2024 Porsche Macan EV Review: First Drive

Porsche didn’t cut any corners when it came time to design its first EV. The Taycan was fresh, innovative and above all a Porsche. It introduced an 800-volt architecture, super-fast charging speeds, and breathtaking performance. The lessons learned after selling over 150,000 of them in just a few years have in no small part played a major influence on the brand's second EV—the new Macan.

You can still buy a gas Macan, which is the one we’ve known since Porsche started selling it in 2014, but there’s no word on how much longer you can do that. The electric Macan is a completely different vehicle that shares more with the Taycan than it does with the old gas version.

The electric Macan is based on the new Premium platform electric (PPE). PPE was co-developed with Audi to underpin a variety of electric vehicles that will span different segments. The Macan is the first one based on this new architecture. It’s an 800-volt platform and uses dual permanently excited synchronous motors with hairpin windings. That means you get more consistent power and torque production with higher efficiency. And an 800-volt system can be charged much faster and requires thinner and lighter wiring reducing weight.

The electric Macan is bigger than the gasoline version with an additional 3.4-inches (86 mm) of wheelbase providing a more spacious cabin, especially for rear seat passengers. Two trims, Macan 4 and Macan Turbo will kick things off. Each will get two motors, a 100 kWh (95 kWh usable) battery pack, and a standard new air suspension system. The Turbo gets a bigger motor on the rear axle, in fact it’s the biggest one Porsche makes and the same one from the new Taycan Turbo GT. It also uses the same silicon-carbide infused 900-ampere pulse inverter to make a total of 630 hp and 833 lb-ft of torque when using launch control. The Macan 4 has to make do with a measly 402 hp and 479 torques. Ok, so that’s still a lot.

There’s a lot more work to making an EV as efficient as possible and a major one is aerodynamics. The more easily a vehicle is able to slice through the air, the less the motors have to work which results in real world mileage gains. The new Macan has a completely sealed underbody, variable cooling flaps in the bumpers, special wheel designs, and even an adaptive rear spoiler to help generate a drag coefficient of just 0.25. That crushes the gas Macan’s 0.35 and is enough to net an additional 53 miles (85 km) of range, at least that’s what Porsche tells us. Total range is up to 381 miles (613 km) for the Macan 4, and up to 367 miles (591km) for the Turbo but that’s according to WLTP testing which is optimistic to say the least. Expect actual ranges 30-60 miles (50-100 km) less than that in the real world.

Electric vehicles that are based on an 800-volt architecture require a high-voltage booster to charge at a 400-volt station. Most of the fast-charging stations still use 400-volt technology so it’s an important piece of equipment to have on board. Yet the new Macan doesn’t have one, which saves weight. Instead, it has a high-voltage switch that splits the 800-volt battery into two 400-volt halves and allows them to be charged in parallel at a rate of up to 135kW. Charging speeds of up to 270 kW can be achieved with more powerful 800-volt chargers which will allow a Macan to charge from 10 to 80 per cent in just 21 minutes.

The new battery pack is made up of 12 replaceable modules which make it easier to repair when it’s faulty or malfunctioning instead of having to replace the entire pack. It’s a nod towards sustainability but also makes it more cost-effective to fix.

It just wouldn’t be right if the Macan lost its athletic and dynamic character. It was considered one of the more fun to drive SUVs on the market so the electric Macan needs to make the same impression despite weighing nearly 1000 lbs more. Yes, EV battery packs are heavy but they sit low in the chassis which lowers the centre of gravity. The Macan also has optional rear-wheel steering that makes it feel somewhat nimble at lower speeds and it’s blessed with an excellent steering rack.

The Macan Turbo is the athlete of the two with a slightly stiffer ride and quicker responses. It’s eager to turn in with the rear following in unison and staying nice and flat through even the squiggliest of mountain passes. There’s near unlimited reserves of stick from the tires and the brakes offer prodigious stopping power. Yup, it’s still a Macan and it still handles really well but I felt like I had a bigger smile on my face behind the wheel of the old one, which felt smaller and more agile. On paper the electric Macan is superior in every way and when it comes to acceleration it’s in another league altogether. The base Macan 4 is more than quick enough with a 0-60 mph time of 4.9 seconds (0-100 km/h just over 5 seconds). But the Turbo feels like it launches with the force of a gamma ray burst. A sprint to 60 mph from rest arrives in just 3.1seconds (100 km/h in 3.3 seconds) and it will keep accelerating till it reaches its top speed of 160 mph (260 km/h).

The cabin is a mix of 911 and Taycan. Knurled metal toggle switches on the centre console add some tactile control to the otherwise screen-intensive cabin. There’s a new 10.9-inch passenger screen, and a 12.6-inch curved instrument cluster screen along with a 10.9-inch main centre screen. A vivid new head-up display can show augmented-reality navigation instructions and is crystal clear even with sunglasses on.

The driving position is spot on and the new Android-based OS is the best iteration of Porsche’s infotainment software. The google maps-based navigation was especially adept in navigating us through the confusing labyrinth of French roads and roundabouts. And as usual the materials, quality, and attention to detail are as good as it gets in the industry. It’s an expensive vehicle, but more importantly it feels expensive.

There’s a significant premium to pay for the electric Macan. In the United States, the Macan 4 starts at $80,450 including destination charges. For the Macan Turbo, pricing begins at $106,95, once again including destination charges.

In Canada, the Macan 4 starts at $99,300 and the Macan Turbo is $125,300 before adding any options. And those options aren’t cheap. Rear-wheel steering, for example, is $2320; the augmented reality head-up display is $2880. You can get optional 22-inch wheels, the largest ever offered on Macan but they’ll run you $4000. Our Turbo tester had over $25,000 worth of extras, almost enough to buy a new Honda Civic.

The gas Macan served as the lowest-priced entry to the Porsche brand which no doubt netted them many new customers that might have never considered one before. The electric Macan now moves firmly into Porsche 911/Taycan pricing territory and while it’s a luxury product we would love to see a cheaper single-motor version added to the lineup. For those that are willing to wait a bit longer, the upcoming Audi Q6 etron is based on the same chassis and will likely start at a lower price.

The new electric Macan is on sale now with deliveries expected in the second half of the year.