steiner. The development goals also include a high and stable charging capacity, high efficiency and a higher level of comfort and suitability for everyday use.

Following an extended phase of digital development and testing as well as initial test drives on the proving ground at the Development Center in Weissach, the first camouflaged prototypes of the all-electric Cayenne have already left the factory premises. "Testing in a real environment is one of the most important milestones in the development process," says Michael Schätzle, Head of the Cayenne model series. Before the market launch, the prototypes will complete several million test kilometers worldwide under extreme climatic and topographical conditions. (aum)