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Porsche premieres Macan EV: 161 MPH top speed, 3.1s 0-60, 100 kWh battery

Credit: Porsche

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Porsche unveiled its Macan EV today, bringing its second all-electric car to market and releasing some interesting details regarding its performance and power.

Ten years after the launch of the Macan, Porsche is bringing the vehicle in what it calls “a bold new direction.”

Porsche has kept a lot of the same design features with the EV version of the Macan, hoping to build upon its already successful status as a mainstay in the company’s lineup.

“Our aim is to offer the sportiest model in its segment with the all-electric Macan. In many ways, we are taking a very successful SUV to a new level,” Jörg Kerner, VP of the Macan for Porsche, said.

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Porsche confirms Macan will go all-electric, production to follow Taycan, Cross Turismo

Initially, Porsche plans to bring two Macan configurations to market: the Macan 4 and Macan Turbo, both offering different performance metrics.

  • Porsche Macan 4
    • 300 KW | 402 HP
    • 479 lb-ft torque
    • 0-60 MPH in 4.9 seconds
    • 136 MPH Top Speed
  • Porsche Macan Turbo
    • 470 KW | 630 HP
    • 833 lb-ft torque
    • 0-60 MPH in 3.1 seconds
    • 161 MPH Top Speed

Premium Platform Electric with 800-volt Architecture

A lithium-ion battery with a gross capacity of 100 kWh and 95 kWh of usable energy powers Porsche’s new Premium Platform Electric with an 800-volt architecture. This is the first time the automaker is using this on an EV.

It has a DC charging capability of 270 kW, and Porsche said the Macan will be capable of charging from 10 to 80 percent in just 21 minutes under ideal conditions.

It also explains that, at 400-volt charging stations, a high-voltage switch in the battery pack will enable bank charging by splitting the 800-volt battery into two batteries, effectively creating two 400-volt batteries. This will keep charging efficiency at a maximum without using an additional lithium-ion booster.

Additionally, the Macan EV will use regenerative braking that allows up to 240 kW of power to be recuperated through the electric motors while driving.

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Premium Handling

When Porsche initially developed the Macan, it wanted to keep things simple but still allow the vehicle to encapsulate what it calls “quintessential Porsche driving dynamics and a characteristic steering feel.”

This was also put into focus with the Macan EV.

“Thanks to its particularly sporty seat position and low center of gravity, as well as its impressive driving dynamics and steering precision, the new Macan delivers a real sports car feeling,” Kerner adds.

Both configurations of the Macan EV will feature all-wheel-drive with two electric motors. It is also equipped with the Porsche Traction Management system (ePTM), which operates around five times faster than a conventional all-wheel-drive system, and can respond to wheelspin within 10 milliseconds.

Porsche Torque Vectoring Plus, or PTV Plus, is an electronically controlled differential lock on the rear axle. This helps improve traction, driving stability, and lateral dynamics.

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Spacious Interior and Increased Room for Luggage

The Macan was designed with practicality in mind. Porsche details that, depending on the configuration and equipment fitted, the capacity behind the rear-seat bench is up to 18 cubic feet.

The frunk also features 2.9 cubic feet of room, which increases the total space in the vehicle to 4.4 cubic feet greater than the previous Macan model.

High-Tech Driver Experience

A free-standing 12.6-inch curved instrument cluster is complemented by a 10.9-inch central display.

The Macan EV also features, for the first time, a passenger option to view information, adjust settings on the infotainment system, or stream video content while the car is being driven on its own 10.9-inch screen, which is optional.

The Porsche Driver Experience, however, features a head-up display with augmented reality technology. It also features navigation arrows which are visually integrated into the real world.

Both Android Automotive OS and Apple CarPlay are featured in the Macan EV’s new-generation infotainment system. Porsche Communication Management will allow the driver to say “Hey Porsche” to access anything from suggested routes, charging stops, and other crucial information.

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Pricing and Availability

Porsche plans to bring the Macan to market within the second half of the year, but customers can order it immediately.

The Macan 4 is priced at just $78,800, while the Turbo configuration will be $105,300. Each price does not include the $1,650 delivery, processing, and handling fee.


I’d love to hear from you! If you have any comments, concerns, or questions, please email me at joey@teslarati.com. You can also reach me on Twitter @KlenderJoey, or if you have news tips, you can email us at tips@teslarati.com.

