The Macan EV’s SUV credentials, its high ground clearance and off-road driving mode, should mean it’s capable of taking you over most kinds of terrain you’d realistically need to cross. But one thing it can’t do is swim. For that, you need its new cousin, the Frauscher x Porsche 850 Fantom Air.
Porsche teased the new boat back in June when it issued a sketch of the 28.4 foot (8.67 meter) day cruiser and told us it would share technology with the upcoming Macan EV. But now the automaker is ready to take customers for whatever the boat equivalent of a test drive is on Italy’s Lake Garda, and it’s revealed exactly what those synergies with the new electric SUV are.
They include the 100 kWh battery, which is housed under the floor of the lounge area at the rear of the boat, while the permanently excited synchronous electric motor (PSM) is also borrowed from Porsche’s Premium Platform Electric (PPE) parts bin. For this application it’s rated at 536 hp (400 kW / 544 PS) and has a top speed of 53 mph (46 knotts / 85 km/h), though the optimum cruising speed is said to be 26 mph (22 knotts / 41 km/h).
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At that cruising speed the battery lasts for around 60 minutes or 28 miles (45 km), but Porsche says typical customer trips with a mix of high- and low speeds will give two or three hours’ use. After that, it’s time for a charge, which is where the Macan’s 800-volt tech comes into play. It lets the boat swallow 250 kW of DC current, meaning it can be charged from 10-30 percent in under 30 minutes. You can also use AC charging by regular household socket, which will take an eternity, or speed the job up a little using the 11 kW onboard charger.
The boat itself is based on Frauscher’s 858 Fantom Air day cruiser, and the exterior styling, as well as the features like the nine-passenger cabin space, swimming platform and sunbathing pads will all be familiar to buyers of the regular ICE-powered Frauscher craft. But in addition to supplying the EV hardware, Porsche also worked on the interior design, supplying a car steering wheel (but upholstered in fake leather to withstand salt water), supportive sports seats and a reworked dashboard with a five analog dials. The starter button is even to the left of the wheel, just as the ignition switch is on Porsche cars.
And in another car-like move, Porsche and Frauscher will start by releasing 25 First Edition versions of the boat. Interested parties will need to find €561,700 ($593,000) and wait until next year for delivery.
