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The process of designing operating concepts for new vehicles is more complex today than ever before, as customer needs have diverged drastically around the world. For example, sporty, largely distraction-free driving is much more important in Europe than in Asia, where bumper-to-bumper traffic is a part of everyday life in the big cities. Passengers should be able to take advantage of the time they spend stuck on the road – with features tailored to their personal needs. The Porsche solution is to transform the interior into an experience zone. “With Porsche Digital Interaction, we connect intelligent software and advanced hardware to create a seamless, personalized, and networked driving experience,” explains Sajjad Khan, Member of the Executive Board, Car-IT.

Conventional dashboards cannot fulfill the different requirements. The solution: a symbiosis of analog controls and a digital cockpit. While a few years ago, a handful of round instruments defined the driver’s direct field of vision, state-of-the-art cockpits like that in the Cayenne Electric incorporate large sections of the dashboard.

Up to four displays allow the driver and codriver to interact with the SUV. It was the responsibility of Ivo van Hulten, Director of Driver Experience, and his team to make these displays user-friendly. 

The main focus was to develop a UX/UI design that makes operation more intuitive and ergonomic, as well as safer and more comfortable. “UX” stands for user experience, and “UI” for user interface. A logically structured UX/UI concept therefore not only affects vehicle operation, but can also have an impact on the brand experience and customer satisfaction. 

A balance of emotion and function

“The Macan Electric concept served as a basis for the UX/UI design,” explains van Hulten. “Again, with the Cayenne, the aim was to create a good balance of emotion and function, without diminishing the focus on Porsche. Our models are developed with the driver in mind. Operating vehicle features should not distract them if at all possible.” 

That’s what Porsche refers to as the Driver Experience. The driver is the focus of activity, with each touch, every necessary action, designed to increase the level of comfort and support the task of driving. Considering the sheer number of functions available in the Cayenne Electric, that’s a herculean task.

In addition, the range of functions will continue to expand throughout the vehicle’s service life, as the Cayenne can be updated in the digital age. New functions can be downloaded over the air (OTA), which works much like with a smartphone. Simply install an update for immediate access to new features. 

AI-supported voice recognition

What that means for the driver is best explained using the Porsche Voice Pilot. “The AI-supported Voice Pilot is based on high-performance large language models (LLM),” says Sajjad Khan. “This makes it a true conversation partner that not only understands what you say but also what you mean.” 

Complex interconnected issues are therefore no longer a problem for the new voice assistant. “What is the best restaurant in Stuttgart? Which dish has the best recommendation? Where can I park?”

If specific questions like these come up while driving, the Voice Pilot recognizes natural language and can help. An online update can be carried out via the vehicle’s App Center, thereby giving it new functionalities. Rather than hardware alone, it will largely be software that determines the range of functions in the future.

Manual operation is a breeze, too. The design team has managed to seamlessly integrate the central input unit into the dashboard in the form of the Flow Display. This curved OLED design transitions smoothly into the central console and thus enables extraordinary control logic. A newly developed wrist pad simplifies operation. It allows the driver to operate the digital and analog elements ergonomically – even in dynamic driving situations. 

Generous display landscape

Along with up to another three monitors, the Flow Display forms the largest digital user interface in a Porsche. Directly in front of the driver, a fully digital 14.25-inch OLED instrument cluster displays information about the speed, navigation, assistance systems, and infotainment. There you can also choose a new view, the “Signature Screen,” which closely resembles the traditional round instruments that became a trademark feature during the air-cooled Porsche era. 

The optional 14.9-inch codriver display offers entertainment, app control, and video streaming even during the drive, without distracting the driver. The Cayenne Electric also optionally offers a head-up display with augmented-reality technology. With a size of 87 inches, it shows the road about 10 meters in front of the vehicle and embeds virtual driver assistance and navigation content into the real-world view as needed. 

Intuitive operation of the most important functions

In addition, configurable widgets in the lower part of the Flow Display enable intuitive operation of the most important functions. The color scheme of all the digital surfaces throughout the interior can be adapted using the Themes app. 

There are five color schemes and theme worlds to choose from, all of which modify the appearance of the Flow Display, the instrument cluster, other displays, and the ambient lighting, transforming the digital user interface into a customizable design element.

The App Center contributes to the increasing individualization of the Cayenne by allowing Porsche apps and those of third-party providers to be kept up to date at all times. Regardless of where in the world the Cayenne Electric finds itself, it can be adjusted to meet regional preferences with ease. 

The Cayenne Electric’s Digital Key can transform smartphones and smartwatches into vehicle door openers. Using ultra-wideband (UWB) radio technology, the Cayenne is able to recognize cell phones or watches and automatically unlock or lock the doors as you approach or walk away. The Porsche Digital Key can be easily shared with Apple or Android users via SMS or AirDrop and used with Apple or Google Wallet. Up to seven additional users are possible. Individual users can also be assigned different permissions, restricting the Cayenne’s functions to certain users, including unlocking the trunk and opening the hood.

