Upcoming all-electric Macan is first Porsche based on PPE

MANILA: Porsche is moving progressively toward electromobility. By 2025, it is anticipated that more than half of all new Porsche vehicles sold will be electrified, either fully or as plug-in hybrids. By 2030, the Germany-based sports car maker expects more than 80% of its new vehicle deliveries to be fully electric models. One tool that Porsche is using to achieve this goal is the Premium Platform Electric (PPE).

With the help of this platform, Porsche will be able to successfully market high-volume models that adhere to stringent technical requirements, electrifying yet another large aspect of its product line.

Together, Porsche and Audi have created the PPE architecture for all-electric vehicles, which offers numerous advantages of a purely electric platform, including package and space. At the same time, the architecture allows for sufficient room in the wheelbase, track width, and ground clearance. This allows Porsche models to continually evolve while maintaining their distinct, individual identities.

The upcoming all-electric version of Porsche Macan will be the first Porsche built on PPE. This model delivers the Porsche-specific E-Performance, thanks to the latest generation of powerful electric motor, and cutting-edge battery and charge management. The successful compact SUV's successor is positioned to be the sportiest model in its class. The development aims to include high-performance fast charging and long-range capability in addition to consistent best-in-class performance values.

For the top variants, the engineers are creating a dynamic, sporty driving experience with fully variable electronically controlled rear differential and a so-called “Performance rear axle.” Added to this is a powerful electric motor positioned behind the rear axle. This enables a rear-dominant all-wheel application across a wide spectrum. In combination with the dynamic torque distribution in the all-wheel drive, it also supports high agility when accelerating out of corners.

With PPE, Porsche can introduce a wide range of models with rear- and all-wheel drive and various performance levels. Initially, the system output will reach around 450kW, with a maximum torque of more than 1,000Nm.

Porsche is using 800V technology for the next Macan generation, just like they did with the Taycan. This guarantees consistently high performance, significantly shortens the charging time, and decreases the weight and space requirements for the high-voltage cables. The permanently excited synchronous electric motors (PSM) with hairpin winding that Porsche uses is another feature that they have in common. The AC motor's rotor is equipped with permanent magnets in this configuration, creating an internal permanent magnetic field. PSMs provide higher power and torque densities, more efficiency, and better power output consistency as compared to asynchronous motors (ASM).

Only the latest PSM generation will be used in the all-electric Porsche Macan. In comparison to the Porsche Taycan, the water jacket cooling was optimized to maximize the power density. The double V lamination, or the placement of the magnets within the rotors, is an illustration of the additional major improvements made to PSMs.

The advancement of power electronics is also seen in the usage of silicon carbide (SiC) as the semiconductor material in the pulse inverter (PWR) on the rear axle rather than silicon to maximize efficiency. This allows for higher switching frequencies and substantially lowers switching losses in the PWR.

A lithium-ion battery with a total capacity of around 100kWh is installed under the body of every electric Macan model. Porsche  concentrates on travel time when determining how to balance range, performance, and sustainability. The key here is high-performance battery and charging technology.

The battery of Porsche's future all-electric compact SUV is made up of 12 modules with prismatic cells. The battery has an improved energy density, thanks to the 8:1:1 mixing ratio of nickel, cobalt, and manganese. The battery charge level can be boosted from 5% to 80% in less than 25 minutes at a fast-charging station.

For the first time, the all-electric Porsche Macan uses “bank charging” if the station is using 400V technology. Corresponding high-voltage switches are automatically switched in the battery before the actual charging process starts. By doing this, the 800V battery is effectively divided into two batteries with nominal voltage of 400 volts each that may be charged in parallel on one 400V charging station without the use of a separate HV booster. The way the electronic components are packaged is also new; Porsche has submitted a patent application for its Integrated Power Box, which helps reduce the weight, costs, and cables needed. The on-board AC charger, high-voltage heater, and DC/DC converter are all packaged into one box to conserve space.

Photos from Porsche

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