Wireless charging Porsche Cayenne: The future of electric driving?

Can the convenience of a wireless charger scale up to power a high-performance SUV? We caught a glimpse of the new electric Porsche Cayenne to find out.

What does the new Porsche Cayenne, and an electric toothbrush have in common? Wireless charging. Well, they will soon, anyway.

From autonomous driving tech to head-turning concept reveals, this year’s Munich motor show was loaded with next-gen innovations. But there was one futuristic bit of kit which grabbed our attention as we made our way through the event halls: Porsche’s wireless charging Cayenne. And it wasn’t just because of that eye-catching paint job, which lit up as the electricity flowed...

Inductive charging at your convenience

Fancy a new EV, but put off by the faff of finding a charger, the chunky wallbox installations, or the dreaded range anxiety which creeps in if these options aren’t readily available? Or perhaps you simply have enough charging cables to fumble around with in your life already?

Well, Porsche is looking to put an end to all that, and make EV ownership a little more convenient. By the end of the year, the latest electric Cayenne will have the option for an underbody installation. This when parked on top of a ‘One-Box’ base plate, will allow the car to charge automatically, and wirelessly — think of the wireless phone chargers which have slowly caught on in recent years, but scale the size up a few times.

Now, considering that around 75% of electric Porsche charging currently happens at home, we see huge potential for this technology fitting seamlessly into a daily routine. And with no need for a wallbox or control unit, the 50 kg plate (which is waterproof and robust enough to be driven over) will even save a little space in garages, driveways, or parking spots in which it’s installed.  

Behind the scenes

From our initial viewing, and the details provided, it looks like this system will be simple to use, but the technology behind it is pretty sophisticated. Ultra-wideband technology is used to ensure optimal vehicle positioning over the base plate before charging commences — alongside a dedicated surround view parking function — in order to avoid mishaps, and waking up the following day to an empty battery warning on the dash. 

All going according to plan, once parked up, no further action will be required. The charging energy is transferred via a magnetic field, making the short jump through the air and into your Cayenne. And you can even track the charging process via an app. 

And yes, for any pet owners whose minds went to the same place as us, there is a foreign object motion detector built in. This will automatically interrupt the charging process if a living creature is detected between the vehicle and the base plate. 

And if you want to plug it in?

Now, while the 11 kw contactless charging did dominate conversations in Munich, it's important to remember that this also does come alongside a fresh Porsche, so other innovations were inevitable. 

In addition to the new tech, the new Cayenne Electric will still be expected to deliver the brand's premium performance. Building on the charging capabilities of the Macan and Taycan, which boast impressive 270 kw and 320 kw charging capabilities respectively, the Cayenne is anticipated to set new benchmarks, should you opt to plug it in. Reports suggest a DC charging power of up to 400 kw, meaning incredibly rapid charging sessions could be on the cards, should you trade plate for plug.

So, while the ability to simply park and power up does feel like the future, it is clear Porsche has kept an eye on the present too. But will convenience come out on top in the end, and could this spark a major shift in the EV market?

Hero image credit:  Blackcircles.com