The 2021 Porsche Cayenne E-Hybrid is an impressive electrified SUV that combines the benefits of battery power with the luxurious appointments and pointed handling that the Cayenne has embodied for years now. For the new model year, the SUV is getting a power boost thanks to an increase in the gross capacity of its high-voltage battery.
The battery is now 17.9 kilowatt-hours, up from 14.1 kilowatt hours in the previous version. That increase means that the all-electric range of the SUV is up 30 percent from last year’s edition. It can now achieve 29 miles (and some change) of EV range as measured by WLTP standards.
The 2021 Porsche Cayenne E-Hybrid has increased charging ability.Photo courtesy of Porsche AG
This changes means that all Cayenne E-Hybrid models meet the current range criteria to receive an “E” number plate and reduced company car tax in Germany. Germany is just one of the European countries that is aggressively incentivizing electric powered vehicles and cracking down on vehicles their governments see as gas guzzlers with taxes, fees, and no-drive zones.
Each plug-in hybrid Caynenne E-Hybrid model is powered by the battery, which is attached to an electric motor that is integrated into an eight-speed automatic transmission. This powertrain generates 136 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque that is immediately accessible the moment you put your foot down on the accelerator. It has an electronically limited top speed of 84 mph.
Those numbers might not be enough to knock your socks off, but the Cayenne’s E-Hybrid variant also has an internal combustion engine that kicks on when the car is not in EV mode, or the driver designates it to be in Sport or Sport Plus mode. There, the turbocharged 3.0-liter V6 kicks in to up the overall output to 455 horsepower.
The Cayenne Turbo S E-Hybrid models have a 542-horsepower, 4.0-liter bi-turbo V8 under the hood that gives the SUV a full output of 670 horsepower.
Porsche has also optimized the Sport Chrono Package for the 2021 model year. The battery’s target state of charge has been reduced from 100 percent to 80 percent. Much like a smartphone battery, the battery charges much more slowly and inefficiently when the battery’s state of charge reaches approximately 80 percent or more.
The battery is also charged at a higher, more consistent power. A charging power of up to 7.2 kW can be achieved with the Porsche Mobile Charger Connect. Using a Mode 3 charging cable, it is also possible to charge at public charging points. Many charging operations can be controlled via the Porsche mobile app.
In Sport and Sport Plus drive mode, the car’s battery is always charged to a minimum level to provide sufficient boost options to deliver a sporty driving style.
The Cayenne E-Hybrid models for the new model year are available to order now. The Cayenne E-Hybrid starts at $81,800.
