Porsche Cayenne Electric Sets Shelsley Walsh Record
For more than two decades, the Porsche Cayenne has embodied unmatched versatility, and the forthcoming Porsche Cayenne Electric now elevates that legacy. The all-electric SUV blends high performance with day-to-day ease, long-distance comfort, and genuine off-road capability, as revealed during a recent film shoot in England.
Porsche chose the historic Shelsley Walsh hill climb—running since 1905—to showcase its near-production prototype. Amid entrants in the British Hillclimb Championship, simulator and development driver Gabriela Jílková piloted the camouflaged Cayenne Electric up the narrow, 914-metre course, which peaks at a 16.7 per cent gradient. On her first run, she shaved more than four seconds off the previous SUV record, stopping the clock at 31.28 seconds. “The course is challenging and does not forgive mistakes,” she remarked. “There are no run-off zones and little room for correction. However, the active suspension provides the new Cayenne with enormous stability and precision. I felt completely confident at all times.”
That stability stems from Porsche Active Ride, a new chassis system set to debut on the Cayenne Electric. It maintains body level during hard braking, swift steering inputs, and rapid acceleration by balancing wheel loads in real-time. “Porsche Active Ride significantly expands the range between driving dynamics and ride comfort in the new Cayenne,” confirms Michael Schätzle, Vice-President Product Line Cayenne.
The stop-watch told another compelling story: the prototype covered the first 60 feet in just 1.94 seconds, a figure usually reserved for single-seater racers on slick tyres. Although engineers are still fine-tuning the SUV for its market launch, Schätzle notes that “the drive power and equipment of the record-breaking car were already at production level”.
Versatility extends beyond lap times. British television presenter Richard Hammond harnessed the prototype’s pulling power to tow a 100-year-old, two-tonne classic car from his Hereford workshop, bringing the combined weight to roughly three tonnes. “We were trailing significant weight behind us, but you wouldn’t know it – the Cayenne handled it effortlessly,” he reported.
Engineers built the Porsche Cayenne Electric with robust bodywork, a resilient powertrain and sophisticated thermal management for its high-voltage system, enabling a best-in-class towing capacity of up to 3.5 tonnes, subject to configuration. “Our customers have always appreciated the high utility value of the Cayenne,” Schätzle explains. “That's why we didn't want to make any compromises in the development of the all-electric model.”
While Porsche will continue to offer powerful, efficient combustion and hybrid Cayenne variants well into the next decade, Schätzle believes that only electrification can deliver the performance displayed in England. “The Cayenne Electric will set new standards – without compromising on everyday usability and practicality.”
The record-breaking, camouflage-clad SUV will make another public appearance at the Goodwood Festival of Speed from 10 to 13 July 2025, giving enthusiasts a closer look at Porsche’s next electric milestone.
