She's Ludmilla and she will pave the way for the future Porsche Macan EV, to offer 612 PS and 1,000 Nm, 100 kWh battery

Just recently, Porsche has dropped some preliminary details surrounding the second-generation Porsche Macan

Whereas the previous Macan offered a range of petrol and diesel engines, the second-generation model will be an electric vehicle (EV) only.

Also Read: For every 1 unit of sports car Porsche sells, 3 Porsche SUVs are sold

It will also be the first Porsche model to be developed on the Volkswagen Group’s Premium Platform Electric (PPE). Audi will also deploy the PPE architecture, albeit on the Audi A6 E-Tron.

Porsche graciously invited us to check out the next-gen Macan, alongside the Cayman GT4 e-Performance all the way in Italy.

Also Read: The Porsche Macan T is a farewell to internal combustion as it'll be all-electric next

According to Porsche, the next-generation Porsche Macan will be powered by a 100-kWh battery pack. For context, the EV with the longest range in the world, the Mercedes-Benz EQS, offers a 107.8-kWh (usable) battery pack.

Said battery pack contains 12 modules with prismatic cells and features an 800 Volt charging system (just like the Taycan).

And just like the Taycan, the Macan EV supports DC fast charging up to 270 kW. This allows the Macan EV to charger from a 5 percent state-of-charge (SoC) to 80 percent in less than 25 minutes.

In terms of output, the Stuttgart-based performance car manufacturer said that the Macan EV will deliver up to 612 PS and 1,000 Nm; considerably more than the range-topping Macan GTS (440 PS, 550 Nm).

Power comes from two electric motors, one mounted on the front axle, and another on the rear axle, creating an all-wheel drive system.

Speaking of rear axle, the Macan EV will get a Performance Rear axle, which gives it a near-neutral 48:52 weight balance. Pushing the rear motor further back also allowed Porsche to bless the Macan EV with four-wheel steering.

Couple that with its Porsche Active Suspension Management and other wizardry, Porsche said that the Macan EV will drive and handle just like any Porsche model, regardless of propulsion.

Porsche remained tight-lipped on when the Macan EV will make a global debut, but hinted that it could happen in late-2023 or early-2024. Customer deliveries are expected to commence in 2024.

That being said, the Macan EV won’t supersede the first-gen Macan immediately. Porsche will offer both the Macan EV and its ICE counterpart side-by-side, depending on market requirements.

Also Read: 2022 Porsche Macan facelift launched in Malaysia – Up to 440 PS/550 Nm, from RM 433k

And this particular test mule is fondly known as Ludmilla amongst Porsche’s engineers. She served as a platform for Porsche engineers to test chassis parts.

Unlike a lot of test mules that ends up in the crusher, Porsche mentioned that she will retire at the Porsche Museum.