Porsche's new Cayenne Electric: record-breaking performance and versatility

with the need for space, comfort and practicality required by those who face the city every day, but dream of adventure. Now, this balance evolves in an electric key. The future of the Cayenne will be battery-powered, and Porsche has decided to offer a concrete preview in a context as evocative as it is challenging: the historic Shelsley Walsh Hill Climb, in England.

No motor show, no press conference. To present the Cayenne Electric, Porsche chose the asphalt of one of the oldest hill climbs in the world. A symbolic choice, but also a technical one. The track is narrow, slopes up to 16.7% and is unforgiving. And yet, in the hands of Gabriela Jílková, test driver and pilot of the Formula E team, the Cayenne dominated the track with surprising agility. The record time of 31.28 seconds, shattering the previous record for an SUV by more than four seconds, was not the only impressive figure. The first time measurement, placed 18 meters from the start, was exceeded in just 1.94 seconds. An acceleration that, until now, was the exclusive prerogative of single-seater racing cars with slick tires.

The key to this is the perfect balance of the chassis. The Cayenne Electric has been equipped with the new Porsche Active Ride system, an active suspension system that keeps the car level even when accelerating, braking and turning. This not only improves dynamics, but also increases comfort. According to Michael Schätzle, Vice President of the Cayenne range, this technology redefines the way an SUV can interpret sportiness and control.

But electrification, for Porsche, does not mean giving up functionality. The proof came from the same English event, when British presenter Richard Hammond used a prototype of the Cayenne Electric to tow a vintage car over 100 years old and with a total weight – including the trailer – of around three tons. The route, tackled without any apparent effort, demonstrated that the new Porsche SUV is designed to tow up to 3.5 tons, a threshold that makes it one of the first electric models in the world with these capabilities. Thanks to the robust structure of the chassis, the traction and a cooling system of the high-voltage system designed to handle even the most demanding load conditions.

It is not an exercise in style, but a precise strategic vision. Porsche aims to offer an electric alternative that does not compromise anything compared to endothermic models. For this reason, during the development of the Cayenne Electric, no functionality was sacrificed. "Our customers expect performance, but also everyday practicality," explains Schätzle, "and that is precisely our goal. Electricity, today, allows us to raise the bar."

The experience of the English launch is just a taste. The Cayenne Electric prototype will return to the public from 10 to 13 July 2025 on the occasion of the Goodwood Festival of Speed, one of the most iconic events in the world for enthusiasts and manufacturers. It will once again be camouflaged, but now the contours are clear: the future of the Cayenne will be silent, but absolutely powerful.

On an aesthetic and technical level, Porsche has not yet revealed every detail, but what has emerged from Shelsley Walsh is enough to intuit the identity of the new model. The Cayenne Electric retains the sporty DNA and the muscular profile of the current versions, but with the addition of the typical responsiveness of electric vehicles. While waiting for the official presentation, we can already say that it will be an SUV capable of reconciling record performance, structural strength and a practicality of daily use that few rivals can offer today.

In a market where electrification is often played between compromises and sacrifices, Porsche instead offers a model that raises the standards, remaining faithful to the values ​​of the brand. Cayenne was born to drive on and off the road, to transport families, luggage or horses, to combine the useful with the sublime. Today it also does so in a full electric version, with the promise of performance that not only equals the previous ones, but in some cases surpasses them.

The Stuttgart-based company is looking ahead, with parallel investments in internal combustion and plug-in hybrid models, which will continue to coexist with battery-powered versions. But the message is clear: electric is no longer the future for Porsche, it is the present, and the Cayenne Electric will be one of its greatest symbols. Anyone who thought that a battery-powered SUV had to choose between power, traction and utility will have to think again. The first real public test already proves it.