- The Porsche Macan Turbo Electric achieved 290 miles of constant 70 mph highway driving before it died.
- It exceeded its EPA-claimed range of 288 miles even though it sported 22-inch wheels, the largest available.
- The vehicle needed to be pushed for the last few feet so that it could reach the charger.
Porsche’s EPA range estimate for the base Macan 4 is 308 miles, which drops to 288 miles for the hot 630-horsepower Macan Turbo model. These numbers put the Macan at the higher end of the electric crossover/SUV range table, so factoring in the experience Porsche has gained with the Taycan, whose range was noticeably increased with its mid-lifecycle update, the electric Macan should do well in real-world driving conditions.
Like the Taycan, the Macan runs at up to 800 volts, making it more efficient and quicker at charging than lower-voltage EVs out there. However, it’s not mechanically related to the gas-powered Taycan, as it utilizes the same PPE platform as the Audi A6 E-Tron and Audi Q6 E-Tron.
Kyle from Out Of Spec Reviews drove a Macan Turbo at 70 mph, constantly on the highway, until it stopped. He squeezed every last electron out of the 95-kilowatt-hour battery, and by the time it came to a halt, it had covered 290 miles. To reach the charger, Kyle restarted the car, which provided a final surge of power. He then relied on gravity to reach the charger, where the Macan needed push to ensure the charging cable reached its port.
So it exceeded the EPA rating, albeit by just two miles, and did it with the optional 22-inch wheels—bigger and less aerodynamically efficient wheels lower range. The official range quote for the Macan Turbo is with smaller 20-inch wheels that improve efficiency and range. This result suggests that the more efficient Macan 4 should have no trouble achieving its claimed range, probably nudging 330 miles with the base 20-inch wheels driven under the same conditions as the Turbo in this test.
Range is a big selling point for electric vehicle buyers, but the advertised numbers often don’t line up with what owners end up experiencing. The EPA range estimate that EVs get in the United States is far more accurate than the numbers provided by the WLTP test cycle employed in Europe. The former is often exceeded in real-world testing, while the latter is seldom achieved under normal driving conditions.
However, the EPA estimate is rarely exceeded in 70-mph range tests since EVs use a lot more juice when driving at higher speeds for extended periods than they would in mixed driving conditions. Determining how much an EV can drive on one charge while doing the speed limit on the highway is the best way to determine an EV’s road-trip worthiness.
Running an EV all the way down until it dies gives you the best idea of what to expect when faced with a similar scenario out on the road. One question drivers often have is about how many miles an EV can still do when its range prediction reads zero. This varies quite a lot from EV to EV, and it needs to be verified on a case-by-case basis having a lot to do with the specifics the battery pack (and its buffer).
