Full details: Secrets of the new 2024 Porsche Macan EV revealed

The all-new, all-electric 2024 Porsche Macan brings the biggest generational change to a mid-size luxury SUV ever seen and represents a sizeable performance leap for the German car-maker’s top-seller.

But there’s loads more to the new Macan EV story than what was officially announced at the gala event in Singapore last week, including a range of up to 613km and Porsche 911-beating 0-100km/h acceleration.

Of course the elephant in the room here is the fact the second-generation, battery-electric Macan will replace the existing petrol-powered range in Australia by the end of this year – and base pricing will be almost $40,000 higher.

But here are a lot more details about what is arguably the most important new Porsche in decades – and a car that sets the template for future electric SUVs from the hallowed performance vehicle brand as it transitions to 80 per cent of its sales being fully electric by 2030.

Component sharing means plenty beneath the skin of the new Porsche Macan will be shared with other vehicles. But there’s also plenty of Porsche pulsing away beneath the sleeker exterior.

The front motor was a joint development between Porsche and sister brand Audi and the motor is sourced from an Audi factory. It’s shared between Macan 4 and Macan Turbo variants and will also be used in future Audi models, including the upcoming Audi Q6 e-tron.

However, the rear motors – available in various sizes and outputs – are a Porsche development and will only ever be used in Porsches. And the rear motor of the Turbo is larger than that in the Macan 4.

Porsche considered more motors for the new electric Macan – but only briefly.

A tri-motor set-up with a single front motor and dual rears – similar to the set-up seen in the Audi e-tron S – would have allowed the removal of the rear differential but, as one engineer pointed out, you’d actually end up with more weight due to the additional motor.

He also said it was tricky to accurately control the electric motors individually and that an electronically-controlled differential lock – as fitted to the Macan Turbo – can be superior.

There’s also the issue of having half the power going to each wheel, so if one wheel loses traction you could effectively halve the grunt going to the rear axle.

Porsche has included an off-road setting in the drive modes of the new Macan when fitted with the optional air suspension system ($2830 on Macan 4, standard on Macan Turbo).

There are also fibre-reinforced plastics protecting the battery pack and floor, as well as an optional Off-road design pack that includes roof rails, inlays and a revised lower front spoiler.

But don’t expect more serious off-road design or anything Dakar-inspired in terms of capability. “We don’t see the market for more off-road capabilities than we have here,” said one engineer, all but ruling out a tougher go-anywhere Macan EV.

It may be faster than ever, but the new Porsche Macan is also heavier than ever. Each variant has increased in weight by a few hundred kilos, predominantly due to the mass of the 100kWh battery pack that lines the floor.

The Macan 4 weighs 2330kg and the Macan Turbo – with more equipment and a larger rear motor – tips the scales at 2405kg. For reference, the fastest petrol Macan today – the GTS – weighs 1970kg.

The new Porsche Macan’s standard active rear spoiler has three positions, including a closed position used at low speeds and when the car is parked.

The mid position is the most efficient, designed to reduce drag and improve range. There’s a more aggressive position activated when Sport or Sport+ modes are selected to reduce downforce and improve high speed stability.

Porsche also has a program to ensure the wing is closed when the vehicle is stopped to ensure fingers can’t get caught in it.

The new Porsche Macan uses battery cells manufactured by CATL. It’s also switched from the pouch cells used in the Taycan to prismatic cells, which have a rigid casing so the battery can be stronger and more durable.

Porsche considered a Taycan-style “foot garage” for the underfloor battery pack of the Macan, whereby the battery pack has a gap for feet of the rear occupants. However, in the Macan the taller body meant there was no need for the additional foot space. Engineers say it was a lot simpler to develop than the cutout battery pack.

Porsche made a big deal of the Taycan’s two-speed transmission on the rear axle, allowing for higher speed runs. However, the company says it added weight and was challenging to tune, which was one of the reasons it wasn’t considered for the new Macan.

Porsche says improvements to the electrical architecture allow for more current to flow (now up to 500 amps), which was something that has allowed torque output to surge enormously.

