Yahoo Autos 2025 Porsche Macan EV RWD and 4S Pile On the Electrons
All of the German carmakers seem to be going whole hog toward EVs, and Porsche is no exception. The Macan is its bestselling model, and after introducing the Macan Electric 4 and the Macan Electric Turbo this past spring, the company has now filled out the EV model line with a base rear-drive Macan, as well as a Macan 4S.
Just like the first two Macan EVs, these two new versions are recognizable as Macan variants, with all of their sharp corners and edges sanded smooth to achieve a drag coefficient of 0.25—down from 0.35 on the gas models. They also all wear the same standard 235/55 front and 285/45 rear tires as do all Macan EVs, with standard 20-inch wheels and optional 21s and 22s of the same widths but progressively lower rubber profiles. That front/rear stagger makes sense given that the various Macan EVs have front/rear weight distributions around 48/52, compared with the markedly front-heavy footprints of the gas Macans.
The two new versions fit into the lineup as follows. The base rear-drive model jettisons the Macan 4's front motor and relies exclusively on a 355-hp permanent-magnet synchronous motor that's 8.3 inches in diameter and 7.9 inches thick, with a peak of 415 pound-feet of torque. (All of these output figures reflect "launch control" maximums.) This motor deletion saves about 250 pounds, helping the base model get to 60 in 5.4 seconds and reach a top speed of 137 mph, according to Porsche. Our test measurements are likely to be noticeably quicker.
The previously introduced Macan 4 uses this same rear motor and adds a front motor that's 8.3 inches in diameter and 3.9 inches thick, developing 235 horsepower. The total power, however, is less than the sum of the two motors, peaking at 402 hp. The extra thrust drops the 60-mph time to a claimed 4.9 seconds, while the top speed remains at 137 mph.
The second new model, the Macan Electric 4S, uses the same front motor, but increases the size and power of the rear motor. The bigger motor measures 9.1 inches in diameter and is 5.9 inches thick. Porsche doesn't reveal the motor's figures, but total output rises to 509 horses and 604 pound-feet. That's enough to drop the claimed sprint to 60 to 3.9 seconds and achieve a top speed of 149 mph.
Then there's the Turbo, which also uses the common front motor, but adds an even larger rear motor, increasing the 8.3-inch-diameter motor's thickness to 9.1 inches. This boosts the peak combined output to 630 horsepower and 833 pound-feet of torque, sufficient for a 60-mph sprint of 3.1 seconds and a top end of 162 mph, according to Porsche.
All of these powertrains use the same 95.0-kWh battery weighing 1329 pounds. Not surprisingly, all models have similar EPA range estimates, varying from 315 miles for the base RWD to 288 miles for the 4S and the Turbo, about what you'd expect as the Macans get heavier and more powerful.
Coupled to an 800-volt electrical system and a DC charger that can absorb up to 270 kilowatts, the car can charge from 10 to 80 percent in 21 minutes. With a much more common 150-kW charger, the time is 33 minutes. Some of this speed comes from the battery's ability to accept high charging rates even as the state of charge increases above 50 percent. On a standard 11.0-kW home charger, a full charge from zero to 100 percent is listed as taking 11.5 hours. But more typically, owners will likely charge from 20 to 80 percent in something like six hours.
The Macan Electric is about the same height as the gas Macan, a couple of inches longer, about an inch wider, and has its front and rear axles three inches or so farther apart. This extra wheelbase hasn't had a major effect on interior space, with both gas and electric versions sharing a tight back seat with minimal leg room. The EV has more luggage space than the gas version with the rear seat upright, but less when it's folded, though it does have a three-cubic-foot frunk, which will easily hold a medium-size duffel.
We drove the rear-drive model and the 4S, and they both ride beautifully on otherworldly smooth German pavement. It doesn't hurt that all Macan Electrics come standard with single-chamber air suspension, coupled with Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM). This is the latest version of PASM, with separately valved compression and rebound damping. The car is also impressively quiet with very little road noise and only the faintest powertrain whine. Despite weighing about 850 pounds more than a base gas Macan, the base rear-drive EV feels quick and nimble. It helps that the massive battery is installed under the floor of the cabin, where it reduces the overall center of gravity.
Porsche says that the rear-drive Electric is about a half-second quicker than the base gas model. That seems about right, and coupled with the instant response of its electric motor, this version feels satisfyingly quick in town and not bad at higher speeds.
The brakes felt a bit touchy at first, though we got used to the feeling quickly. Porsche doesn't believe in much regenerative braking when you lift off the accelerator, and what little there is can be turned off, so you will definitely be using the brake pedal in the Macan EV, as much as you would in a gas car.
The 4S is noticeably quicker, given its additional 154 ponies. In fact, based on Porsche claims, it's nearly as quick as the gas GTS in acceleration—we clocked a run to 60 in 3.5 seconds for that model. We'll have to wait for our testing to sort that out. It goes down the road much like the base model, but the electric power steering calibration is not Porsche's best effort. This car was equipped with optional rear-wheel steering, and while it's easy to position the car accurately, the strong self-centering action feels decidedly unnatural.
If you want electric power for your Macan, you will have to pay for the privilege. With a base price of $77,295, the base RWD Electric costs $12,400 more than a base gas Macan that comes standard with AWD. Adding driven wheels to the Electric increases the price delta to $15,900. The 4S starts at $86,895, which is not bad since it performs similarly to the $90,995 gas-fed Macan GTS.
And the Electric models do include lots of standard equipment to offset their prices, at least partially. In addition to the standard air suspension and PASM, even the base model comes with Power Steering Plus (speed-sensitive steering ratios), a heated multi-function steering wheel, adaptive cruise control (that unfortunately can't be used in traditional mode), keyless access, and lane-keeping assist. Some of those are also standard on the base gasser, but those that aren't add about four grand to the bottom line.
Porsche, of course, is a master of creating attractive options that can push these base prices sky-high. The base Macan EV we drove had over $23K in options, including rear-axle steering, a nice head-up display, the additional passenger dashboard display, and numerous items each priced under a grand. Some $30 large in options pushed our 4S up to a total sticker of $117,145. Porsche promised that the gasoline Macans will remain on sale through the 2026 model year, so with a full model lineup of both gas and electric models, it will be interesting to see how Macan buyers vote with their dollars.
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