Porsche said it would invest half a billion euros into the production of electric cars to succeed the 718 Boxster and Cayman. Automobilwoche reports that the money will go into upgrading the company’s main factory in Zuffenhausen, Germany.
Porsche seems serious about electrification, saying that it expects one-third of its entire lineup to be fully electric in three years’ time and two-thirds by the end of the decade. In addition to the models replacing the 718 Boxster and Cayman, it will need to launch a Macan EV (name unconfirmed), the crossover that has been showing up on tests for two years now.
However, while the alleged Macan EV will most likely be assembled in Leipzig, the electric replacement for the 718 lineup will officially be made in Zuffenhausen, at the same lines as the iconic 911 and the Taycan EV. As a side note, the company plans to keep the 911 on internal combustion power until at least the early 2030s.
The new 718 models will share the PPE (Premium Platform Electric) with the Macan. There is also a chance that they might borrow some styling cues from the Mission R Concept introduced last year (see video).
In all likelihood, the most affordable versions will ship with a single electric motor on the rear axle, while the more upmarket models will make use of a dual-motor AWD setup.
All dates remain undisclosed, but it is possible that the new 718 series-based EVs go into production along with the Macan EV next year.