Porsche is on the cusp of unveiling the first vehicle that will sit on its new Premium Platform Electric (PPE), the all-electric, next-generation Macan. In a new video, it reveals that the crossover has undergone more than 2.1 million miles (3.5 million km) of testing to prepare it for its position in the lineup.
Sitting on 100 kWh of batteries (of which 95 kWh will be usable), Porsche says that every model in the Macan line will be capable of traveling more than 310 miles (500 km) per charge. While the battery contributes enormously to that range, the new shape was also important.
The automaker spent countless hours in the wind tunnel, optimizing the contours of the body, the active aero elements, and even the wheels to ensure that the new Macan will be able to slice through the air. That work has resulted in a coefficient of drag of 0.25, which is close to that of a Tesla Model S, and an enormous improvement over the existing Macan, which has a drag coefficient of 0.35. Porsche estimates that the work it did in the wind tunnel is responsible for an extra 53 miles (85 km) of range.
Read: New Porsche Macan EV Reveals Triple-Screen Interior And Augmented Reality Tech
Fast Charging, Fast Recouping
To get drivers back on the road as fast as possible, Porsche says that the Macan will be able to charge at a rate of up to 270 kW, thanks to the platform’s 800-volt architecture. That means that the crossover can go from 10 to 80 percent charge in just 22 minutes. More useful still, the automaker points out that the Macan can recoup 62 miles (100 km) of range in as little as four minutes.
The platform doesn’t just allow for extra driving range, though. In addition to working for efficiency when the Macan is on the highway, the active spoiler can help it drive faster. Meanwhile, thanks to the PPE platform, the rear motor could be pushed farther back in the chassis, and guess who loved that idea.
Beyond being Porsche-y, moving the motor back allowed engineers more room for the rear-wheel-steering system, which improves driving dynamics. And it should help the Macan handle the 603 horsepower (612PS/450kW) and more than 738 pound-feet (1,000 Nm) of torque that the motors will provide in the top-of-the-line model.
Ultimately, Porsche’s testing regimen is in place to ensure that the crossover drives well and works perfectly. According to the VP of the Macan product line, Jorg Kerner, design and efficiency are hugely important to the automaker, but the two things that make a vehicle a Porsche are “driving dynamics and precision.”
We should get to see everything the engineers have been working on quite soon, as Porsche is expected to fully unveil the Macan EV in the coming weeks.
