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One of Porsche’s top executives has weighed in on the solid-state battery debate, saying he doesn’t see them happening any time soon.
Michael Schaetzle, Porsche’s Vice President of Product Line Cayenne, told CarsGuide at the unveiling of the 2026 Porsche Cayenne Electric that solid-state batteries weren’t part of the conversation during the new-gen SUV’s development.
When asked, he said once the team were rolling on the project, the idea of using solid-state wasn’t feasible, at least “not at the moment”.
“So at the moment, it's not available for us, and I think at the moment it's not necessary,” Schaetzle told CarsGuide.
“There is no problem with the safety. We know how to handle safety issues in the car. The fast charging is working. We have got the performance we need at the moment. We have got the best chemistry in the car.”
Schaetzle said the advancements in battery tech available already were proving good enough for the Cayenne, and that Porsche is in charge of its own battery development so the quality is up to his standard.
“We are completing the modules in the car at Porsche in our own factory for that, so we’ve got experience in the battery.
“But at the moment, we have got the best technology in the car.”
The Porsche Cayenne uses a large 113kWh battery, with a graphite-silicon anode and a nickel-manganese-cobalt-aluminium cathode. Porsche implemented this combination of materials to make the most of the advantages each brings - the nickel for energy density, the silicon for fast-charging, and the aluminium for rigidity of the cell structure.
It can charge at up to 400kW with the right charging station, and 10 to 80 per cent takes less than 16 minutes. A WLTP range of up to 642km in the standard Cayenne or still-impressive 623km in the Turbo is the result.
With the Cayenne capable of all this as a big, very heavy SUV using relatively traditional battery chemistry, Schaetzle says solid-state batteries just aren’t necessary. And even if they were desired, they’re not a realistic option.
“We are always looking at what’s available, but at the moment it’s not available for us.”
When asked for his thoughts on a timeline for the implementation of solid-state battery tech in relatively mainstream cars, he said he’s not holding his breath.
“I think it's far away at the moment. So it's not a thing of one or two or three years, I think you have to wait a little bit longer.
“A lot of people are talking about it, but I don’t see it.”
