If you love petrol-powered sports cars and are dreading the shift to electric ones, Porsche may have some good news for you. Reports from Europe have indicated the long-anticipated all-electric 718 Cayman and Boxster sports cars have been delayed again.
German publication, Automobilwoche, has reported that Porsche has been hit by the bankruptcy of battery supplier, Northvolt. The Swedish company filed for bankruptcy in March, leaving Porsche in the lurch as it was relying on Northvolt to supply both the 718 and its planned seven-seat electric SUV.
READ MORE: Porsche is using racing to develop its electric 718
But the battery supply isn’t the only issue facing Porsche’s electric transition. As recently as March 2024, the brand was confident that up to 80 per cent of its sales would be electric vehicles (EVs) by the end of the current decade. However, last year saw a major cooling off of the EV market around the world, while Porsche announced big sales declines in its key electric market, China.
This has led the company to publicly re-evaluate its electric stance, with plans reportedly underway to reintroduce a petrol-powered version of its Macan SUV and now, potentially, the 718 duo. Even if Porsche decides to develop a new petrol-powered Boxster and Cayman (most likely with a hybrid system) it cannot scrap its investment into the electric 718 so will need to find a new battery supplier to get the project back on track. This latest report claims Porsche is now aiming for a 2027 launch for the car.
However, it’s not all good news for petrol-powered Porsche fans That’s because production of the petrol-powered 718 range has already stopped, so there are no more new examples coming into showrooms. Porsche Australia stopped receiving new examples of both Cayman and Boxster in 2024. In Europe the models were discontinued because of cybersecurity concerns, meaning Porsche could be without its junior sports car for at least two years.
While the 718 is not as iconic as the 911, the smaller sports car played a crucial role for the brand. It helped attract new customers who couldn’t afford the 911 while also appealing to those who wanted something smaller or more efficient; which was reportedly a big appeal for it in the Chinese market.
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