Earlier this year, Porsche stated that they were not in a rush to produce an electric version of the 911, citing difficulties in matching the electric powertrain with the rear engine layout causing issues in overall vehicle design.
However, in a recent interview, Porsche’s Head of Design, Michael Mauer, stated that anything is possible and confirmed that he already has a preliminary idea for the design of an electric 911.
Michael Mauer said, “I moved from the air-cooled to the water-cooled team at Porsche, and now we have turbocharged engines. Maybe an electric version of the 911 is something else, but from a design point of view, the electric 911 is going to be easier to design in the future.”
From Michael Mauer’s statement, we can infer that the electrification of the 911 will break away from existing models and will be designed from scratch. Porsche currently has four plug-in hybrid models in its lineup, including the Cayenne E-Hybrid, Cayenne E-Hybrid Coupe, Panamera E-Hybrid, and the fully electric Taycan. The Taycan is Porsche’s highest selling electric model and has achieved strong sales in Europe, with a total of 7,724 units sold this year, only slightly behind the Mercedes-Benz EQA’s 7,827 units and ahead of the BMW iX3’s 1,132 units. Additionally, the flagship hybrid supercar, the 918, will serve as a reference for the electric 911. This beast can complete a lap of the Nürburgring in just 6 minutes and 57 seconds, which is impressive, and we believe that the electric 911 will also have an outstanding product performance.
However, the main challenge for the electric 911 will not be the product performance or capability, but rather whether consumers can accept the electrification of the 911. After all, the flat-six engine is the soul of the 911, and the sound carries the emotions of many fans. Of course, it cannot be denied that the sound of the Taycan is also impressive and can win people’s hearts.
🔗Source:motor1
This article is a translation by ChatGPT of a Chinese report from 42HOW. If you have any questions about it, please email bd@42how.com.