Porsche’s electric change-of-heart looks set to cost the company €3.1 billion ($5.5b) – but it will be good news for sports car fans.
The German brand announced plans to make almost its entire line-up electric by early next decade, with battery-powered versions of the Macan, Cayenne, Panamera and even the 718 Cayman and Boxster sports cars.
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But with buyers making it clear they prefer Porsches with petrol-power the brand is overhauling its next-generation of vehicles
“We have seen a clear drop in demand for exclusive battery-electric cars and we are taking that into account,” Blume told Autocar.
Crucially, this includes the 718 duo, which will continue to offer electric power at the entry-level to the range, but according to new reports they will also receive the newest engine from the 911.
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Autocar reports that Porsche will deploy its new T-Hybrid powertrain for the higher model grades in the new Cayman and Boxster variants. This is the all-new 3.6-litre flat-six engine paired to a small electric motor in order to both meet new emissions standards but also provide a performance boost.
Crucially, this new engine is shorter than the 3.6-litre and 4.0-litre six-cylinder engines used in other 911 models, which means it can be accommodated into the mid-engine layout of the 718. This is a major boost for both Porsche and its performance car buyers, as it saves money for the company at a crucial time while also better meeting the needs of buyers who simply aren’t ready to switch to electric performance cars.
It’s also good news for performance car fans, in the new 911 GTS the T-Hybird powertrain punches out a very healthy 398kW of power and 610Nm of torque. While Porsche may de-tuned it for the 718, it still bares well for some seriously quick future 718 Cayman and Boxster hero models like the GTS and GT4.
Porsche needs to save all the money it can, as its change of plans is going to require a significant amount of unplanned investment in new powertrains.
The brand had already announced that its upcoming all-electric Cayenne will be sold alongside the existing petrol-powered models until at least the end of the decade.
The planned new flagship SUV, codenamed K1, will now have plug-in hybrid powertrain instead of all-electric powertrains in another major change. And Porsche is also having to develop an all-new mid-size SUV based on the Audi Q5, which will allow the Macan to remain electric-only but give the brand a new entry-level model to win back sales.
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