Next month, Porsche will give the current Cayenne a thorough facelift (pictured here) to keep the posh SUV fresh and competitive. At the same time, the luxury brand is preparing for the inevitable electric future by deciding where it will manufacture the zero-emission, fourth-generation model. In an announcement made today, the Volkswagen Group brand says the EV is going to be assembled in Bratislava (Slovakia) together with the ICE model.
With virtually all automakers gradually transitioning from combustion-engined cars to EVs, taking crucial decisions regarding logistics are imperative. The Bratislava plant is home to many VAG models built on the MLB Evo platform as aside from the Cayenne and Cayenne Coupe, the Touareg is also made there together with the Audi Q7 and Q8. The tiny VW up! and Skoda Karoq are manufactured in Slovakia as well.
2024 Porsche Cayenne facelift teasers
Porsche doesn't specify when the Cayenne EV will go into production, only saying the SUV without a gasoline engine will come after the Macan EV (2024) and 718 EV (2025). It'll certainly go on sale before 2030 when the Zuffenhausen brand wants more than 80 percent of sales to come from purely electric vehicles. To get there, a larger electric SUV positioned above the Cayenne and due to be built in Leipzig (Germany) will be launched in the latter half of the decade.
It's also unclear whether there will be ICE versions of the next-generation Cayenne. Chances are Porsche will adopt the same strategy it plans to implement for the smaller Macan. The compact crossover will be sold strictly as an EV in its next generation but the current model will soldier on for a few years with combustion engines. The two will peacefully coexist for a while until the gasoline Macan will be retired.
With the current Cayenne due to get a facelift next month, it means Porsche intends to have the SUV on sale for at least 3-4 years, so it's likely to overlap with the electric fourth-gen model.
While the 718 Boxster / Cayman, Macan, and Cayenne are all becoming EVs to join the Taycan and a future larger SUV, the 911 won't lose its ICE anytime soon. Porsche has repeatedly said an electric version of its iconic sports car won't be launched until 2030 at the earliest. Meanwhile, a hybrid 911 is coming and reports state a partially electrified GT2 RS is due in 2026 with 700+ horsepower.
