Cayenne Electric makes its public debut at Dubai festival

Porsche presents the Cayenne Electric at the Icons of Porsche festival in Dubai, highlighting its off-road capabilities and first public appearance. Learn more.

The all-electric Cayenne makes its first public appearance in Dubai, and the choice of location feels deliberate. The Icons of Porsche festival, set against the city’s dramatic skyline and the vastness of the surrounding desert, provides a fitting stage for a model that blends urban character with authentic off-road capability. Shortly after its digital debut, the Cayenne Electric is presented live for the first time.

Dubai’s combination of modern architecture and harsh natural landscapes underscores Porsche’s intention. The new model is designed not only for agile driving in the city but also for confident performance beyond the pavement. Just an hour from the metropolis lie the Arabian Desert test sites, among the most demanding in the world. On fine powder sand, with slopes exceeding 25 degrees and temperatures above 40°C, the Cayenne Electric demonstrated how electric performance translates into terrain traditionally dominated by combustion engines.

According to Michael Schaetzle, Vice President Product Line Cayenne, the vehicle managed to exceed expectations: “The Cayenne Electric drives like a much lighter vehicle in the dunes.” The low inertia of the electric motors, instant power delivery, and the dedicated Sand mode allow precise control of the target slip needed for traction on loose surfaces. The ability to increase ground clearance to up to 245 millimetres further expands the SUV’s off-road capability.

The Turbo version stands out with a power output of up to 850 kW and 1,500 Nm of torque. It also features systems such as Porsche Active Ride, which keeps the body almost motionless by compensating for irregularities directly at the wheel. This results in higher stability, particularly in deep sand. Notably, the prototypes completed desert testing on standard summer tyres, highlighting the robustness of the vehicle’s engineering.

To ensure traction and temperature stability, Porsche has implemented several innovations. The electronically controlled all-wheel-drive system ePTM reacts about five times faster than conventional systems and supports all off-road modes. A new battery cooling strategy uses two cooling plates per module, while direct oil cooling—borrowed from motorsport—helps maintain sustained high power at the rear motor of the Turbo model. Reinforced side skirts, increased approach angles, and additional air inlets included in the Offroad Package further enhance durability under extreme conditions.

The Dubai debut marks an important milestone for Porsche. The Cayenne Electric brings together the model’s long-standing off-road heritage with a new phase defined by high-performance electric technology. While more information about market versions and availability is still to come, the debut leaves no doubt: this vehicle signals a new benchmark for what an electric SUV can achieve in environments once dominated solely by combustion-powered machines.