Porsche Macan EV vs Tesla Model Y
Tesla arguably invented the premium electric car. The company’s Model S sedan, introduced in 2012, was really the first EV that attracted buyers with its performance and style and not just efficiency and zero emissions. Since then, the company has branched into numerous segments, and its smaller, less expensive Tesla Model Y crossover is now the best-selling vehicle in the world. Buyers love the Model Y’s compact size, spacious interior, cutting-edge tech, and performance. Plus, thanks to numerous rounds of price cuts in the last 12 months, the Model Y offers incredible value, with a starting MSRP of just over $40,000.
Is the all-new Porsche Macan EV, the first all-electric SUV from the sports car brand, really a Model Y competitor? Based on price alone, it would be easy to say no: the starting MSRP of the electric all-wheel drive Macan 4 is $80,450 – nearly double the Model Y. But, comparing the Model Y Long Range, or more appropriately, the Model Y Performance, narrows the price gap: they have starting MSRPs of $48,990 and $52,490 – before you add the popular $12,000 “full self driving” package. Plus, in terms of exterior dimensions, the Tesla crossover and the new Porsche electric SUV are almost identical: the Macan is just over an inch longer and an inch wider, with the same wheelbase and height. Let’s take a look at how they compare.
Space, Practicality, and Interior
While they have almost the same measurements on the outside, the Tesla does, on paper, offer more interior room than the electric Macan. The Model Y’s cargo room is listed as 30.2 cubic feet, compared to just 19 cubic feet for the Porsche Macan EV; so much so that you can actually order a third row of seats for the Tesla, though they’d only realistically fit small children.
On the other hand, front- and rear-seat space in the Porsche and the Model Y is relatively equivalent; they both are easy to get into and out of, with plenty of room to stretch out. The design philosophies of both companies are quite different, however: while both the Macan and Model Y have lots of touch-screen real estate, the Porsche interior feels much more “structured,” with a high-set center console with physical climate and audio controls, as well as a relatively tall dashboard housing a digital instrument cluster, infotainment system, and optional passenger display. The Tesla has a minimalist dash with all controls clustered on a larger central display, and the only physical controls you’ll find are on the steering wheel and door panel.
Since both models were designed as EVs from the ground up – the Porsche Macan EV will be sold alongside the previous-generation gasoline Macan for a couple of years – they are both more spacious than you’d expect for their exterior dimensions, and they both have a “frunk” as well. Instead of an engine residing in front of the windshield, there’s an additional storage compartment – 3 cubic feet in the Porsche, 4.1 cubic feet in the Tesla.
What the Macan does give you over the Tesla is a much higher degree of customizability. The Model Y offers just two interior colors – black and white – and there’s only one seat option. Porsche, on the other hand, offers a huge range of colors, trim finishes, and seat configurations – though many of them are costly options on top of the higher base price.
Porsche vs. Tesla: Performance, Range and Charging
For the purposes of this comparison, we’ll focus on the Porsche Macan 4, which is the “entry level” Macan EV; the higher-performance Macan Turbo has a starting MSRP of $106,950. The Macan 4 is no slouch, however; with two electric motors and all-wheel drive, it offers 402 hp and 479 lb-ft of torque, with the ability to blitz from 0 to 60 mph in just over 5 seconds. The Model Y Long Range has twin motors produce 384 hp and 376 lb-ft of torque, but it actually gets to 60 mph in 4.8 seconds, thanks to being a several hundred pounds lighter than the Porsche.
The Porsche, however, is the new range champion in the premium crossover class. The EPA rates the Model Y Long Range at 310 estimated miles on a full charge, while the Macan achieves 380 miles on the European WLTP test cycle; we estimate its EPA rating will be closer to 350 miles when the first vehicles are delivered in the U.S. this summer. The Porsche’s additional range comes from careful aerodynamic sculpting of its under-body, wheels, and profile, as well as a larger battery – 100 kW compared to the 82 kWh of the Model Y Long Range.
One other area the Porsche excels is in charging speed. While the Model Y can charge at an impressive 210 kW on a compactible charger – adding up to 200 miles of range in just 15 minutes – the Macan EV charges even faster. Thanks to an 800-volt architecture like the Taycan, the Macan EV can be charged at up to 270 kW, enough to go from 10 to 80 percent in just 22 minutes. Indeed, Porsche says that, in just 4 minutes, you can add up to 60 miles of range on a compatible charger. Macan EV owners will, starting in early 2025, also have access to the excellent Tesla Supercharger network, giving them an extensive range of charging options, no matter where they are.
Tesla Model Y and Porsche Macan EV Tech
Both the Macan and Model Y offer a serious amount of tech as standard, with large screens, adaptive cruise control, and more. Tesla’s big party trick is the optional $12,000 “full self driving” option, which doesn’t really let the car drive itself completely. But it does offer hands-free driving under certain conditions, in addition to the regular adaptive cruise control functions of maintaining a safe distance from the vehicle ahead, and keeping the vehicle centered in its lane.
The Macan EV, however, leans more heavily into Porsche’s driver focus. You can choose from a wide variety of wheel and tire options, and an optional adaptive air suspension lets you select how hard or soft you want the car to feel in corners, paired with multiple drive modes. Rear-wheel steering is also available, which significantly reduces the Macan’s turning circle, making it easier to maneuver and park in the city. The Macan also has charging ports on both sides of the vehicle, increasing convenience.
While the optional passenger-side screen in the Macan offers passengers access to streaming video, it can’t match the Tesla’s range of entertainment options for when you’re parked and charging. The Tesla’s larger screen not only lets you use Netflix, YouTube, or other video services, but also has an arcade and toybox, sure to keep the kids entertained.
The Verdict
While it’s hard to draw direct comparisons between the Model Y and the Macan EV due to the disparity in their base prices, we know anecdotally that many owners of the Tesla Model Y came from premium-brand gasoline SUVs, attracted by its technology, performance, and lower running costs.
Interestingly, the Porsche Macan EV is the first high-end import brand to enter the market for SUVs of this size, a class down from larger vehicles like the BMW iX and Mercedes EQE. As such, while it’s definitely a lot more expensive than the Model Y, we suspect it may attract a number of buyers back into a “traditional” car brand with its styling, tech, and its impressive range and performance. They’ll also love the fact that they can customize the Macan EV to their heart’s content, while Tesla only offers a limited number of colors, interiors, and wheels.
Porsche vehicles have always driven beautifully and offered superb resale value, and we expect the Macan EV to be no different. We can’t wait to drive it when it arrives later this year – and put it head-to-head with the Model Y on American roads.
