Porsche Cayenne Hybrid: First official picture!

We are very happy to show you the first official pictures of the Porsche Cayenne Hybrid. Enjoy!

So give me the details of the Cayenne Hybrid. Is it like a Lexus RX400h?
In a word, no. Porsche has gone for a ‘parallel hybrid’ system, which is modular so that the hybrid components can slot into the existing Cayenne architecture without the need for too many expensive changes. It sounds simple, but it is actually very complex.

An RX400h has two electric motors, one for each axle, a battery, and a planetary set of gears. The Cayenne Hybrid has just one electric motor squeezed next to the V6 and still driving all four wheels. A Sanyo battery takes the place of the spare wheel; it's made of nickelmetalhydride (NiMH), and is fairly compact at 347 x 633 x 291mm so the boot floor is only raised by three inches. A can of tyre sealant replaces the spare wheel, or you can opt to have the wheel mounted on the tailgate.

A clutch is fitted between the engine and regular transmission. When the clutch is open the engine turns itself off, be it in traffic or at speeds of up to 120kmh (75mph). This is where the Porsche differs from all other hybrids, because so long as there is sufficient charge in the battery, the Cayenne can run at motorway speeds on electric power. Porsche engineers call it ‘sailing along’.

Related news: GermanCarBlog, P4MR, Porsche Cayenne Hybrid

Source: Car Magazine

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