2024 Porsche Macan Electric Prototype Testing (Next-generation Porsche Macan EV)

Porsche is picking up speed on electromobility. Thanks to a clearly defined roadmap, by 2025 more than half of all new Porsche cars sold are expected to be electrified – either fully or as plug-in hybrids. By 2030, the Stuttgart sports car manufacturer’s target is for more than 80 per cent of its new car deliveries to be fully electric models. Premium Platform Electric (PPE) is just one of the tools the company is deploying to fulfil this ambition.

This platform will give Porsche the opportunity to profitably market high-volume models to high technical standards and thereby electrify a further important part of the portfolio.

Powertrain: up to 450 kW and over 1,000 Nm
The PPE enables a wide range of models with rear- and all-wheel drive and various performance levels. The system output will initially go up to around 450 kW, with a maximum torque of more than 1,000 Nm.

As with the Taycan, Porsche is deploying the 800-volt technology for the next Macan generation. This ensures consistent high performance, significantly reduces the charging time, and lowers the weight of the high-voltage cables and the space required for them. A further common feature are the permanently excited synchronous electric motors (PSM) with hairpin winding used by Porsche. In this design, the rotor of the AC motor is fitted with permanent magnets that generate a permanent magnetic field in the motor. In comparison to asynchronous motors (ASM), PSMs offer higher power and torque densities, greater efficiency and better reproducibility of the power output.

In the all-electric Macan only the latest-generation PSM is to be used. To maximise the power density, the water jacket cooling was optimised in comparison to the Taycan. An example of the further comprehensive optimisations in the PSMs is what is known as the double V lamination – the arrangement of the magnets within the rotors.

The development of the power electronics has also taken a big step forward: to optimise the effectiveness, silicon carbide (SiC) is used instead of silicon as the semiconductor material in the pulse inverter (PWR) on the rear axle. This significantly reduces switching losses in the PWR and enables higher switching frequencies.

Battery: 5-80% charged in less than 25 minutes
All electric Macan models have a lithium-ion battery in the underbody with a total capacity of around 100 kWh. This sizing is based on the Porsche philosophy. When looking at how to balance range, performance and sustainability, the company focuses on travel time. High-performance battery and charging technology is key here.

The battery in the future all-electric compact SUV from Porsche consists of twelve modules with prismatic cells. The mixing ratio of nickel, cobalt and manganese is 8:1:1, and the battery achieves a higher energy density. Thanks to 800-volt technology, the first PPE model series from Porsche it to be charged with an even higher charging capacity than the 270 kW of the Taycan. At a suitably powerful fast-charging station the battery charge level can be increased from five to 80 percent in less than 25 minutes.

Developed together by Porsche and Audi
With PPE, Porsche and Audi have together developed an architecture for all-electric cars with which the benefits of a purely electric platform can be enjoyed in many ways – in terms of package and spaciousness, for example. At the same time, the architecture offers so much room for manoeuvre in the wheelbase, track width and ground clearance that it can be used to realise a variety of models – including in different segments. which simultaneously allows the flexibility for Porsche models to retain their strong, independent character.

The first Porsche based on the PPE will be the all-electric Macan. With its 800-volt architecture, the powerful electric motor of the latest generation, and state-of-the-art battery and charge management, this model offers the E-Performance that is characteristic of Porsche. The successor to the successful compact SUV will be the sportiest model in its segment. Along with reproducible best-in-class performance values, the development targets include long-range capability and high-performance fast charging.

For the top variants, the engineers are creating a dynamic, sporty driving experience with fully variable electronically controlled rear differential and a so-called ‘Performance rear axle’. Added to this is a powerful electric motor positioned behind the rear axle. This enables a rear-dominant all-wheel application across a wide spectrum. In combination with the dynamic torque distribution in the all-wheel drive, it also supports high agility when accelerating out of corners.