The 718 EV maybe on the horizon today, but the idea of an all-electric Porsche sports car has been around for more than a decade
by Khris Bharath on January 27, 2025, 10:00Porsche is gearing up to electrify the 718 Boxster and 718 Cayman, marking the German brand’s leap into battery-powered sports cars. While rumors and spy shots of the all-electric 718 Boxster have been all the rage on Porsche forums and the wider web for the past few years, Porsche has actually been dabbling at the idea of electrification for well over 14 years. Back in 2011, they even unveiled an electric Boxster prototype called the Boxster E.
Porsche’s Primitive Take On An All-Electric 718
Available in two flavors, the base model had a single electric motor strapped to the rear axle, churning out 122 horsepower and 200 pound-feet of torque. It wasn’t particularly quick. 0-62 mph took 9.8 seconds, and it topped out at 93 mph. To be blunt, that’s not sports car territory; it’s not even close. The dual-motor version, however, was slightly more serious as it packed 245 horsepower and 400 pound-feet of torque, enough to dispatch the 0-62 mph run in 5.5 seconds and achieve a limited top speed of 124 mph. Better, but still not what you’d call a barnstormer is it?
The battery was a 29 kWh lithium-iron-phosphate unit (of which 26 kWh was usable), which gave it a range of 106 miles. You can truly see how far we’ve come in terms of battery technology, given that even the base Taycan from 2019 could do 208 miles and the facelift model can now do well over 300 miles. Obviously, these are considerably bigger batteries than the 29 kWh unit in the OG Boxster E, which believe it or not weighed 750 pounds. This pushed the total vehicle weight to 3,527 pounds. For context, that’s roughly 550 pounds heavier than a comparable gas-powered Boxster from the time.
Despite the weight penalty, the engineering was properly Porsche. The battery was mounted using the same structural points as the combustion engine, preserving weight distribution. The Boxster E had dual water-cooling circuits with heat exchangers tucked behind the front air intakes just as they’d be for an engine. Like it or not, there was only a 3.3 kW onboard charger. Slow, even by 2011 standards.
Inside, Porsche swapped the tachometer for an analog E-Power gauge showing energy use and recovery. A TFT screen offered a rudimentary range management system, complete with a feature that told you how much farther you’d go if you switched off the climate control.
But here’s the real question: will an electric 718 still feel like a Porsche? Weight is the enemy of performance, and as I already pointed out batteries are heavy. The 2011 concept wasn’t exactly a featherweight, and today’s EVs are even heavier. The E-Core layout is seen in the Mission R Concept. It will be vital to achieve this in the upcoming all-electric 718.
But beyond this, I think there’s one thing that’s fundamentally missing in an EV, and that is driver engagement. While Porsche has ruled out the possibility of integrating simulated engine sounds or gear shifts, I think it could be a game changer if they change their mind and decide to do it on the 718 EV. A Hyundai Ioniq 5 N, a car that has pioneered these features was recently spotted at sister brand Lamborghini’s HQ, so we can’t rule out the possibility of it happening.
Fast forward to today, and the electric 718 is on the horizon. The original plan was to source batteries from Swedish firm Northvolt, but their Chapter 11 bankruptcy has thrown a wrench into Porsche’s plans. I wonder, if they can’t secure another supplier in time, could we see a hybrid 718 instead? Watch this space.
Khris Bharath
Khris is a Mechanical Engineer and a classic car aficionado, who adores his Jags, Alfas, and old-school American muscle cars. He keeps tabs on everything from super exotics like an old EB 110 to the latest from Lucid and geeks out on three-row family haulers. Formula One remains very close to his heart, and he diligently makes time to tune in for the Grand Prix on Sundays. Khris also loves his road trips and he prefers a stick shift over an auto. Read full bio