Porsche has made waves this week by revealing that the next-generation Macan will be all-electric. Spurred on by the success of their plug-in hybrid line, the announcement is great news for fans of the German carmaker as well as those looking for an electric compact SUV in Australia. Porsche plans to roll-out the Macan EV early next decade, so Aussies should be seeing them soon.
The Macan going electric is particularly exciting for Australia. Not only because the current Macan makes up about half of their total sales Down Under, but because of what that investment represents for the EV market as a whole — And thanks to Porsche’s enormous scale, it’s going to be a sizeable investment:
“By 2022 we will be investing more than six billion euros in electric mobility, and by 2025 50% percent of all new Porsche vehicles could have an electric drive system.”
-Porsche CEO Oliver Blume
Australia won’t be seeing all of that six billion, but every dollar Porsche invests in EV represents lower prices, better tech, and more charging infrastructure for the burgeoning market. The day when EV pricing and availability rivals petrol might not be so far away. Be prepared to see lots more charging stations and new models appearing in Porsche dealerships and on Aussie roads this year.
Porsche have also revealed that their electric offerings will be manufactured right alongside petrol models in their Leipzig factory and will feature the recently-announced Premium Platform Electric (PPE) architecture, developed in collaboration with Audi AG. The decision shows how serious they are about developing cost-efficient EVs and production infrastructure.
We have yet to receive specific pricing and availability info, but it’s safe to say Porsche’s offerings are likely to be priced similarly to other high-end European automakers. Signs are favourable at lower brackets too, however, especially with brands like Hyundai actively working to bring down the cost of EVs in Australia. With any luck the technology and infrastructure will trickle down and accelerate the development of more affordable EVs for everyone.
JET Charge are the official recommended installers for Porsche vehicle charging stations, so we’re especially excited for the roll-out of the new Macan and what it means for the future of EVs in Australia. Stay tuned on jetcharge.com.au for more EV & charging news and info, and let us know in the comments what you think about Porsche’s new direction.