Porsche is shaking things up with the upcoming Cayenne Electric, using artificial intelligence and digital testing to speed up development and cut costs. Instead of the usual drawn-out process and endless prototypes, the company is moving much faster, which means we’ll see the production version on the road sooner.
The Cayenne Electric is built on the same 800-volt Scalable Systems Platform as the new electric Macan. By relying on digital simulations, Porsche has skipped about 120 physical prototypes and gone straight to pre-series production. According to Porsche’s R&D boss Michael Steiner, this move has slashed development time by roughly 20 percent compared to earlier models.
Most of the early testing has been virtual. Porsche has recreated
famous routes like the Nürburgring in the digital world, complete with different surfaces and tyre grip levels. Engineers can push the virtual Cayenne Electric to its limits before touching real asphalt. Once the numbers look right, they validate the parts in the real world. It’s a mix of tech and tradition that keeps performance in focus.
Also Read: Remember The Lotus Elise? Its Back! But With A McLaren F1 Touch
Of course, the SUV still needs to prove itself in the real world. Porsche has run the Cayenne Electric in 50-degree heat in the Gulf States and Death Valley to test cooling and thermal systems. At the other end of the spectrum, they’ve taken it to Scandinavia at minus 35 degrees to check cold starts, grip, and charging readiness. Porsche says the car must always be ready for fast charging, no matter how it’s been driven.
This approach also cuts waste and helps the environment. Fewer prototypes mean less material use, and the car itself is designed to charge fast, from 10 to 80 percent in about 16 minutes at a peak 400 kW. The Cayenne Electric is set to debut later this year.