Designed to be touched

For all its focus on digitalization, Porsche never lost sight of tactile elegance. While the eye-catching Flow Display offers ultrasmooth operation, analog or capacitive control elements have been maintained for the most common functions. Buttons on the outer edge of the combi display, in the steering wheel spokes, and below the Flow Display allow convenient and direct access to radio, telephone, and air-conditioning functions. The lights, the Porsche Electric Sport Sound (PESS), and the parking assistance functions can also be controlled.

Additionally, there are two freely configurable joker buttons. These, too, contribute to the Driver Experience. Maximum ease of use with minimal distraction for the driver meets extraordinary innovation and state-of-the-art design. “Because the driver is of central importance in everything we do,” says Sajjad Khan.

Info

Text first published in the Porsche magazine Christophorus 417 – out now!

Text: Christian Bangemann
Photos: Porsche

Copyright: All images, videos and audio files published in this article are subject to copyright. Reproduction in whole or in part is not permitted without the written consent of Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG. Please contact newsroom@porsche.com for further information.

13 December 2025

Weaker milk prices, elevated costs and global market uncertainty mean that Irish dairy farmers are facing into a more challenging year in 2026.

That’s according to Dr. Emma Dillon, Senior Research Officer and Economist with the Teagasc National Farm Survey who addressed the recent Teagasc Outlook 2026 Conference, and presented a paper co-authored with Trevor Donnellan, Head of the Agricultural Economics and Farm Surveys Department, Teagasc.

Dr. Dillon highlighted the importance of the global supply and demand context, noting that 2025 marked a year of significant production growth worldwide. Irish milk production is estimated to increase by 4-5% in 2025, EU production up slightly, less than 0.5%, while other key exporting regions such as the US and New Zealand are also expected to publish production increases.

As a result of this increased supply, Dr. Dillon explained, global dairy commodity markets have been under downward pressure in recent months.

This volatility fed directly into milk price movements this year. Irish milk prices are estimated to have risen by about 3% year-on-year in 2025, but Dr. Dillon stressed the sector’s reliance on commodity markets: “When those markets are performing well, the Irish milk price will do well. When they are in difficulty, we are in difficulty.”

Dr. Emma Dillon presenting at the Teagasc Outlook 2026 Conference

Illustrating the impact on this volatility, Dr. Dillon noted that the average dairy farmer is estimated to generate a net margin of 21c/L in 2025 or €2,600/ha, the outlook for 2026 is less positive, however.

Driven largely by the global trade imbalance, ongoing geopolitical and economic uncertainty, along with oversupplied markets, Dr. Dillon provided a forecast for Irish dairy farms for the year ahead: “We are expecting more moderate supply growth in 2026, with lower prices anticipated in the first half of the year,” Dr. Dillon said. “It is very difficult to pinpoint when prices will recover.”

For her forecast on margins for the year ahead, Dr. Dillon used an average Irish milk price of 42c/L (actual constituents) or 37c/L (base price), with production expected to remain stable and costs sticking to their elevated levels. Overall, the Teagasc economist forecast that the average dairy farm net margin would fall to €1,500/ha or lower in 2026, with the net margin per litre forecast to dip to 11.5c/L. However, increased returns from calf and cull cow sales are expected to buffer dairy farmers somewhat from lower market prices, especially in the early half of the year.

Dr. Dillon concluded her presentation by explaining that the Irish dairy sector remains highly exposed to swings in global commodity prices due to the relatively inelastic nature of dairy demand and the slow supply response possible within the sector. However, she noted that the medium to long term prospects look favourable, driven by expected global growth in protein demand and strengthening economic conditions in Southeast Asia, though challenges around inflation and cost of living persist.

For dairy farmers preparing for the year ahead, Dr. Dillon reinforced the messaging from the recent Teagasc National Dairy Conference on cost control and benchmarking.

“Dairy farm incomes need to be viewed in the context of almost 1.9 labour units per farm (1.4 labour units being family labour),” Dillon noted. “Benchmarking costs, controlling overheads, stress-testing cash flow and maintaining liquidity will be essential in the year ahead.”

For full insights and to read Dr. Dillon’s paper from the Teagasc Outlook 2026 Conference, visit here.

But Wernham said most passengers cannot make the walk to other transport links and asked Cumberland Council and Stagecoach to confirm what assessments were undertaken before the decision was made.

He has also questioned whether options such as using a smaller single decker bus were considered to keep operating costs down.

Stagecoach said it had engaged closely with Cumberland Council throughout the review process and will continue to work with the authority to explore any feasible alternatives.

It comes after the Labour-controlled council launched “Cumberland Go” – a set of subsidised bus services to enhance services operating in and around Carlisle, Anthorn, Whitehaven, Ravenglass, Millom, Barrow and Egremont.

The BBC has approached Cumberland Council for comment.