Porsche keeps iconic left‑side key for its electric Cayenne to satisfy car purists

The upcoming Porsche Cayenne Electric will still have the ignition switch on the left-hand side of the steering wheel.

As with all Porsches, you’re going to have to approach the vehicle holding the key with your left hand.

Well, you won’t have to, technically, because the Cayenne Electric won’t have a key as such.

But there’s a reason why the German automaker is determined to uphold this tradition.

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Why the ignition key is always on the left-hand side in a Porsche

In the 1950s, when Porsche began racing at Le Mans, the world’s most famous endurance race was still characterized by a unique feature, which some people still call the ‘Le Mans start’.

Today, races start with the driver already in the car, but back then, drivers had to run to the car, jump in, put the key in the ignition, start the engine, and then drive off.

At that point, the manufacturer realized it could earn a slight advantage by putting the ignition on the left side.

This is because the driver could turn on the car with their left hand and immediately shift into gear with their right hand.

It was a split-second advantage, but even that can make a difference in a race.

For this reason, nearly every Porsche model since the 356 has had the ignition on the left-hand side of the steering column.

The Cayenne Electric won’t be the exception.

Why this tradition is now mostly symbolic

The Porsche Cayenne Electric, just like the Macan EV and the Taycan, doesn’t really have a key.

In fact, most modern cars don’t have keys.

You generally turn them on with an app or with a button.

These Porsche models feature a switch or a toggle that you can move to turn the car on with your keys in your pocket.

So this is mostly symbolic.

But then again, most traditions are usually just symbolic.