The end of an era is just around the corner as the 718 Boxster and Cayman will evolve as an electric vehicle (BEV) come 2025.
High-performance and luxury car manufacturer Porsche is revamping its Stuttgart, Zuffenhausen factory in preparation for the all-electric 718 Boxster and Cayman sports cars. The automaker will invest $567 million (RM2.4 billion) into the Zuffenhausen plant to turn it into an electric vehicle factory.
This new development can be marked as one of the most significant turning points in sports car history as the era of ICE performance cars is starting to dwindle down as two of its brightest stars (Boxster and Cayman) are set to be reinvented as electric vehicles.
The move to transform the factory is just another sign of how Porsche's ambitious target for electric vehicle sales that will contribute one-third of the car brand's total sales by 2025 and two-thirds by 2030.
Who can blame them for being so ambitious as the automaker has received a pretty good response for the Porsche Taycan EV, which now accounts for 40% of its worldwide sales.
The Porsche 718 Boxster and Cayman twins will be based on Volkswagen's PPE (Premium Platform Electric) architecture, which will also be at the core of the upcoming Porsche Macan EV, due to be unveiled in 2023 and go on sale in 2024.
German publication Automobilwoche reports that the Zuffenhausen plant will be flexible enough to allow the Porsche 718 EV and 911 ICE to be built on the same track. Porsche will start producing the 718 EV in 2024, the same year the Porsche Macan EV will start rolling off the production line from its Leipzig facility.
Rumour has it that the Porsche 718 Boxster and Cayman will be made available as a rear-wheel-drive single electric motor variant or an all-wheel-drive two-motor setup, similar to what was previewed on the Mission R concept.
Although the Mission R concept is not built on VW's PPE platform, it is built on the current 718 platform, which is why there is some speculation that its powertrain will be carried over to the new 718 Boxster and Cayman EVs.
The Mission R concept is showcased with an electric powertrain capable of pushing an output of 435 PS from the front electric motor, while the rear motor is capable of pushing out 653 PS of power.
The combined electric powertrain is capable of producing 611 PS of power in standard mode and 1088 PS in qualifying mode. The Porsche 718 twins will come with 800-volt charging technology that is claimed to be able to charge the battery from 5%-80% in just 15 minutes.
Keyword: Porsche 718 Boxster and Cayman Will Be Reinvented As An EV In 2025 - End Of An Era