2025 Porsche 718 Boxster EV Spy Shot
Porsche's first electric sports car was spotted testing.
The car is the next generation of electric 718 Boxster convertible, confirmed by Porsche CEO Oliver Blume in March to be available by 2025. An electric 718 Cayman coupe should also be in the pipeline.
The prototype is heavily camouflaged, but details such as active shutters on the front mask air intakes are clearly visible, as are the light strips forming the taillights. The prototype's exhaust outlets are faux units intended to deceive onlookers.
The proportions are similar to the current 718, but the car appears wider overall and lower at the front. This design was foretold in the Porsche Mission R Concept presented at the 2021 Munich Motor Show, which also indicated Porsche's intention to develop an electric car for racing.
The 718 electric car is expected to be available with a choice of rear-wheel drive or all-wheel drive. The Mission R concept will feature a dual-motor all-wheel drive system that will produce 670 hp in race mode and 1,073 hp temporarily in a mode designed for short qualifying runs. The concept is also equipped with a single-speed transmission that allows for a top speed of over 186 mph, depending on the gear ratio installed.
Even at the lower end of its performance range, the electric 718 will step on the toes of the 911, especially if Porsche achieves anything close to its rumored target vehicle weight of 3,650 lb. To differentiate the two cars, the 911 will retain its gas engine as long as regulations allow.
While it is too early to speak of range, the Mission R concept will be powered by an 80 kwh battery and has an estimated range of about 250 miles.
A dedicated EV platform is expected to underpin the 718 electric vehicle. This platform, which will likely be the same as the Mission R, will mount the battery in a T-shape that fills the center tunnel and area behind the seats. Such a layout would allow designers to achieve a weight distribution similar to that of a mid-engine vehicle while keeping the vehicle height low.
The change to an EV platform means that Porsche will not offer a gas-powered next-generation 718. However, Porsche is expected to continue offering the current 718 alongside the new electric 718 for a period of time, perhaps with updates, as it plans to do with the current Macan once the Macan EV is introduced in the next year or so.
The accelerating growth in demand for EVs in the premium sector has taken many automakers by surprise, including Porsche. Just recently, Porsche predicted that half of its lineup would be electrified (hybrids and EVs) by 2025, but now it has publicly stated that by that date, half of its lineup will likely consist of vehicles that run solely on electricity. Furthermore, Porsche predicts that by 2030 only the 911 will have an internal combustion engine.
In addition, Porsche announced a prototype of an electric Boxster as early as 2011. Called the Boxster E, this prototype was developed purely for research purposes and was powered by a 29 kwh battery and a 240 hp electric motor.