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Joey has been a journalist covering electric mobility at TESLARATI since August 2019. In his spare time, Joey is playing golf, watching MMA, or cheering on any of his favorite sports teams, including the Baltimore Ravens and Orioles, Miami Heat, Washington Capitals, and Penn State Nittany Lions. You can get in touch with joey at joey@teslarati.com. He is also on X @KlenderJoey. If you're looking for great Tesla accessories, check out shop.teslarati.com

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Elon Musk launches TERAFAB: The $25B Tesla-SpaceXAI chip factory that will rewire the AI industry

Tesla, SpaceX, and xAI unveiled TERAFAB, a $25B chip factory targeting one terawatt of AI compute annually.

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Tesla TERAFAB Factory in Austin, Texas

Elon Musk took the stage over the weekend at the defunct Seaholm Power Plant in Austin, Texas, to officially unveil TERAFAB, a $20-25 billion joint venture between Tesla, SpaceX, and xAI that he described as “the most epic chip building exercise in history by far.” The announcement marks the most ambitious infrastructure bet Musk has made since Gigafactory 1 in Sparks, Nevada, and it fuses three of his companies into a single, vertically integrated AI hardware machine for the first time.

TERAFAB is designed to consolidate every stage of semiconductor production under one roof, including chip design, lithography, fabrication, memory production, advanced packaging, and testing.  At full capacity, the facility would scale to roughly 70% of the global output from the current world’s largest semiconductor foundry from Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC).

Elon Musk’s stated goal is one terawatt of computing power annually, split between Tesla’s AI5 inference chips for vehicles and Optimus robots, and D3 chips built specifically for SpaceXAI’s orbital satellite constellation.

Tesla Terafab set for launch: Inside the $20B AI chip factory that will reshape the auto industry

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The logic behind the merger of these three entities is rooted in a supply chain crisis Musk has been signaling for over a year. At Tesla’s Q4 2025 earnings call, he warned investors that external chip capacity from TSMC, Samsung, and Micron would hit a ceiling within three to four years. “We’re very grateful to our existing supply chain, to Samsung, TSMC, Micron and others,” Musk acknowledged at the Terafab event, “but there’s a maximum rate at which they’re comfortable expanding.” Building in-house was, in his framing, not a strategic option, but a necessity.

The space angle is where the announcement becomes genuinely unprecedented. Musk said 80% of Terafab’s compute output would be directed toward space-based orbital AI satellites, arguing that solar irradiance in space is roughly 5x greater than at Earth’s surface, and that heat rejection in vacuum makes thermal scaling viable. This directly feeds the SpaceXAI vision, which is betting that within two to three years, running AI workloads in orbit will be cheaper than doing so on the ground. The satellites, powered by constant solar energy, would effectively turn low Earth orbit into the world’s largest data center.

Will Tesla join the fold? Predicting a triple merger with SpaceX and xAI

Historically, this announcement threads together every major Musk initiative of the past two years: the xAI-SpaceX merger, Tesla’s $2.9 billion solar equipment talks with Chinese suppliers, the 100 GW domestic solar manufacturing push, the Optimus humanoid robot program, and Starship’s development. TERAFAB is the capstone that ties them into a single coherent architecture — chips made on Earth, launched by SpaceX, powered by Tesla solar, run by xAI, and ultimately extended to the Moon.

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“I want us to live long enough to see the mass driver on the moon, because that’s going to be incredibly epic,”Musk said during the presentation.

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Rolls-Royce makes shocking move on its EV future

When Rolls-Royce unveiled its first all-electric model, the Spectre, in 2022, former CEO Torsten Müller-Ötvös declared the brand would cease production of internal combustion engine vehicles by the end of the decade.

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Rolls Royce Wheels
Credit: BMW Group

Rolls-Royce made a shocking move on its EV future after planning to go all-electric by the end of the decade. Now, the company is tempering its expectations for electric vehicles, and its CEO is aiming to lean on its legacy of high-powered combustion engines to lead it into the future.

In a significant reversal, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars has scrapped its ambitious plan to become an all-electric manufacturer by 2030. The luxury British marque announced the decision amid sustained customer demand for traditional combustion engines and shifting regulatory landscapes.

When Rolls-Royce unveiled its first all-electric model, the Spectre, in 2022, former CEO Torsten Müller-Ötvös declared the brand would cease production of internal combustion engine vehicles by the end of the decade.

The move aligned with the industry’s broader push toward electrification, promising silent, effortless power befitting the “Rolls-Royce of cars.”

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However, new CEO Chris Brownridge, who assumed the role in late 2023, has reversed course. “We can respond to our client demand … we build what is ordered,” Brownridge stated.

