QuickCharge: This Week in EV This story is part of our regular series, QuickCharge: This Week in EV Updated less than 1 minute ago Porsche knows that sustained development and innovation are just as important in electric cars as in the internal-combustion sports cars that built its reputation, but that the current moment calls for a faster pace of EV development. Porsche spent decades slowly evolving its signature 911 sports car, but in just one 10-year span, it showed its first EV concept, brought that concept to production as the Porsche Taycan, and applied some of that cars engineering to a more mainstream model, the Porsche Macan Electric. And the German automaker isnt stopping.

After turning the Macan into an EV, Porsche is doing the same with the bigger Cayenne. But while it uses the same Premium Platform Electric (PPE) as the Macan Electric (and some Audi models), the Cayenne Electric is more than just an enlarged electric SUV. A hands-on experience with prototypes at the Porsche Experience Center in Leipzig, Germany, made it clear that this Cayenne represents a new evolutionary stage, with major advancements in battery-pack design, charging, and the user interface.

　　Battery rethink

When it comes to the battery pack, Porsche literally thought outside the box. Instead of placing the modules in a dedicated structural box, theyre mounted directly to the cars chassis. This reduces weight, helps increase structural rigidity, and also increases energy density since a bit more battery-cell volume can be squeezed in thanks to the elimination of the battery-pack structure. Porsche claims about a 7% increase in energy density over the Taycan, which uses the same pouch cell format as the Cayenne. This also shows the flexibility of the PPE architecture, as the Macan Electric uses a different cell format (prismatic) and a conventional pack structure.

Recommended Videos This arrangement also makes it easier to remove individual modules, which should in turn make repairs easier, Porsche notes. There also fewer of them just six, containing 192 cells, compared to 32 modules and 384 cells for the Taycan. However, overall capacity is higher, at 113 kilowatt-hours gross (108 kWh usable), compared to 105 kWh (97kWh usable) for the larger Performance Battery Plus in the Taycan.

Battery chemistry is of the common nickel-manganese-cobalt (NMC) variety, with a silicon-graphite anode to boost charging speed (see below). Porsche also made some tweaks to the cooling system, with cooling plates atop and below each module and a complex side-to-side flow path for coolant that compensates for the fluid heating up as it comes in contact with surfaces, plus smaller changes like moving the fans behind the radiators. This should ensure that whether charging or discharging (EPA range figures were unavailable at press time, but Porsche estimates 373 miles on the European WLTP testing cycle), the battery system should perform optimally.

　　Cutting the cord

The Cayenne Electric will also likely be the first mass-produced passenger vehicle available with wireless charging from the factory in North America. The inductive charging system transfers power from a pad on the ground (connected to a power source) to a plate mounted underneath the vehicle at up to 11 kilowatts about the same as many wired AC onboard chargers. Despite the air gap, power is transferred with more than 90% efficiency, Maximillian Mller, energy system manager for the Cayenne Electric, told Digital Trends, adding that the main limiter is the flow of power into the charging pad.

A good indication that this system is truly ready for prime time is that Porsche was willing to demonstrate it to journalists. In the prototype vehicles on hand, at least, engaging wireless charging was as simple as selecting the feature on an in-car menu and centering the car over the pad as one would when lining up for a parking space. Exact timing for U.S. availability hasnt been confirmed, but the feature will not be standard. Porsche will offer two levels of preparation: one with just wiring, and one with the actual underbody plate as well.

What will be standard is a North American Charging Standard (NACS) DC fast-charging port, replacing the Combined Charging Standard (CCS) ports available in all other Porsche EVs to date. This enables access to Tesla Supercharger stations, but if you want the fastest charging, youll want a CCS adapter. Porsche claims the Cayenne Electric can charge at up to 400 kW and go from 10%-80% charge in 16 minutes, but that will take 26 minutes with NACS because it only supports charging at 200 kW. Porsche spokesperson Calvin Kim said the automakers data show that customers rarely visit public fast chargers, so the lower power rate should be more than adequate.

　　Reinventing the screen

The Taycan and Macan Electric adhere to the Porsche ethos with interiors that minimize screens and thus potential distractions. That ends with the Cayenne Electric, but Porsche still managed to put its own twist on the door-to-door screen concept.

At the heart of the interface is what Porsche calls the Flow Display, a 14.1-inch vertical touchscreen thats bent to fill in the space where the dashboard and center console meet. Below it as a hand rest that puts your fingers within easy reach of the lower portion of the screen, where most of the widgets are located. The top portion is primarily for display, with the crease in the middle neatly dividing both. It feels like an improvement over conventional touchscreens, as theres no need to move your hand from the braced position to manipulate controls. But thats based on a short introduction with a stationary car. I cant wait to try it in the real world.

Related: This week in EV tech: Nissan turns over a new Leaf The central screen is teamed with a 14.25-inch OLED digital instrument cluster that, as in other Porsche EVs, mimics the shape of the gauge clusters in vintage Porsche sports cars. When using the standard wireless Apple CarPlay or Android Auto, a map view appears in the cluster. So while Porsche has abandoned plans to integrate Apple CarPlay Ultra, drivers are getting a similar level of integration. A 14.9-inch front-passenger display is also available, with different screen backgrounds flowing across all three displays to tie everything together.

　　Of course, its still fast

Over the past 20 years, the Cayenne has successfully defended its right to wear the Porsche crest with improbable performance, but the new electric version promises to level things up. In its top Turbo spec, the Cayenne Electrics dual-motor all-wheel drive powertrain generates 986 horsepower and 1,106 pound-feet of torque, although full power is only available when using launch control. Do that, and the Cayenne Electric will reach 62 mph in less than three seconds and continue accelerating past 155 mph, according to Porsche.

This is still a big, heavy SUV, so to manage that power Porsche deploys robust regenerative braking that can recover energy at up to 600 kW the same as a Formula E race car, the automaker notes teamed with carbon-ceramic brakes. The Cayenne is also the first SUV to get the Active Ride system previously seen in the Taycan and Panamera, which self-levels the body in response to steering, acceleration, and braking. This optimizes the load on each wheel, ensuring maximum grip and thus faster cornering, while also minimizing the jostling of occupants.

Porsche would only let me experience the Cayenne Electric prototypes from the passengers seat, and the best way to describe that experience is brutal. Launch control provides an almost-painful kick, and while a pro driver was able to hustle a Cayenne around a wet track with little apparent effort, the car didnt feel graceful. It changed directions decisively, but in a way that made the amount of weight being shifted around apparent.

However, The Cayenne Electric still has impressive performance chops considering that its also designed to carry up to five people in luxury, while offering substantial towing (Porsche estimates 7,600 pounds) and off-road capability (the prototype handled a field full of cows just as well as the track). Most customers will only use a fraction of that capability, but the engineering that underlies it looks to be another major step forward for EVs.