Porsche explains though that during a period of sustainability and preserving budgets, most of these miles will be done on a computer using digital prototypes. The German automaker has 20 digital prototypes of the Macan, and this will be used to validate things like aerodynamics, acoustics, and so forth.

The company explains that rigorous testing for electric vehicles is important because they operate at a different temperature window. Whereas 87 to 121 degrees Celsius is often the target for internal combustion engines, electric motors need to work between 21 to 71 degrees Celsius. Porsche says that these critical scenarios don’t usually occur on the open road, but rather, during high-speed power charging at high ambient temperatures. Through the use of digital prototypes, they are able to precisely calculate and optimize flow, temperature, and charge position digitally.

The first physical prototypes of the all-electric Macan you see here were built based on the data obtained from the simulations. By the same token, the findings from road testing are fed directly into digital development.

The world premiere of the all-electric Macan—the first Porsche to be built on the Premium Platform Electric (PPE)—is planned for 2023. In the meantime, they’ve also confirmed that the current Macan will undergo yet another update this year. It will also be sold alongside the all-electric Macan side-by-side to meet different customer demand.