New Porsche Cayenne Electric Punches Out as Much as 1,139 HP

Porsche’s charging into the EV market and the numbers promised for the 2026 Cayenne Electric could get even the biggest battery skeptics to sit up and take notice. The “Turbo” version of the Cayenne Electric musters up as much as 1,139 horsepower, the automaker revealed Wednesday, enough to launch the big SUV from 0-60 in just 2.4 seconds. More from Headlight.News.

While a number of automakers have begun scaling back their electrification plans in the wake of the Trump administration’s phase-out of U.S. EV tax credits, Porsche is charging into the market (nearly) full-speed ahead.

It formally revealed the latest entry into its battery-powered line-up on Wednesday and some of the numbers quoted for the 2026 Porsche Cayenne Electric rival just about anything the German automaker has even put on public roads before.

For some months, Porsche has suggested the battery-powered Cayenne would make something “over 1,000 horsepower.” The final numbers shoot well past that four-digit target, at 1,139 hp providing enough muscle that even a vehicle as big as the Cayenne Electric, with its 108-kWh battery pack, can hit 60 in an estimated 2.4 seconds.

What’s new

It’s been a full six years since Porsche delivered its first all-electric model, the Taycan. It’s since launched the Macan Electric and begun development of battery-powered replacements for the Boxster and Cayman models. Cayenne Electric is the latest to head into dealer showrooms, with deliveries expected to begin next summer.

“We designed it as a super model,” Markus Meyer, manager of sales and marketing for the Cayenne family, said during a media event. “The car should be your travel companion for every situation.”

Two trim packages will be available at launch, a base car riding on 20-inch wheels and tires making a respectable 402 hp, while the Cayenne Electric Turbo bumps that to 844 – both figures a driver triggers Launch Control. All versions of the Cayenne Electric are outfitted with a two-chamber two-valve active ride suspension, meanwhile, helping deliver a classic Porsche-like ride and handling.

Powertrain

Both versions of the Porsche Cayenne Electric are equipped with twin motors providing a through-the-road all-wheel-drive system. (That means there’s no actual hardware connection between front and rear axles. All torque management is handled through software.

As noted, the two packages punch out solid numbers – but wait, there’s more. Trigger Launch Control and the “base” EV jumps to 435 hp and 615 lb-ft of torque. The Turbo becomes the most powerful street-legal Porsche ever, the automaker claims, at 1,139 hp and 1,106 pound-feet of torque. The Turbo package also gets a locking rear differential and direct oil cooling for its motors.

Both models incorporate updated regenerative braking systems capable of recapturing as much as 600 kW of power, Porsche claims. That should help boost range, even when driven to extremes but, unfortunately, the automaker is saving range numbers for a later announcement.

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Charging

If anything, Porsche was faulted for some of the technology found in the original Taycan which limited range and charging speeds. It’s not making that mistake again.

To start with, Cayenne Electric models use a more advanced, 800-volt electric architecture. In the U.S., meanwhile, the EVs will be equipped with the Tesla-style NACS, or North American Charging Standard ports. That yields access to another 3,000-odd high-speed charging stations across the U.S. and Canada. Actually, there are two separate ports, the NACS on the left side, with a J1772 socket on the right that can deliver 11 kW of power when plugged into a 240-volt Level 2 charger.

At peak, the system can draw down as much as 400 kW of current – though the fastest DC chargers in the U.S. currently top out at 350 kW. Plug into one of those and you can go from a 10 to 80% state-of-charge in as little as 16 minutes, claims Porsche, putting the Cayenne Electric very near the top in terms of any EV currently on the market.

Design

At first glance, the 2026 Porsche Cayenne Electric hews closely to the look of the gas-powered crossover. But you start to notice a number of subtle changes as you make a closer inspection. It’s wheelbase, for one thing, has been stretched about 5 inches, though overall length grows only about 2 inches. The skateboard-style Premium Platform Electric means more space devoted to passengers and cargo since there’s no engine up front.

One key difference from Taycan and most other current EVs: Porsche has designed the battery pack into the floor in a way that minimizes its height. That’s a benefit when it comes to the crossover’s center of gravity – as well as passenger headroom. Surprisingly, the roof is actually an inch lower than the gas model.

Aerodynamics played a critical role in the EV’s design, of course. There are a number of tweaks meant to cheat the wind, including active vanes opening and closing in the lower grille, as needed. And extendable aero blades on the Turbo are claimed to add as much as seven miles of range.

Technology

There are a number of distinctive features in the cabin that veer a bit off of the normal Porsche layout but reflect the high-tech nature of the Cayenne Electric.

The EV features a familiar Porsche digital gauge cluster measuring 14.25 inches, as well as a 12.25-inch touchscreen. Buyers can also tick the box for a 14.9-inch display in front of the front passenger. And Porsche also offers a head-up display.

Cayenne Electric is available with a sliding panoramic roof that’s the brand’s largest-ever glass sunroof. Its front section is retractable, but the entire surface is fitted withs “Variable Light Control” technology using an electrically controlled liquid crystal film that can be set to go clear or completely opaque. “Two additional semi-transparent modes – ‘Semi’ and ‘Bold’ – provide 40 and 60 per cent opacity, respectively,” Porsche adds.

Pricing and availability

Porsche is already starting to roll out the Cayenne Electric in Europe but production for the U.S. market, which will take place at a plant in Slovakia, won’t begin until March. The official American on-sale date starts a few months later.

In Germany, the base model starts at $121,760 – at current exchange rates – the Turbo jumping to $165,500.

U.S. models are expected to start at $111,350, the Electric Turbo package at $165,350.

By comparison, the American entry gas-powered model, with its V-6 engine, starts at $91,150, including delivery fees. The Cayenne Turbo E-Hybrid, currently the most powerful version of the crossover, starts at $187,000