The bosses at Porsche have revealed that the successor to the 718 Cayman could be a favourite to go electric and an official decision on the car is said to be made in the next 12 months.
The Stuttgart-based company stated that they want 50 percent of their sales to consist of either electric or electrified cars by 2025. The Porsche Taycan is Porsche’s first electric vehicle, while customers can look forward to a fully electric Macan which is expected to arrive by 2022.
The Porsche bosses have taken an interest to electrifying their range of sports cars, and this next generation of the 718 Cayman seems to be set on making the change to being fully electric.
Lutz Meschke, Porsche deputy chairman told Auto Express: “In the sports car segment we have to think about a pure electric car. An ‘electric’ 911 will be too difficult, but for the 718 I think that it would be a very good step for the future and it would be on a completely new platform that we can discuss and share with other brands.”
Despite SUV sales being dominant in the company’s sales charts, Lutz mentioned the importance for Porsche to maintain its position in the market of developing sports cars which lead their respective classes, even though they are electric. Lutz went on to say: “A pure-electric sports car would not only be important for China but also Europe and USA markets, as sports cars are the heart of our brands and we cannot sit only on SUV cars. We have to do something in the direction of our sports cars and I think the 718 is the right direction.”
Currently, there are prototype testing’s for “different battery concepts” and “body styles” undergoing final assessment within the company before an “official” decision can be made. “We are still in the concept period for the ‘next’ 718 Cayman,” Oliver Blume, Porsche CEO told Auto Express UK, “but in the next 12 months we will decide whether to go right or to go left.”