Porsche Cayenne Electric Matches World Largest Plane in High Speed Test

High Speed Runway Collaboration

Porsche brought the prototype SUV to Mojave Air and Space Port to perform coordinated runs alongside the giant airplane. The Stratolaunch Roc serves as a launch platform for hypersonic research vehicles.

The Cayenne Electric matched the airplane during two takeoff runs before threading between its twin fuselages during landing. The electric SUV easily reached speeds over 160 mph to keep pace with the six-engine aircraft.

Coordination and Precision Driving

Former racing driver Patrick Long controlled the 1,139 horsepower vehicle during the exercise. Aircraft crew chiefs Shauntel Williams and John McKinney rode inside the car to maintain radio contact with the pilots.

Long admitted that timing the landing sequence proved more challenging than accelerating. He said, "The plane is so big that you don’t really have effective visual references for timing when to merge with the plane onto the runway."

Efficiency and Aerodynamic Performance

An official FAA coordinator oversaw the test runs to ensure proper safety protocols. Porsche reported that the SUV benefited from an aerodynamically quiet zone created between the two fuselages of the giant plane.

The high-speed demonstration required surprisingly little power from the battery pack. The vehicle consumed just 13% of its charge across four full-power runway runs.