- Porsche’s new CEO has been driving a Boxster/Cayman EV.
- 718 electric still on the way.
- More details will be revealed this fall.
A lot of digital ink has been spilled since Porsche announced it would go the electric route for the next-generation 718 Boxster and Cayman. This promise was made exactly four years ago, on March 18 2022. At that time, then CEO Oliver Blume said the 718 EV would go on sale in the middle of this decade.
Even though Porsche’s entry-level sports car without a combustion engine still won’t arrive in showrooms in March 2026, that doesn’t mean it’s cancelled. Blume’s successor, Michael Leiters, spoke briefly this week during the company’s earnings call about the 718 electric. Testing and development are underway, and the engineering team behind the project has received high marks from the new people in charge at Zuffenhausen:
‘I can say that we tested the entire product portfolio last week, and I’ve driven it a few times now, the 718. And I can tell you that it’s a great car and the guys did a great job working on it.’
Porsche 718 Cayman EV rendering by Motor1
Photo by: Motor1
Leiters went on to say Porsche would provide more details about its product lineup this fall, when “any additions or changes to the product portfolio” could be made. This means that a production-ready Boxster/Cayman electric car won’t be announced until then. Even in the best-case scenario of a fall debut, we believe deliveries won’t begin until 2027.
Porsche’s CEO is the second top official this month to deny rumors about the cancellation of the electric 718. In an interview last week with Car Sales magazine, the Australian automaker’s Managing Director and CEO, Daniel Schmollinger, also praised the car after driving a prototype:
‘We don’t know when it will come yet, but I’ve had the chance to ride it, and it’s been amazing. So I had the opportunity to drive it on the race track and it was simply amazing. A Boxster type car is supposed to give you a weight distribution, go-karty feel, and it provides just that. And the electric engine certainly makes driving even more dynamic.’
Porsche’s original plan was to make electric vehicles replace petrol models, but that is no longer the case. After ending production of the ICE-powered 718 last October, the combustion engine duo will return at the end of the decade for a range-topping version. No further details were revealed, but flagship status likely implies a six-cylinder engine.
Looking ahead, Leiters said Porsche is “fundamentally rethinking sports car development” and trying to “unlock additional synergies across our models.” In other words, the goal is to increase commonality between products to lower costs and speed development, thereby bringing new cars to market more quickly.
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Source: KGP Photography
Parts sharing extends beyond the company’s own ranks to include collaboration with Audi. Jochen Breckner, Executive Board Member for Finance and IT at Porsche, told the conference Audi’s licensing payment was around €1 billion ($1.1 billion). Leiters explains this not only for the new Q5-based gas crossover but also for other models from both brands:
‘This is for some models that we work on together on both sides, Audi with Porsche and Porsche with Audi. So obviously, this is the share that we pay to Audi, but there is more than one model.”
The collaboration includes the Audi Concept C, which will begin production in the next two years. We previously learned that the road version will be sold strictly as an EV with an electrically retractable targa roof, just like the concept. Last year’s concept featured a single-engine, rear-wheel-drive layout, but a twin-engine Quattro variant is also planned.
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Source: Audi
Motorcycle Pickup1: Despite the backlash against electric sports cars, Porsche appears committed to bringing the 718 EV to market. These models will enter a rarefied segment, alongside the next-generation MG Cyberster and Alpine A110. However, the French have a backup plan, as their performance coupe will probably get a combustion engine.
Additionally, the Germans also have a Plan B. The decision to return petrol engines to the Boxster and Cayman was met with enthusiasm, but for Porsche’s good fortune, the electric 718 must also remain in its lineup.
