Porsche considers releasing electric 718 in 2024

Porsche wanted to decide by this summer whether the next generation of the 718 series (Cayman and Boxster) would have an all-electric drive. According to media reports, the decision has now been made in favour of a purely electric 718 in 2024. However, official confirmation is still pending.

The portal Car and Driver reports, citing various sources inside and outside the company, that the decision has been made and that the launch of an electric 718 based on a new sports car platform is imminent for 2024. It is fitting that series manager Frank Walliser indirectly confirms the electric future of the 718 in a new interview. In an interview with Automobil Industrie Vogel, he answers questions that explicitly mention an electrically powered 718 as the next generation of the sports car.

In the interview, Walliser says, among other things, that an electric sports car from Porsche must be able to travel at least 400 kilometres. Another target is a weight of no more than 1,650 to 1,680 kilograms. Currently, the 718 weighs 1,335 kilograms or more.

A glimpse of the design of the next 718 was recently provided by the Mission R concept presented by Porsche at the IAA Mobility. Unlike the usual GT racing cars for customer motorsport, this is not based on a production model, but was developed from scratch as an electric racing car. The Mission R is powered by two electric motors. The one on the front axle produces up to 320 kW, the one on the rear axle up to 480 kW.

The question of which batteries would be used in the electric 718 can be narrowed down: It is known, for example, that Northvolt is to supply cells for premium vehicles to the VW Group from 2023 onwards, for vehicles from Audi and Porsche, for example. But it is also conceivable that the sports cars – as is the case with the Mission R concept – will receive batteries with cells from the Porsche joint venture Customcells. The new company aims to produce high-performance cells with silicon anodes and a production capacity of 100 MWh per year. The high-performance cells are to be used in racing cars or limited-edition road sports cars, Porsche has repeatedly stated.

caranddriver.com, automobil-industrie.vogel.de (interview in German)