Porsche crowns Cayenne Electric ‘most powerful production Porsche of all time’

It’s no surprise that the Porsche Cayenne EV is a beast. Of course the famed German automaker would tout its all-electric SUV as “the most powerful,” the quickest — both off the line and in a charging stall — and record-setting in so many ways. The question remains: how beastly are we talking?

Now, thankfully, the Cayenne Electric is coming more into focus. Today, the new Cayenne is officially joining the existing lineup of gas and hybrid Caynne powertrains to round out what the automaker is calling “a new era for Porsche.”

It makes sense that Porsche would be trying to turn a new page. After all, this is an automaker long touted as the epitome of German engineering prowess that presently finds itself mired in a crisis. US tariffs, plus an unrelenting price war in China, has fueled steep losses at Porsche, including a $1.1 billion operating loss in the third quarter alone. And EV sales, especially in the luxury segment, are looking increasingly fraught in the current environment.

Can the Cayenne Electric help turn things around? The specs alone certainly suggest a paradigm shift may be under way: up to 850kW (1,139hp) of power, 0-60mph in 2.4 seconds, a top speed of 162mph and, under ideal conditions, up to 400kW charging power, for a 10-80 percent state of charge in just 18 minutes. The Cayenne Electric will be the first electric Porsche to support inductive charging. When parked above a floor plate, the EV can charge at speeds of up to 11kW.

At launch, the electric SUV will come in two variants: Cayenne Electric, starting at $111,350 (including destination charge); and the $165,350 Cayenne Turbo Electric. Clearly, these are not the affordable EVs that we were promised, nor do they pretend to be. After all, it’s Porsche.

As such, there’s a lot of go-fast ingenuity built into the Cayenne Electric. In addition to an output of 1,139hp, the dual-motor SUV is capable of 1,106lb-ft of torque when Launch Control is activated. In normal driving mode, up to 630kW (844hp) is available. And with a Push-to-Pass function, an additional 130kW (173hp) can be activated for 10 seconds at the push of a button. The standard model has 300kW (402hp) in normal operation and 325kW (435hp) and 615lb-ft of torque in Launch Control. This version can gallop from 0-60mph in 4.5 seconds with a top track speed of 143mph.

But the Cayenne Electric won’t just be a beast on the track. Porsche is also claiming that the new SUV will be able to tow up to 3.5 tons, or 7,716lbs — when properly equipped. The automaker has been teasing this insane capability for a while now, but it still bears repeating: 3.5 tons. That’s more than a Toyota Tacoma.

The automaker is making a lot of hay of its traction control and suspension system. The Cayenne Electric will be the first SUV to get Active Ride, the hydraulic suspension system found on the Taycan and Panamera. The adaptive air suspension is fitted as standard on both models. And the Turbo trim features Porsche’s torque vectoring limited-slip rear differential.

Thanks to the 800-volt architecture, the Cayenne Electric’s 113kWh battery pack can be replenished at speeds up to 400kW (if you can find a charger that meets that specification). The Cayenne Electric will come equipped with a Tesla Supercharger/NACS fast-charging port on the driver-side rear fender, and a CCS/AC-only charging port on the passenger-side rear fender.

Most Cayenne owners will likely charge at home, and for that, Porsche has a new inductive charging pad for those that prefer to do their charging wirelessly. The charging pad made its debut at IAA Mobility in Munich earlier this year, though Porsche has yet to announce a price. Once the electric Cayenne is parked in the correct position over a plate on the ground, it can accept a charge from another plate underneath its body.

We’ve already covered the Cayenne Electric’s unique interior design. Yes, I’m talking about the bending screen. Porsche calls it the Flow Display, a vertically installed screen that curves toward the bottom. It’s the largest screen ever to be featured in a Porsche and it will run on Porsche’s all new operating system, which the automaker claims will “flow” harmoniously throughout the vehicle’s interior.

Porsche didn’t provide measurements for the Flow Display, but it said that it would be bookended by a 14.25-inch OLED instrument cluster and a 14.9-inch optional passenger display. Considering Porsche is on tap to receive Apple’s newly immersive CarPlay Ultra, one wonders how phone mirroring will work with this massive curved display.

There will also be a heads-up display that simulates an “87-inch display area 10 meters in front of the vehicle.” But before you go complaining about an overreliance on digital controls, Porsche says that frequently used functions, such as HVAC and volume control, are analog. And a hand rest called the “Ferry pad” has been developed to help the driver operate digital and analog controls ergonomically.

Porsche claims the new Cayenne prioritizes driver engagement with a new AI-powered voice assistant, which can “reliably” understand complex instructions and spontaneous follow-up questions without repeating the activation word. The voice assistant controls climate, seat heating, and ambient lighting, while also recognizing addresses, points of interest, and traffic information.

The Cayenne Electric and Turbo Electric are available to order now, with customer deliveries expected in summer 2026.

Photography: Porsche