HOW DO THEY DO IT? It will not only replace one of Porsche’s best models, but it will also be the first electric racing car from the company. Is something important going on? WHY AND WHATMATES When a well-known Porsche car goes electric, the market will be surprised. Even though the 911 is Porsche’s best design, the 718 is a high-profile car whose success or failure could affect the future of the market for electric sports cars. PLATFORM The first Porsche will be built on the PPE platform by the Volkswagen Group. That means that only a small number of the 718 people will make it. Because most of the room behind the firewall, where the engine is now, will be taken up by the battery, the chassis balance will stay the same, keeping the car’s mid-engine handling. A 900-volt electrical connection is the fastest way to charge a DC battery. POWERTRAIN Porsche wants its cars to weigh 3650 pounds at the curb. At that weight, the car won’t need a lot of energy capacity to move quickly. A single motor should drive the rear wheels of the base model with at least 450 horsepower. A second motor will drive the front wheels of the 718, giving it all-wheel drive, and a model with more than 1000 hp will be offered. COMPETITION If it ever gets off the ground, Tesla Roadster has used Lotus Emira, Boxsters, and Caymans from the last few years. WHAT COULD GO WRONG AND WHY? How well the emotion is dealt with will affect how well the 718 EV does. If the car is too dull, which many are, the desire to buy it will disappear. No one probably wants an electric car to be their toy car. Not yet, at least. DELIVERY AND COST ESTIMATES The 718 EV should debut early next year and will go on sale in the fall of 2024. Even though the 718 EV will cost about $15,000 more than the standard 718, there will still be a Porsche hierarchy. As usual, prices will start around $80,000, and there will be a lot of factory options.
