Profits drive Porsche to rethink Macan EV

A REPORT published by Automotive News this week has uncovered information that Porsche is rethinking plans to ditch the internal combustion-powered Macan in the United States, its second-largest market.

Porsche was due to offer electric-powered Macan variants in the United States from mid-2024, dropping petrol-powered models the following year. Now, it seems the company has shelved the plans, favouring a wait-and-see approach for its best-selling model.

Speaking to the publication at a two-day retailer event in the Canary Islands this week, a Porsche spokesperson said, “They (head office) are going to review it. They will see how sales go in the next two years”.

In 2022, the Macan accounted for over 30 per cent of all Porsche’s US sales.

The Porsche spokesperson said there was apprehension surrounding the move to make the Macan fully electric, citing concerns surrounding the lack of well-maintained public infrastructure as a primary motivator behind the decision.

“They (head office) got customer pushback. They realised there are not enough chargers out there to support the Macan customer base,” the spokesperson said.

At the event, which was attended by Porsche Cars North America CEO, Kjell Gruner, executives demurred on plans to follow others who aim to join Tesla’s Supercharger network.

“(Executives) indicated they are trying to get as many chargers as possible,” said the spokesperson. “They know it’s a problem, and they’re trying to figure out how to do this most efficiently” – and seemingly without the support of another manufacturer.

The event offered North American Porsche retailers the opportunity to see the electric Macan (pictured) in the metal, alongside the recently revealed Mission X Hypercar concept, which is likely to evolve into the 718 Boxster and Cayman EV range.

But it’s the Macan that remains the importers most valued model…

According to the Porsche spokesperson, the Macan is critical to achieving the importers mission to diversify its customer base.

“One of the things they (Porsche head office) are not happy with is that the average age of a Porsche driver is over 50,” the source told Automotive News. “They want it to be anywhere from 25 to 35.”

The source said that Porsche aims to steer driven youth and successful women to the brand, hoping they will upgrade to a 911 or Cayenne as their careers and families grow.

At the conference, Porsche held workshops to help its retailers market to these groups via in-store events. The company is said to be rolling out alternative retail formats and recasting dealerships as “casual hangout spaces for customers and fans”.

Porsche told its North American dealers to expect US sales of 80,000 units in 2024, up 15 per cent over 2022.

Locally, Porsche Australia told GoAuto that it has “no information to suggest the proposed timeline for the arrival of the electric Macan will be delayed”.

The model is slated to make its global debut before the end of the year with production to commence in 2024 or 2025.

No mechanical details have been released yet; however it is expected the electric Macan will at least match the specifications of the similarly sized Audi E-Tron, especially the higher-end variants – up to 300kW/664Nm courtesy of dual motors and a 95kWh battery.

In Australia, the Porsche Macan remains one of the German brand’s most popular models.

Year-to-date figures show Porsche has sold 1303 examples of the Macan, well ahead of the Cayenne Coupe (371) and Cayenne Wagon (229), and streets ahead of the 911 (176), Taycan (172), Cayman (113), Boxster (41) and Panamera (30).