2024 Porsche Macan EV Spotted Fast Charging in Norway, Does Well in the Cold

Porsche may try its best to develop eFuels so the internal combustion engine won’t die, but it proved with the Taycan that it can make great all-electric cars. Now, others must follow the total electrification path. So, let’s look at a camouflaged Macan EV prototype which might become another part of the marque’s success story.

Unofficially perceived by many Porsche insiders as the vehicle that most helped the German brand to strengthen its position during difficult periods, the Macan is undoubtedly an important model for the brand. In a world where high-riding vehicles are preferred by buyers of all backgrounds, crossover, midsize, and full-size SUVs matter more than gearheads would like to admit. This idea is reinforced by Porsche’s plans to bring a bigger-than-Cayenne SUV in 2027 which will be completely electric.

Even though many car companies base a good chunk of their existence on passion and enthusiasm, being a for-profit company means that you must also satisfy the needs of customers who are not always after vehicles like the 911 GTS or the Panamera Turbo S Sport Turismo. Somewhat ironically, in today’s market, the fate of these vehicles can end up depending on how successful the SUVs are. Fortunately, Porsche’s enthusiast models perform pretty well in the sales department. The 911 (992) is a hit, and its only all-electric car – the Taycan – received praise from nearly everyone, including hardcore EV naysayers.

All this tells us that Macan must continue to be a great compact SUV. From the looks of it, the breadcrumbs we’re being fed through various channels indicate that it will indeed be a model worthy of the Porsche badge.

Pictures published recently by Reddit user VegarHenriksen display a Macan EV prototype charging in Norway. Around a month ago the vehicle was seen enduring the cold in Germany. It seems like Porsche wants to seriously stress test the compact SUV before its public debut. And things are looking good!

The 175-kW charger images confirm that the battery is going to have a capacity of around 100 kWh. In a little over 15 minutes of being plugged in, the vehicle pulled 44.1 kWh from the charger, and the state of charge (SoC) shown in the picture is 52%. Even if we don’t know at what SoC the Macan EV test mule was plugged in, the great charging curve displayed at over 52% SoC while the outside temperature is below freezing level is encouraging. Staying above 170 kW while the weather is unfriendly is a welcoming sight for those worried about range and reliability in various environments.

We can speculate on the usable battery capacity, but it wouldn’t be of any help in this instance.

The pictures also show that the split headlights are confirmed to remain on the final version of the compact SUV. Moreover, we can see that Porsche didn’t choose a weird placement for the charge port like it did with the Boxster EV prototype. The all-electric Macan has it on the driver's side, right above the rear wheel. It’s similar to what you can find on an internal combustion engine vehicle.

This might help with the transition to zero-tailpipe emission vehicles for customers who haven’t been convinced by the Taycan yet.

Finally, the Macan EV must carry on the same sporting ethos it encompassed by now through great fossil fuel-powered models like the new S, the older GTS, or the currently defunct Turbo.