Here's what the delay means for Porsche's upcoming all-electric entry-level sports car
While test mules of Porsche's 718 EV have been spotted for over a year now and the Gas 718 will be discontinued next year, based on some recent reports, the 718 EV launch may be delayed
Porsche chose Swedish battery maker Northvolt as its sole supplier for the 718’s cells, but the company has filed for bankruptcy leading Porsche to look for alternative suppliers
Finnish supplier Valmet Automotive, tasked with assembling the 718’s battery packs, has been getting revision requests from Porsche, and is finding it challenging to match the dynamic thrill of its mid-engine sports cars with a battery-powered setup
Sports car buyers are a notorious traditionalist bunch, and replicating the weight distribution and the visceral feel of a 4.0-liter naturally-aspirated flat-6 with a stick will be a challenge
The Mission R concept with its E-Core platform could be key to replicating that magical formula of the gas-powred model in the Porsche 718 EV
EVs don’t just have to be soul-less ballistic missiles off the line and the Hyundai Ioniq 5N is proof of that with its simulated gear shifts and engine noises
However, Porsche has already confirmed that this won’t be happening, as it wants to take a different direction for its all-electric sports cars
Also, recent sales figures for high-performance EVs suggest otherwise
Sales figures of the Taycan facelift haven’t picked up even with the facelift offering better range
The ability to soon charge at Tesla Superchargers doesn't seem to be helping the Taycan's case either
At the other end of the performance EV spectrum, slow sales aren't helping the all-electric Rimac Never hypercar either. Is this why Bugatti decided to go with a hybrid 16 cylinder, instead of going with electric propulsion?
Given this shift in the market, the German automaker has pledged to keep its V8s alive into the next decade and is even considering hybridizing future models initially planned as EV-only
As for the 718, should Porsche consider introducing some form of hybridization to its entry-level sports car lineup?
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