Porsche has confirmed that the new Macan will be EV-only and based on a new platform

Porsche's Macan has been phenomenally successful since its launch back in 2014 and in 2019, over a third of all cars sold by the brand across the globe were Macans. Despite the importance of the model, Porsche has taken the bold move of deciding to manufacture the next-generation car as an EV, with no plans to equip it with a petrol or diesel engine.

The new Macan will follow the already very successful Taycan as Porsche's second EV, and first all-electric SUV. Whilst this isn't new news as such, a recent interview with Auto Express has added new impetus to the story with renderings of what the car should broadly look like. It's worth checking out their interpretation which has more than a hint of high-rise Taycan about it.

So what do we know about the new Macan so far?

First and foremost, the car will be based on a new generation of EV architecture which has been developed in partnership with Audi. Called PPE – which stands for 'Premium Platform Electric' – it is completely different to the J1 platform that underpins the Taycan (which we will soon be driving, so watch this space). Unlike J1, the PPE platform has been designed and developed over the past 12+ months specifically to underpin high-riding cars, so we can infer that when the Cayenne inevitably gets an EV option, it too will use the PPE platform.

Under the skin, the new Macan will use 800 volt technology like that in the Taycan, so we can assume that it will use a similar powertrain, albeit one with improved efficiency. In fact, Porsche reckons that it can eek out between 20 and 25 per cent more from its current lithium ion batteries, though the 600-odd kilo weight penalty that comes with them remains unavoidable.

Where the new Macan will almost certainly trump the current ICE-powered version is in the aerodynamics department. Expect a blocked-off grille, intelligent and active aero, the distinctive LED front and rear lights similar to those of the Taycan and inevitably some interesting new wheel designs.

Whilst the new Macan will be sold as an EV-only, an interesting point raised by Porsche Director of SUVs, Julian Baumann, in an interview with Autocar at last year's Frankfurt Motor Show is that the ICE version will continue to be sold alongside it for a while. This will mean that two completely different cars (under the skin) using the same name will be sold concurrently, which Porsche attributes to the notion that some of its customers simply won't be ready for an EV by the time it goes on sale.

Speaking of on sale dates, the electric Macan is due to hit the road next year, so we'd take a punt at getting more detailed information from Porsche – and maybe some official renderings – around Q3 this year.