Porsche’s third EV model and first electric two-seater will be the next 718, the company has confirmed. While the 911 isn’t expected to adopt EV technology until the end of the decade, the next-generation Boxster and Cayman will be exclusively battery-powered when they arrive as 2025 models in late 2024, a year after the Macan EV.
And Porsche claims it is developing its
own charging infrastructure so customers won’t have to mix it with the rest of
us ordinary EV drivers slumming it in Hyundai Ioniq 5s and Kia EV6s when its
cars’ batteries run low on juice. Porsche went on to say that it is currently
developing high-performance battery cells with the Cellforce Group that are
expected to be ready for series production in 2024, presumably just in time to
appear in the new 718 Boxster and Cayman twins.
Porsche had already dropped a huge hint
about the future of the 718 when it released the Mission R concept last year.
Though allegedly a study looking into a possible future racing car, the concept
showcased the styling of the next generation production car and primed us for
the shock that it would come only as an EV. The all-wheel-drive concept
promised 1,073 hp in qualifying trim and 626 hp in race tune thanks
to a 429 hp front motor and a 626 hp rear motor setup, but expect a less
powerful, single-motor, rear-wheel-drive version to be offered alongside the
first-ever all-wheel-drive 718 when production starts in late 2024.
Although Porsche is investing in clean
fuel technology that could extend the life of the combustion engine, almost 40
percent of Porsche’s 2021 output was electrified in some way, and it wants
fully electric cars and PHEVs to account for 50 percent of its global sales by
2025, raising to 80 percent by 2030. To help owners charge this massive influx
of electric Porsches, the company is investing in “premium” charging stations
with unnamed partners, but also claims it is developing its own Tesla-style
charging infrastructure. Porsche’s proprietary premium charging stations will
begin popping out in high-demand locations in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland
first. The German carmaker will focus on establishing a charging network in
Europe, before expanding in other key regions like China and North America.
However, the Porsche-branded charging
stations aim to be something more than just a car park with futuristic-looking
chargers; the carmaker is planning to offer its EV customers lounge-style
amenities. “It’s not just about charging, it’s also to get more convenience in
the direction of our customers,” Lutz Meschke, Porsche’s deputy chairman and
member of the executive board said to TechCrunch. “And that’s very important
for us that we not only focus on the electrification of our cars, but also
about the customer journey beyond the car.”
Porsche also confirmed that its
partnership with Europe’s Ionity and the Electrify America charging networks
will remain intact. “We are jointly investing in premium charging stations
alongside partners and in our own charging infrastructure,” CEO Oliver Blume
said.
