Porsche is developing an electric 718 sports car for launch
around 2022, Autocar reported
on Tuesday.
Prototype 718s with electric powertrains are being developed
alongside one with a hybrid powertrain, the British publication has learned
from Porsche CEO Oliver Blume.
“We have prototypes of the 718 running in electric now, and
a hybrid prototype is being built,” he said. “If you look to the next
generation of those cars it is possible, although it is not yet clear whether
it would be plug-in hybrid or hybrid.”
Blume in April hinted that an electric 718 was possible, but
ruled out any
chance of an electric 911.
He also said in March that any electric Porsche would have
to be based
on a dedicated EV platform, indicating that the electric 718 could be
the first
recipient of the SPE (Sports car Platform Electric) modular EV
platform mentioned at a Volkswagen Group investor presentation held last
November. An alternative is the PPE (Premium Platform Electric) platform that
will underpin an electric
Macan due around 2021.
Should a hybrid 718 also reach production, it will likely be
based on an upgraded version of the current 718's platform. Porsche is expected
to follow a similar strategy with its electric Macan, selling the zero-emission
version alongside the existing internal-combustion model.
Autocar posits that the need for a hybrid 718 is due to
the electric version being limited on range by current lithium-ion battery
technology. Remember, the 718 is a small, lightweight sports car, so it can't
have a big and hulking battery.
The hybrid technology will likely be borrowed from the setup
being developed for hybrid versions of the new 992-generation 911. Essentially,
an electric motor-generator is integrated with the transmission. Both mild- and
plug-in hybrid setups are said to be on the table. In the case of the former,
the motor-generator would only aid the engine whereas in the latter the
motor-generator would be able to power the wheels alone for short distances
thanks to a bigger battery being fitted.
Note, Porsche rolled out an electric Boxster prototype as
early as 2011. Called
the Boxster E, the prototype was developed purely for research purposes and
came with a 29-kilowatt-hour battery and a single electric motor good for 240
horsepower.
The accelerated growth in demand for EVs in the premium
sector has caught many automakers by surprise, including Porsche. Only recently
the automaker was predicting that half its lineup could be electrified (hybrids
and EVs) by 2025, but now it's openly stating that half the lineup could be
made up of cars running solely on electric power by that date.
source: https://www.motorauthority.com/news/1122732_porsche-reportedly-plans-electric-718-sports-car-by-2022
by Viknesh Vijayenthiran
http://www.boscheuropean.com
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