Porsche Macan EV delayed to 2024 over slow software development

Luxury vehicle manufacturer Porsche has confirmed that its all-electric Macan has been delayed to 2024, confirming the reports that surfaced earlier this year. Germany's Automobilwoche, in July had reported that the electric Macan and its PPE platform sister model, the Audi Q6 e-tron, were expected to get delayed by about a year because Volkswagen Group's CARIAD division is behind in developing advanced new software.

Porsche has also confirmed the delay in share prospectus issued as part of its IPO last month, where it noted that deliveries of the Macan EV are planned to begin in 2024. The automaker has warned that since the E3 1.2 software platform is still under active development, “a risk remains that the Group will not achieve its existing cycle plan for new vehicles on schedule, in particular BEV models of the 718 and Cayenne."

Porsche notes that the successful development of the E3 1.2 platform and the start of production and launch of the Macan EV are prerequisites for the continued development of further vehicle launches in the coming years which are also expected to rely on this software platform.

In the prospectus, Porsche also expressed concerns that delays or difficulties in the development of the E3 1.2 platform could be further exacerbated by the fact that CARIAD is currently developing a separate E3 2.0 version of its platform in parallel.

The Porsche Macan EV will be one of the first production models to use the Premium Platform Electric (PPE) co-developed by Audi and Porsche. It will use a similar 800-volt electrical system to the Taycan with improvements in range and DC fast-charging at up to 270 kW. The Macan EV is scheduled to enter production before the end of 2023 at the company's Leipzig plant.