Electric Porsche Cayenne confirmed to come in 2026

Porsche is set to release an electric variant of the Cayenne in 2026, two years after the launch of the Macan EV. The current combustion-based model is to receive significant updates to extend its lifespan until after the launch of its electric counterpart. But software issues may still spoil the party.

The arrival of the electric Cayenne, which does not yet have an official name, was confirmed during the latest Porsche Capital Markets Day. It will be based on the PPE platform, co-developed with Audi, on which the Macan EV and the Audi Q6 e-tron will also be based.

Software issues?

The PPE platform allows for an 800 V architecture, which means 270 kW+ fast charging, high-performance electric motors, torque vectoring, all-wheel steering, and air suspension. The Q6 e-tron will be the first PPE-based model in 2023, followed by the Macan EV in 2024.

The Cayenne EV will be released in 2026, but software issues may postpone this launch date. Porsche has had problems with VW Group’s software branch Cariad, which has fallen behind schedule with the development of the E³ 1.2 software platform, which will be used for all of Porsche’s future electric models, like the luxury K1 super-EV.

This software delay has already postponed the Macan EV’s launch from 2023 to 2024, and the electric variants of the 718 Boxster/Cayman and the Cayenne also risk being postponed if the software isn’t ready in time. Moreover, this delay also has a cascading effect on future models, which intend to use a newer E³ 1.2 Evo platform, according to Porsche.

Current Cayenne is to live a long life

The current Cayenne, meanwhile, will receive significant updates to extend its lifespan and keep it fresh, even after the launch of the Cayenne EV in 2026. That would give the current combustion-based model, launched in 2017, a career of ten years or longer.

The Cayenne is expected to get a big update in the spring with a revised chassis, new engines, and styling changes, which Porsche calls “one of the most extensive product upgrades in the history of Porsche”. As a result, the Cayenne is Porsche’s current best-seller, with a share of around 30% of the brand’s total sales figures for 2022, followed closely by the Macan.