Will this be the best electric SUV yet? Porsche Macan EV to deliver epic range, mega power

The incoming Porsche Macan EV is set to deliver epic range and performance, with reports out of the USA pointing to the all-electric SUV pumping out 450kW in its fastest guise.

Better still, the range promises to be Porsche's most affordable EV to date, significantly undercutting the Taycan to deliver (relatively) affordable electric driving.

The model that promises to be the "sportiest in its segment" is still a couple of years off arriving in Australia, but Porsche has begun drip-feeding details of just what to expect.

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That story begins with a 100kWh lithium-ion battery pack, which should prove enough to deliver around 500km in driving range between charges.

It will also be the first Porsche model to be built on the VW Group's PPE (Premium Platform Electric) architecture, and will offer a 800-volt architecture to aid with faster charging.

How fast? Try taking the batteries from five per cent to 80 per cent in 25 minutes, when plugged into an appropriate DC fast charger.

There are also two electric motors, one at each axle, with the latter pushed back as far as possible to improve the weight balance, and the Macan will also be equipped with rear-axle steering which aids in both slow- and high-speed cornering.

In its most powerful guise, the new Macan should produce around 450kW, adding weight to Porsche's promise that it will be the sportiest SUV in its segment.

It's early days for the new electric Macan, but the demand is already building, with Porsche in Australia recently telling CarsGuide that future customers have been fronting dealers and handing over their details to ensure they're first on the Macan train.

“We have been pleased that, like we often see with things like the 911 where people come into the Porsche Centres and inquire about the product even before it has had its world premiere and been unveiled and confirmed, we have got that happening with Macan,” former Porsche Cars Australia head of public relations, Chris Jordan, told us.

“People are already coming into Porsche Centres for Macan saying ‘I have seen the buzz online about the Macan EV, I know you can’t tell me much more about it but I want you to keep me informed when it’s announced – here are my details’.

“It happens with 911s – they put their order in a year or two before the car is unveiled, so Porsche Centres are used to handling those sorts of inquiries. But it’s nice that it has already started.”

That ties in with global demand, with Porsche saying it at least expects to match production of internal combustion engine-powered Macan, which means around 80,000 units of the electric SUV per year.

"We produce more than 80,000 units per year of the current generation. In the long term, we also plan to produce the all-electric Macan on this scale," Porsche's production boss, Albrecht Reimold, told Automobilwoche.