The next generation Porsche 718 Cayman and 718 Boxster will be electric, it’s now official. The “zero emission” models should represent 80% of the brand’s sales in 2030 and will benefit from a network of Porsche charging stations.
Farewell flat-six, farewell flat-four too, Porsche announces that the next 718 will be exclusively electric. Various officials of the manufacturer had been openly discussing this possibility for several years. Things had accelerated in recent months, with rumors from across the Rhine reporting an investment of 500 million euros in the historic Zuffenhausen factory to produce the future electric 718 there, and this a few months after the presentation of the “zero emission” Mission R concept resembling a futuristic racing Cayman. The idea is even more than a decade old, Porsche having experimented with Boxster E electric prototypes since 2010, some offering 368hp and just over 200km of range with a net 35.8kWh battery. It’s official today, the smallest of the Porsche sports cars will abandon the heat engine.
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From the Porsche Mission R to the 718
The switch from the 718 to electric is part of Porsche’s electrification strategy, which expects to achieve 80% of its annual sales with electric vehicles by 2030. Electrified vehicles (including hybrids) now represent 40% of the brand’s deliveries in Europe; Porsche expects 50% worldwide in 2025. It is during this period that the electric 718 will be launched. ” We want to boost our electric offering even further with a new model: by the middle of the decade, we intend to offer our 718 mid-engined sports car range exclusively with an all-electric drivetrain “, announces the German firm. Nothing has been revealed about the specifications of the electric 718. It can be expected to be based on the PPE platform co-developed by Porsche and Audi, with a choice of two- or four-wheel drive, and an oil-cooled 900V battery as on the Mission R concept. which cannot be excluded. On the power side, the offer could start around 400 hp, or 100 hp more than currently, to compensate for the excess weight due to the battery.
The last thermal Porsche will be a 911
The current 718 Boxster and 718 Cayman having been on the market since 2016, their replacements could be presented in 2023. The manufacturer’s formulation suggests that the current generation (type 982) could remain in the catalog for two or three years in parallel with the next one. , as will be the case for the Macan. Because the second generation of the crossover, expected for 2023, will also be electric. The Cayenne and Panamera should also go electric in the coming years. Porsche has promised that the 911 will be the last to say goodbye to the thermal if it becomes mandatory. It currently accounts for just over 12% of the automaker’s sales, meaning it might not be entirely alone in resisting full electrification at the end of this decade.
Porsche will have its own network of terminals
To support the launch of its electric range, Porsche plans to produce its own battery cells in Germany through its subsidiary Cellforce Group. The company also plans to roll out its own charging network in addition to the multi-brand initiatives in which it is engaged, such as Ionity. The details remain to be known, but we can expect a model reminiscent of Tesla with high-performance terminals and preferential rates (even exclusive use) for its customers.
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