This is Porsche’s electric future plan

The Porsche Mission R has previewed the brand’s decision to switch the 718 range from petrol to electric power

If you were the kind of Porsche fanatic upset when the 911 switched from air-cooled to water-cooled look away now, because the German brand is going electric.

The will introduce electric versions of both its Cayenne SUV and its 718 sports car by the end of the decade, joining the already-confirmed Macan and existing Taycan. There will also be a third SUV added to the range, codenamed K1 and set to sit above the Cayenne as a more premium offering.

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These dramatic changes are part of the brand’s sustainability push, but also seemingly prepares Porsche for the European Union’s ban on emission-producing cars by 2035. There is some good news though, the 911 was not mentioned in relation to the company’s electric plans as it continues to try and save the internal combustion engine with the use of carbon-neutral synthetic fuels.

These details were revealed in Porsche’s annual press conference to outline its financial details. Porsche chairman Oliver Blume said the changes are designed to retain the current customer base but expand the appeal of the brand as electric vehicles increase in popularity.

“We combine an outstanding product with a highly personal experience. With a brand that takes responsibility within society,” Blume said. “We are expanding our product portfolio with new sports car concepts. We will also continue to focus on limited editions and expand our Sonderwunsch programme in the future. We want to accommodate the desires and lifestyle of our customers even more than we do already, exceeding their expectations time and again.”

Porsche has teased a new ‘Prestige’ electric SUV

Perhaps the biggest takeaway from the presentation was the official confirmation that the next-generation of the 718 will switch to electric power. While it has been expected that the 718 Boxster and Cayman would drop their petrol engines, Porsche has now said it will happen by 2025.

The company already teased this was coming with the Mission R concept, which disguised the next-generation Cayman in a one-make racing car.

Following that the next goal will be to switch the Cayenne SUV to electric power, as part of a plan to have 80 per cent of the Porsche range battery-powered by 2030. Before that happens, later this year Porsche will introduce three updated plug-in hybrid powertrains for the third-generation Cayenne.

But that won’t be the end of Porsche’s electric SUV plans, with an all-new model teased as part of the presentation. Labelled as a ‘Prestige’ the new model will be based on the Volkswagen Group’s new Scalable System Platform (SSP), which Porsche is helping to develop for a range of vehicles across multiple brands, including Audi and Volkswagen. The teaser image shows a silhouette not too dissimilar to the current Panamera, suggesting this new model will be a coupe-style SUV that will give the brand a rival to the likes of the new Ferrari Purosangue and Bentley Bentayga.

To try and ensure the 911 doesn’t have to join this electric switch Porsche has invested in both the development and production of synthetic ‘eFuels’, with mass-production plants planned for Chile, the USA and Australia.