Porsche 718, Cayenne & Panamera may go electric

Within the next twelve months, Porsche intends to make a final decision as to whether the next generation of the 718 Boxster and 718 Cayman will be solely manufactured as an electric series. This was stated by Porsche boss Oliver Blume in an interview.

Corresponding prototypes are already being tested. If Porsche opts for a purely electric 718 series, this should be launched in 2022. Blume added that elements of the PPE architecture could also be used in development.

Porsche has already decided to manufacture the next generation of the Macan in Leipzig as a fully electric series from the beginning of the next decade. The compact SUV will be based on the PPE (Premium Platform Electric) architecture developed jointly with Audi and, like the Taycan, will feature 800 Volt technology.

According to other reports, Porsche CFO Lutz Meschke recently admitted that the Cayenne and Panamera could also go fully electric in future. According to Oliver Blume, at least partial electrification is being considered for the Porsche 911. “One option is a very powerful hybrid drive based on our 919 Hybrid racing car. The advantage of this technology is its low weight. Another alternative is a plug-in hybrid,” says Blume.

The Porsche boss sees solid batteries as a potential future option only “in a period between 2025 and 2027”, “but even then initially only in very small series”. At the moment, “lithium-ion batteries will remain the option, with efficiency gains in power density and weight currently standing at around ten percent per year.”

topgear.com, focus.de (Interview in German)