PORSCHE CAYENNE S E-HYBRID

Over a decade has passed since the launch of the first Cayenne model, and Porsche have now added another piece of innovative kit to their awesome line-up; the Porsche Cayenne S E-Hybrid. The E-Hybrid is the innovative trendsetter in the Cayenne family. It combines two of our favourite aspects: sportiness and the future. A parallel plug-in hybrid that boasts plenty of agility. This is now the 3rd ‘plug-in’ car that Porsche produce, making them one of the leading innovators for the future of automobiles.

Although Porsche do not compete in Formula 1, they currently lead the FIA World Endurance Championship series in the LMP1-H class, and dominated the recent 24 Hours of Le Mans with the Porsche 919 Hybrid. The 919 is powered by a turbo charged 2-litre V4 engine that utilises a lithium-ion battery hybrid system. This success on the track has already been replicated on the street with arguably the best built hypercar of our era – the 918 Spyder. Now, of course i’m not comparing the 918 and 919 to the Cayenne S E-Hybrid, but, the fundamentals and technology are derived from these two incredible cars.

The Cayenne S E-Hybrid can be driven in 3 different ways; solely by the combustion engine, or the electric motor, or by combining both together. A pressure point on the accelerator pedal signals the switch between all-electric mode and driving powered by the combustion engine. Kickdown can be used to make use of the overall system output – allowing for maximum power of 416 hp by an additional boost from the electric motor. The E-Hybrid also features two additional buttons on its centre console; E-Charge and E-Power. E-Charge mode is designed to re-charge the battery reserve at a small penalty of 20% extra fuel consumption. Whilst, E-Power, allows the driver to be completely green and drive around only using the electric motors.

Another automatic feature is “coasting mode” where the petrol engine is decoupled and switched off, allowing the Cayenne S E-Hybrid to glide under its own momentum – for a significant reduction in fuel consumption and without any compromise in sports performance.

Porsche transplanted the Panamera E-Hybrid’s high-voltage battery, electric motor, and power electronics, into the Cayenne whilst upping the lithium-ion battery capacity to 10.8 kWh. Otherwise, the powertrain is identical, from the Audi-sourced supercharged 3.0-liter V-6 to the Aisin eight-speed automatic. The rest of the Cayenne S E-Hybrid is visually the same as other models in the series, though instead of a spare wheel, you get 104 individual battery cells. The lithium-ion high-voltage battery is maintenance free, and comes with a 6 year warranty!

Porsche claims using the Porsche Universal Charger (AC), you can charge your Cayenne S E-Hybrid using a conventional household or industrial electrical outlet in approximately 2.7 hours (162 mins – about the length of a standard movie these days). With the optional 7.2 kW on-board charger, the battery charge time is reduced to approximately 1.3 hours. The charging cable (mode 3) from Porsche Tequipment means you can charge at public charging pedestals with type 2 connectors (EU standard). With the huge demand for charging ports in carparks and limited availability around Hong Kong the Porsche E-Hybrid gives you the flexibility and peace of mind of being able to simply use the petrol motor and re-charge the batteries on the go!

Porsche have also designed connectivity apps available on phones and smartwatches. These allow you to remotely monitor the progress of your cars battery condition, start cooling the car before you hop in, and even help you find it, should you forget which floor of the mall you parked on – very handy features!

In everyday driving situations, the Cayenne S E-Hybrid can typically cover 18–36 km under electric power alone and reach a maximum speed of 125 km/h – certainly enough distance and speed for a typical Hong Kong commute! Having driven electric cars and other hybrids, the main difference with Porsche’s approach, is how the car drives electrically and decelerates. Where pure electric cars don’t use any gearing, the Cayenne does. Meaning you can still shift up and down through gears approaching and exiting corners. The other noticeable difference is the regeneration unit, it modulates the braking much more naturally, and doesn’t feel like the car is coming to a screeching halt every time you step on on the brake. The systems aren’t perfect yet, but its a great step forward for preserving the future of driving!

Now that petrol prices in Hong Kong are more expensive than any other city in the world, the Porsche Cayenne S E-Hybrid is the perfect solution for everybody! To find out more about the Porsche Cayenne S E-Hybrid visit the official site.