The Macan Turbo makes 470kW and a whopping 1130Nm, whereas the Taycan Turbo S makes more power (560kW) but less torque (1050Nm). Engineers said they didn’t need the transmission due to the flexibility of the electric motor. Keep in mind, too, that there’s a more powerful Macan GT variant in the works.

The new Porsche Macan has made enormous leaps over the model it replaces in terms of power, torque and acceleration. When asked why, one engineer justified it to us beautifully: “Because we can”.

Yep, that makes sense and it gives an indication of the ease with which car-makers can make big performance gains to remain competitive in the EV space.

Of course, the additional thrust was also added to overcome the extra weight. “This car has got a little heavier… you have to compensate for that,” the engineer told us.

The design of the new Porsche Macan has evolved, with a familiar face up front. However, there’s a significant change to the lights.

The things that look like headlights are only daytime running lights (DRLs), formed by the familiar quartet of LEDs. The headlights and high beams are lower in the bumper and look a bit light foglights off to the side.

The new Porsche Macan will be offered with the choice of two premium sound systems. A 14-speaker Bose system pumps out 710W of audio power and includes an eco mode to help “optimise the energy demand intelligently”.

It also reduces the luggage volume from 540 litres to 480 litres. It’s standard in the Turbo and costs $2230 in the Macan 4.

The Burmester system costs and extra $8970 in the Macan 4 (or $6750 when replacing the Bose in the Turbo), offers 21 speakers – including a 25cm subwoofer – and makes a combined 1470W.

The new Porsche Macan only makes its maximum power outputs – 300kW in the Macan 4 and 470kW in the Turbo – when utilising the launch control system from a standstill. When on the move the peak outputs revert to 285kW for the 4 and 430kW for the Turbo.

Porsche is the first brand to take a different approach with its 800-volt electrical architecture. Previously – including in Porsche’s own Taycan – such EVs have effectively run a 400V battery system and a high-voltage booster that kicks in when utilising an 800V charger.

But with the Macan it effectively splits the 800V battery into two, to allow faster 400V charging with less hardware. Porsche says not having to run through that additional booster makes for “particularly efficient charging” at up to 135kW (or 270kW when 800V charging).

The new Macan is the first Porsche to incorporate Android Automotive, which goes a lot further than Android Auto smartphone connectivity. The Automotive system has the ability to control all electronic functions in the car, from the infotainment system to the instrument cluster, seats, lights, ventilation and more.

Porsche is starting off modestly with the Macan, allowing the Google-based system only to operate infotainment, but that’s something that could change over time via over-the-air software updates.

Indeed, the company is leaving the door open to further utilisation down the track, with one engineer telling us “there are lots of degrees of freedom (with Android Automotive), but it’s in the future”.

The battery pack of the new Porsche Macan provides a suitably low centre of gravity and there’s terrific weight distribution as well, with 48 per cent over the front wheels and 52 per cent over the rear-end.

And with plenty of power going to the rear wheels via a large electric motor, engineers assure us it will be easy to achieve oversteer – even without a dedicated drift mode – for those game enough to switch off the stability control.

The Porsche Macan EV places its two charge ports – one on either side – at the rear of the car instead of up front, as it is with the Taycan.

That was done partly to maintain familiarity with petrol-powered models, but more importantly to shorten the distance between the battery management system under the rear seat and the charge port. Because the cables between the two are thick and heavy, Porsche wanted to shorten their length.

It’s not often Porsche pops fake air intakes on a car (911 GT2 and GT3 models have plenty of them, but they all do something for cooling and/or aerodynamics), but that’s exactly what has happened with the new Macan.

The rear side vents on the Macan Turbo are purely for show – or, as design boss Michael Mauer puts it, “the function is just to look good” – and to better differentiate the more powerful model from lesser variants in the range.

The new Porsche Macan can be optioned with a 230-volt power outlet in the boot, allowing regular household appliances to be powered directly from the car.

However, unlike other vehicle-to-load (V2L) systems that can typically provide 2.3kW or 3.6kW of power, the $270 Porsche powerpoint delivers just 150W.

So you can forget about powering coffee machines or keeping your fridge going in a blackout; it’s more about charging laptops or getting some lights running.

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