Porsche is finally unveiling the Macan EV this week, its latest sketches show an early look
The all-electric Porsche Macan will finally show its face later this week. Ahead of its official debut, Porsche is teasing the new Macan EV with sketches that preview a “quintessentially Porsche” design.
The electric SUV we’ve been waiting for
Porsche has been teasing the all-electric version of the almighty Macan for what seems like forever now.
The brand first announced they would launch an electric Macan in 2019. It was expected to launch last year, but software hurdles caused delays.
Much of the delay was due to its underpinnings. The Porsche Macan is based on the Audi co-developed PPE platform, which will also power the upcoming Q6 E-Tron.
After several delays, Audi began “a new chapter in drive production” with the start of electric motor production for the PPE in November. The Győr, Hungary, site supplies both Audi and Porsche.
Porsche teased the new Macan EV last week, confirming its official debut on Thursday, January 25, 2024.
Days ahead of the big reveal, Porsche is previewing the electric SUV with new design sketches. The sketches show a “quintessentially Porsche” design with a modern infusion.
Michael Mauer, the Vice president of style at Porsche, said keeping a classic Porsche design while balancing it with “innovation” was a tricky proposition.
Porsche previewing Macan EV ahead of the big debut
The Macan EV is Porsche’s first EV that the brand is converting from an existing nameplate. Porsche’s first EV, the Taycan, established its own identity.
Mauer said the question was, “How ‘new’ does the ‘new one’ have to be,” and what would be too much? Porsche has three areas of focus – Focus, Tension, and Purpose. Essentially, these are what makes a Porsche unique.
Porsche’s style boss said, for example, the concept of “focus” is highlighted in the interior of a Porsche sports car. The driver is “always very much the focus.”
Mauer said they have taken the curved display a step further with a floating display designed for the driver.
Porsche says, in general, they are not distinguishing EVs from its gas-powered sports cars. “Porsche remains Porsche – and even an electric Porsche is a sports car in its segment.”
Mauer says the “new Macan is very clearly a Porsche – and a Macan – at first glance.” However, the design has been “sharpened both inside and out.” The style boss said the new Macan EV has an “even sportier and more dynamic vibe.”
Porsche claims the Macan EV will be the “sportiest in its segment,” with over 600 hp, race track performance, and off-road capabilities.
The automaker also says the Macan’s 100 kWh battery and design improvements will provide over 310 miles (500 km) WLTP range across all trims.
Porsche will finally reveal the electric Macan on Thursday, January 25, 2024. Check back for more info.
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Environment
Baidu- and Geely-backed JiYue brand unveils ROBO X EV that goes 0-100 km/h in under 1.9 sec
JiYue, a Chinese EV brand focused on delivering all-electric “robocars” to the masses, has unveiled its latest model, and it’s quite a deviation from its previous EVs—but in the best way. Earlier today, JiYue launched the ROBO X supercar, designed for high-speed racing. By high speed, we mean 0-100 km/h acceleration in under 1.9 seconds. My mouth is watering.
JiYue has only existed since 2021, when parent tech company Baidu announced it was expanding from software development into physical EV production, joining forces with multinational automotive manufacturer Geely.
The new “robotic EV” marque initially launched as JIDU with $300 million in startup capital before garnering an additional $400 million in Series A funding, led by Baidu, in January 2022.
In August 2023, Geely took on a larger role in JIDU alongside a greater financial stake as the brand reimagined itself as JiYue, inheriting the JIDU logo and its flagship model, the 01 ROBOCAR.
In December 2023, Baidu and Geely unveiled a second model called the JiYue 07. It was born from JIDU’s ROBO-02 concept, which debuted in 2023 and was designed to compete against the Tesla Model 3 in China.
The 07 finally launched in China earlier this year with 545 miles of range. With an all-electric SUV and sedan on the market, JiYue has unveiled an exciting new entry in the form of a performance supercar called the ROBO X. Check it out:
JiYue’s new ROBO X EV is available for pre-order now
JiYue showcased its new ROBO X hypercar in front of the crowd at the 2024 Guangzhou Auto Show earlier today. Similar to previous models but with a unique spin, JiYue described the ROBO X as an AI smart-driving supercar that, for the first time, blends artificial intelligence and autonomous driving into a high-performance, race-ready EV.
When we say “high performance,” we mean a quad motor liquid-cooled drive system that can propel the ROBO X from 0 to 100 km/h (0 to 62 mph) in under 1.9 seconds. JiYue called the new ROBO X a “performance beast” with “the perfect balance of excellent aerodynamic performance and high downforce.” JiYue CEO Joe Xia was even bolder in his statements about the ROBO X:
For the next 20 years, the design of supercars will bear the shadow of Robo X. This is the best design in the history of Chinese automobiles today, and it is a landmark presence.
Fighter-style airflow ducts bolster the EV’s aerodynamics, efficiency, and overall posture. Per JiYue, the two-seater ROBO X is expected to deliver a maximum range of over 650 km (404 miles).
The new supercar features falcon-wing doors, a carbon fiber integrated frame, and a professional racing HALO safety system offering 360° of support. The interior features an AI smart cockpit with SIMO real-time feedback to give drivers an immersive racing experience.
Furthermore, JiYue said the vehicle will utilize parent company Baidu’s Apollo self-driving technology, which could make it the first electric supercar to apply pure-vision ADAS technology that enables track-level autonomous driving.
Following today’s unveiling of the ROBO X, JiYue has officially opened up pre-orders in China for RMB 49,999 ($6,915). That said, reservation holders will need to be patient as JiYue shared that it doesn’t expect to begin mass production of the ROBO X until 2027.
What do you think? Will people be talking about the ROBO X for the next 20 years?
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This week on Electrek’s Wheel-E podcast, we discuss the most popular news stories from the world of electric bikes and other nontraditional electric vehicles. This time, that includes the launch of the Lectric XPedition 2.0, Yamaha e-bikes pulling out of North America, LiveWire unveils an electric scooter concept, PNY readying its cargo e-scooters for pilot testing, Royal Enfield’s first electric motorcycle, and more.
The Wheel-E podcast returns every two weeks on Electrek’s YouTube channel, Facebook, Linkedin, and Twitter.
As a reminder, we’ll have an accompanying post, like this one, on the site with an embedded link to the live stream. Head to the YouTube channel to get your questions and comments in.
After the show ends, the video will be archived on YouTube and the audio on all your favorite podcast apps:
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Here are a few of the articles that we will discuss during the Wheel-E podcast today:
Here’s the live stream for today’s episode starting at 9:30 a.m. ET (or the video after 10:30 a.m. ET):
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Crude oil futures were on pace Friday for loss for the week, as a supply gut and a strong dollar depresses the market.
U.S. crude oil is down more than 2% this week, while Brent has shed nearly 2%.
Here are Friday’s energy prices:
- West Texas Intermediate December contract: $68.56 per barrel, down 14 cents, or 0.2%. Year to date, U.S. crude oil has shed about 4%.
- Brent January contract: $72.36 per barrel, down 20 cents, or 0.28%. Year to date, the global benchmark has lost nearly 6%.
- RBOB Gasoline December contract: $1.99 per gallon, up 0.46%. Year to date, gasoline has fallen more than 1%.
- Natural Gas December contract: $2.70 per thousand cubic feet, down 2.98%. Year to date, gas has gained more than 4%.
The International Energy Agency has forecast a surplus of more than 1 million barrels per day in 2025 on robust production in the U.S. OPEC revised down its demand forecast for the fourth consecutive month as demand in China remains soft.
A strong dollar also hangs over the market, as the greenback has surged in the wake of President-elect Donald Trump’s election victory.
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