Wireless Charging a 2026 Porsche Cayenne Electric
Yes, it’s always a prototype, but Porsche is finally letting people see what its next electric car will look like when it goes into production next year. We got a briefing on the underpinnings of the electric Cayenne’s new architecture, took a look at the highly sophisticated finalized interior, and experienced a few hot laps driven by one of Porsche’s professional drivers.
However, the highlight was, oddly enough, none of that, it was all about trying out the Cayenne Electric’s party trick and finding out exactly how Porsche’s wireless charging system works for the electric vehicle, and how ridiculously similar the process is to putting your phone on a Qi charging puck.
Reminiscent of BMW’s 3.2 kilowatt attempt in 2018, this new wireless version from Porsche is finally fit for purpose as it can charge at the rates you get with home wall chargers for electric vehicles, up to 11 kW. This means that by simply rolling across the 50-kilogram floor, owners will be able to fully charge the electric SUV in around 11 hours, topping up the 108 kWh battery overnight without needing to physically plug it in. (Porsche covered part of my travel costs to come see this in action.)
But how do you line up on that floor mat and place it in the right place to start charging when you can’t see the black tile when, as you roll towards the mat, it disappears out of your field of vision? Porsche has naturally sought to use the central cabin screen which displays the camera feed overlaid with red and green lines to guide you, as well as a green circle to help you aim for that 11kW charging sweet spot.
