Porsche adds all-electric Cayenne Coupe to lineup

Porsche plans to start selling its all-electric Cayenne Coupe in late summer, the latest signal that the German automaker believes there is still market demand for EVs.

Unlike a traditional coupe, the four-door Cayenne Coupe EV will join several other all-electric models of the SUV hitting the market later this year, including the base Cayenne Electric, Cayenne S Electric, and Cayenne Turbo Electric. After all, Porsche loves its variations.

And that is likely to be the most successful. When Porsche introduced the coupe version of the gas-powered Cayenne in 2019, it took just one year for the sporty version of the crossover SUV to account for 20% of sales in the Cayenne lineup. According to Porsche, the coupe version will account for 40% of Cayenne sales in five years. In some markets, coupes account for as much as 90%.

In other words, the numbers suggest that the all-electric Cayenne Coupe is worth the gamble, even at a six-figure price tag.

Unlike the Porsche Macan compact SUV, which will only be sold as an electric vehicle from this year onwards, the Cayenne Coupe Electric (as its official brand name suggests) is not meant to replace petrol engines or hybrids.

A Porsche spokesperson said the Cayenne Coupe EV will be sold alongside other fuel types well beyond 2030. That could give Porsche valuable data about what kind of Cayenne Coupe consumers actually want to buy, and whether the electric model is the most popular. (The added front trunk space alone may influence some buyers, not to mention gas prices.)

But none of these questions will be answered until the Cayenne Electric, Cayenne S Electric, Cayenne Turbo Electric, and Cayenne Coupe Electric go on sale worldwide later this year, about nine months after the EV versions were first announced.

When the Cayenne Coupe EV goes on sale, it will be offered in three variants: base version, S Coupe, and Turbo Coupe. (If you think that’s a lot, check out how many versions of the flagship Porsche Taycan EV there are.)

Pricing for the Cayenne Coupe Electric starts at $113,800, not including a $2,350 shipping charge. Prices go up from there to $131,200 for the Cayenne S Coupe Electric and $168,000 for the Cayenne Turbo Coupe Electric. Of course, consumers can spend even more money by adding options like the Lightweight Sport Package, which includes a carbon roof, performance tires, and motorsport-inspired interior features.

For that kind of money, consumers get a lot of horsepower and torque packed into a crossover body with a sloping roofline reminiscent of the iconic 911. All Coupe EV variants feature an 800-volt powertrain, air suspension, and a common roof design with a new windshield and adaptive rear spoiler. The Cayenne Coupe EV is also equipped with the North American Charging Standard Port (NACS) popularized by Tesla and an additional AC charging port.

From here, some specifications change depending on which version the consumer buys. The base Coupe EV produces up to 435 horsepower and 615 pound-feet of torque, giving it a top speed of 143 mph and a 0-to-60 time of 4.5 seconds.

For those unsatisfied, there are two powerful options that further increase performance specifications. At the top end, the turbo version produces up to 1,139 horsepower and 1,106 pound-feet of torque, putting it on par with the Tesla Model S Plaid, Lucid Air Sapphire, and Porsche Taycan Turbo GT. The turbo version has a top speed of 162 mph and can go from 0 to 60 mph in 2.4 seconds.

Porsche has not released EPA estimates of how far these coupe EVs can travel on a single charge. But early real-world testing is consistent with other Cayenne electric models, with a range of about 360 miles. Of course, if Coupe EV buyers opt for larger tires (which create more rolling resistance and put more strain on the battery), range could drop by about 10%.