Yes, it’s still a prototype, but Porsche is finally letting people experience what it’s next electric car will be like when it hits production next year. We got a briefing on the underpinnings of the new architecture for the Cayenne Electric, peeked at the very fancy finalized interior, and experienced a few hot laps being driven by one of Porsche’s professional drivers.
However, the highlight was, oddly, none the above, it was getting to try out the Cayenne Electric’s party trick and experience exactly how Porsche’s wireless charging system works for the EV, and how ridiculously similar the process is to plonking your phone down on a Qi charging puck.
Reminiscent of BMW’s 3.2-kilowatt 2018 attempt, this new wireless version from Porsche is finally fit for purpose because it can charge at the rates you get from EV home wall chargers—up to 11 kW. This means that just by rolling over the 50-kilogram floor pad, owners will be able to get a full charge on the electric SUV in 11 hours or so, brimming the 108-kWh battery overnight with no need to physically plug in. (Porsche covered a portion of my travel expenses to come see this in action.)
But how do you line up over that floor pad and get it in just the right spot to start charging when you can’t see the black slab when, as you roll toward the pad, it disappears out of your line of sight? Porsche has naturally sought to use the cabin central screen that flicks to camera feed overlaid with red and green lines for guidance, plus a green circle to help you aim for that 11-kW charging sweet spot.
