The high-end SUV model is Porsche’s most popular vehicle among consumers, with almost 90,000 sold in 2018. At present, no electric or hybrid version of the Macan is available.

In March 2017, Porsche executives publicly hinted at an electric switch for the Macan and other models.

The switch to an all-electric model will be the third such switchover in Porsche’s portfolio, with the Taycan sedan going electric by the end of 2019 and a crossover version of the Taycan – the Taycan Cross Turismo – set for production to begin in 2020. According to Porsche, the “next-generation” electric Macan will enter production “early in the next decade”.

The vehicle will share the same 800V charging system as the Taycan and Taycan Cross Turismo, which allows for rapid 350kW charging; equivalent to approximately an extra 400km of range added in just 15 minutes.

It will be the first Porsche model to run on the new Premium Platform Electric (PPE) architecture, jointly developed with sister company Audi for larger electric vehicles.

“Electromobility and Porsche go together perfectly, not just because they share a high-efficiency approach, but especially because of their sporty character,” said Oliver Blume, chair of the board of management for Porsche. “By 2022, we will be investing more than six billion euros in electric mobility and by 2025 50 per cent of all new Porsche vehicles could have an electric drive system.”

“Nevertheless, over the next ten years we will focus on a drive mix consisting of even further optimised petrol engines, plug-in hybrid models and purely electrically operated sports cars. Our aim is to take a pioneering role in technology and for this reason we will continue to consistently align the company with the mobility of the future.”

Blume said that Porsche would focus on offering models with long ranges and short charging times in order to help electromobility to succeed.

The new electric SUV is to be built on existing production lines in Porsche’s Leipzig plant: the manufacturing site for the current Macan, Cayenne and Panamera. The Taycan and Taycan Cross Turismo, however, are set to be assembled on a new production line on the outskirts of Stuttgart dedicated to electric vehicles.

Following the revelation of its deliberate cheating of diesel emissions tests in the US and Europe, Volkswagen has been engaged in a multibillion euro shift towards electric propulsion technology. Electric models already launched within the VAG Volkswagen family include the e-Golf, the Audi e-tron, and the Passat GTE.

Last week, Stuttgart-based Porsche warned that its UK customers may be forced to pay a 10 per cent surcharge on cars imported into the UK after the country’s withdrawal from the EU. This would raise the price of a basic Macan SUV from £46,000 to over £50,000. Volkswagen has declined to say whether a similar surcharge could be applied to its other car brands Bugatti, Bentley, Audi, Lamborghini, SEAT and Škoda.

The high-end SUV model is Porsche’s most popular vehicle among consumers, with almost 90,000 sold in 2018. At present, no electric or hybrid version of the Macan is available.

In March 2017, Porsche executives publicly hinted at an electric switch for the Macan and other models.

The switch to an all-electric model will be the third such switchover in Porsche’s portfolio, with the Taycan sedan going electric by the end of 2019 and a crossover version of the Taycan – the Taycan Cross Turismo – set for production to begin in 2020. According to Porsche, the “next-generation” electric Macan will enter production “early in the next decade”.

The vehicle will share the same 800V charging system as the Taycan and Taycan Cross Turismo, which allows for rapid 350kW charging; equivalent to approximately an extra 400km of range added in just 15 minutes.

It will be the first Porsche model to run on the new Premium Platform Electric (PPE) architecture, jointly developed with sister company Audi for larger electric vehicles.

“Electromobility and Porsche go together perfectly, not just because they share a high-efficiency approach, but especially because of their sporty character,” said Oliver Blume, chair of the board of management for Porsche. “By 2022, we will be investing more than six billion euros in electric mobility and by 2025 50 per cent of all new Porsche vehicles could have an electric drive system.”

“Nevertheless, over the next ten years we will focus on a drive mix consisting of even further optimised petrol engines, plug-in hybrid models and purely electrically operated sports cars. Our aim is to take a pioneering role in technology and for this reason we will continue to consistently align the company with the mobility of the future.”

Blume said that Porsche would focus on offering models with long ranges and short charging times in order to help electromobility to succeed.

The new electric SUV is to be built on existing production lines in Porsche’s Leipzig plant: the manufacturing site for the current Macan, Cayenne and Panamera. The Taycan and Taycan Cross Turismo, however, are set to be assembled on a new production line on the outskirts of Stuttgart dedicated to electric vehicles.

Following the revelation of its deliberate cheating of diesel emissions tests in the US and Europe, Volkswagen has been engaged in a multibillion euro shift towards electric propulsion technology. Electric models already launched within the VAG Volkswagen family include the e-Golf, the Audi e-tron, and the Passat GTE.

Last week, Stuttgart-based Porsche warned that its UK customers may be forced to pay a 10 per cent surcharge on cars imported into the UK after the country’s withdrawal from the EU. This would raise the price of a basic Macan SUV from £46,000 to over £50,000. Volkswagen has declined to say whether a similar surcharge could be applied to its other car brands Bugatti, Bentley, Audi, Lamborghini, SEAT and Škoda.