The company will continue offering its iconic V12 engines, which remain a cornerstone of its heritage and appeal to discerning buyers who appreciate the distinctive sound and character. He noted the original pledge was “right at the time,” but “the legislation has changed.”

While not abandoning electric vehicles entirely, the Spectre remains in production, with an electric Cullinan option forthcoming; the decision marks the end of a strict all-EV timeline. Relaxed emissions regulations and slowing EV demand, evidenced by a 47 percent drop in Spectre sales to 1,002 units in 2025, forced the reconsideration.

It was a sign that perhaps Rolls-Royce owners were not inclined to believe that the company’s all-EV future was the right move.

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Rolls Royce customers want more EVs, says company CEO

Rolls-Royce joins a growing roster of automakers reevaluating aggressive electrification targets.

Fellow luxury brand Bentley has pushed its full electrification from 2030 to 2035, while continuing to offer hybrids and ICE models. Mercedes-Benz walked back its 2030 all-EV goal, now aiming for about 50% electrified sales while keeping combustion engines into the 2030s. Porsche has abandoned its 80% EV sales target by 2030, delaying models and extending hybrids.

Mainstream giants are following suit. Honda canceled its U.S. EV plans, including the 0-Series and Acura RSX, facing a $15.7 billion hit as it doubles down on hybrids. Ford and General Motors have incurred tens of billions in writedowns, canceling models and pivoting to hybrids amid an industry total exceeding $70 billion in charges.

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This trend reflects a pragmatic shift driven by infrastructure gaps, consumer preferences, and policy changes. In the ultra-luxury segment, where emotional connection reigns, automakers are prioritizing flexibility over rigid deadlines, ensuring brands like Rolls-Royce evolve without alienating their core clientele.

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Elon Musk teases expectations for Tesla’s AI6 self-driving chip

This optimistic timeline for tape-out—the stage where chip design is finalized before manufacturing—signals Tesla’s push to rapidly advance its silicon capabilities.

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Credit: Grok

Tesla CEO Elon Musk is outlining expectations for the AI6 self-driving chip, which is still two generations away. Despite this, it is already in the plans of the company and its serial entrepreneur CEO, who has high expectations for it.

Musk provided fresh details on the company’s aggressive AI hardware roadmap, spotlighting the upcoming AI6 chip designed to supercharge Tesla’s self-driving tech, humanoid robots, and data center operations.

In a post on X dated March 19, Musk stated, “With some luck and acceleration using AI, we might be able to tape out AI6 in December.”

This optimistic timeline for tape-out—the stage where chip design is finalized before manufacturing—signals Tesla’s push to rapidly advance its silicon capabilities.

The announcement builds on progress with the predecessor AI5. Earlier in January, Musk announced that the AI5 design was “in good shape” and “almost done,” describing it as an “existential” project for the company that demanded his personal attention on weekends.

He characterized AI5 as roughly equivalent to Nvidia’s Hopper class performance in a single system-on-chip (SoC) and Blackwell-level as a dual configuration, but at significantly lower cost and power usage.

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Elon Musk is setting high expectations for Tesla AI5 and AI6 chips

Musk highlighted that AI5 “will punch far above its weight” thanks to Tesla’s co-designed AI software and hardware stack, making maximal use of every circuit. While capable of data center training tasks, it is primarily optimized for edge computing in Optimus robots and Robotaxi vehicles.

For AI6, Musk envisions substantial gains. “In the same half reticle and same process node, we think a single AI6 chip has the potential to match a dual SoC AI5,” he explained.

The company is targeting ambitious nine-month development cycles for future chips, allowing rapid iteration to AI7, AI8, and beyond. AI5/AI6 engineering remains Musk’s top time allocation at Tesla, with the CEO calling AI5 “good” and AI6 “great.”

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Samsung is expected to manufacture the AI6 chips, following deals worth billions, while AI5 will leverage TSMC and Samsung production. These chips will form the backbone of Tesla’s Full Self-Driving system, enabling safer and more capable autonomy, alongside powering dexterous movements in Optimus bots and efficient inference in expanding data centers.

Tesla to discuss expansion of Samsung AI6 production plans: report

Musk has also restarted work on the Dojo 3 supercomputer project now that AI5 is progressing. Long-term plans include in-house manufacturing via the Terafab facility.

By accelerating chip development with AI tools, Tesla aims to reduce dependence on third-party GPUs and deliver high-performance, energy-efficient solutions tailored to its ecosystem. Success with AI6 could mark a major milestone in Tesla’s journey toward full autonomy and robotics leadership, though timelines remain subject to manufacturing realities.

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