As Tesla CEO Elon Musk pleaded for more battery infrastructure in America, we toured Porsche's incredibly advanced Smart Battery facility in Slovakia. The production process of the all-electric Cayenne is a testament to Porsche's commitment to innovation and its 'foundational tech' communication campaign. We witnessed the production line where 113kWh battery packs are assembled with a potential power output of 850 kW (1,156 PS).
The entire process was designed in-house by Porsche and remains notably close to the company itself compared to other components and factories in the process. Our tour also took us to the assembly facility where all three Cayenne models go from parts to complete vehicles and onto trains for shipping. We observed how Porsche is addressing the complexities of scale, volume, and quality control through a station-driven assembly process.
The Smart Battery Shop features 280 robots and 150 people employed, with humans casually strolling from node to node checking on the robots but not actively involved in battery construction. The production line is designed to be efficient, with components tracked, tested, and treated with respect while humans remain on the other side of protective see-through barriers. Porsche's approach to thermal management, diagnosis, and service is also noteworthy, allowing for real-time updates and refinements.
We visited the assembly plant where 450,000 vehicles were produced in 2025, making it the second-largest plant for VW with twelve models from four group brands at the multi-brand site. The Cayenne Electric's production line is a radical departure from traditional manufacturing techniques, featuring a highly automated environment with robots and few humans. Porsche is committed to addressing scaling production techniques with solutions close to the source of assembly.