New Porsche Cayenne ELECTRIC – Breaks records and tows stuff too [Video]

The upcoming Porsche Cayenne Electric has set a new SUV record at Shelsley Walsh, and proved its towing prowess with Richard Hammond.

Although it’s two years since Porsche confirmed an electric Cayenne was on the way, and a year since they declared it would arrive in 2025, we still don’t know exactly when Porsche will reveal its electric take on what, financially, is their most successful offering.

But we must assume the official reveal is getting close as Porsche is taking a pre-production prototype to Goodwood this coming weekend, ahead of which it’s already been out in public in the UK to underline its potential.

Porsche delivered the prototype to Richard Hammond at The Smallest Clog so he could hitch a trailer to the back and transport a Classic Lagonda to show it could tow nearly three tonnes with alacrity (Porsche says the new EV can actually tow up to 3,500kg), which it did, with Hammond declaring it was effortless. What exactly it will do to the  Cayenne’s range isn’t divulged, but it will be significant.

Having proved the new Cayenne Electric has actual workhorse abilities, Porsche also underlined its performance potential with a run up the Shelsley Walsh hillclimb, which, piloted by Porsche’s Formula E development driver Gabriela Jílková, broke the SUV record held by a Bentley Bentayga of 35.53s by setting a time of 31.28s.

Despite this public revealing of the Cayenne Electric, nothing much has been divulged beyond the fact it’s bigger than the current Cayenne, borrows plenty of tech from the Taycan and, according to Hammond, could come with over 1,000bhp.

Porsche is hedging its Cayenne bets by promising the ICE Cayenne will survive into the 2030s, but we can’t help but expect its fate will follow that of the Taycan, with big early sales followed by a big crash and dire residuals.

Porsche Cayenne Electric Hillclimb and Towing video