Porsche reclaims axle production for Macan EV

With the fully electric Macan to enter production in Leipzig early on in the next decade, Porsche is integrating axle assembly on-site. So far, the factory had outsourced this work to a supplier and Porsche says, the new unit will create more than 100 jobs and help keep motors a USP.

Thyssen Krupp previously supplied the axles allegedly, but with the production of Porsche’s well-selling model Macan as an electric version, the manufacturer decided to relocate the component back in-house. Production manager Albrecht Reimold considers the motor “a unique selling point of our sports cars,” before adding that “since electric vehicles require the units to be seen in combination with the axles, we take over the axle production ourselves”.

The announcement comes in the wake of Porsche planning to invest another 600 million euros in its factory in former East Germany. The Macan will be the first electric vehicle made in Leipzig, and our sources suggest production in Saxony will kick-off around 2020. Porsche slates the on-sale for 2022 reportedly.

The new axle assembly will be installed close to the core facility and create a hundred jobs. Porsche’s electric compact SUV Macan will sit on the PPE architecture (Premium Platform Electric) that the VW brand shares with Audi. Like the Porsche Taycan, the electric Macan will feature 800 Volt technology for high power charging.

porsche.com (in German)