New Panamera and Taycan lead EV blitz

Porsche's new era to bring next-generation saloon duo plus four more EVs

- GREG KABLE

Porsche is preparing to introduce a second generation of the wildly successful Taycan EV and it will be twinned with an electric version of the Panamera as part of a new "electrified luxury" plan under which up to six electric models will be ushered in by the end of this decade.

Both new EVs are based on a sporting version of the Volkswagen Group's Scalable Systems Platform (SSP), which is being developed by Porsche.

The so-called SSP Sport structure adopts the backbone of the SSP architecture set to be used by other more volume-orientated electric Volkswagen Group models. However, it will be combined with what have been described to Autocar as "Porsche-specific modules".

Among the key architectural developments being pushed by Porsche for the new SSP Sport platform is a low cabin floor, courtesy of a slimline battery pack, and rear footwells (or foot garages, as they're known at Porsche) similar to those of the J1 platform used by the existing Taycan.

These are also described as being crucial to providing the electric Panamera with packaging comparable with the current Panamera's and a low centre of gravity for optimised dynamics.

The electric Panamera will be sold alongside today's combustion-engined and plug-in hybrid Panamera models, which are based on Porsche's MSB platform.

The engineering for the electric Panamera is twinned with that of the new Taycan, due out in 2027.

The Panamera EV is still in the infancy of development, but the suggestions are that it will have a wheelbase and overall length similar to those of the existing long-wheelbase Panamera sold in China (3100mm and 5199mm).

That would place it in direct competition with the likes of the Mercedes-AMG EQS 53 and Lucid Air in terms of size.