Porsche is Reportedly Working on an Electric 718 Cayman to Expand the Company's EV Lineup

author: Manish Kharinta   

The Porsche 718 Cayman might get electrified.

Last week, German automaker Porsche unveiled the fully-electric 2020 Taycan Turbo and Turbo S models. The Taycan is the first electric car from the legendary brand.

Even though Porsche's first EV is a commendable attempt, with it's steep price tag costing almost twice as much as the Tesla Model S, it doesn't look like Porsche's offering will be dethroning Model S as the current segment leader anytime soon. 

While anticipation grows for the more affordable entry-level Taycan sedans, which are expected to join the company's lineup later this year, some industry reports suggest that Porsche is already working on an all-electric version of the 718 Cayman.

The electric Cayman remains unconfirmed at this time. However, Porsche is reportedly testing a wide range of concepts before settling on a particular model to move forward with on a electric varient and its not likely to be the 911. Rather than developing an all-electric powertrain for the 911, Porsche is working on a hybrid version instead. 

Lutz Meschke, Porsche's Deputy Chairman voiced his concerns recently and explained that it would be quite difficult to develop an all-electric 911, but electrification of the 718 Cayman might be more feasible right now. 

"Pilot projects that we have run since 2010 have clearly shown that pure electrification would be feasible in such a segment," Meschke said in an interview last year.

The final decision will be made over the next 12 months, as the company wants half of its sales to comprise of either electric or electrified offerings by 2025.

Meschke also said that if an electrified 718 were to enter development it will be based on a completely new platform which the company will be open to sharing with other automakers. This might help bring down the overall cost of a fully-electric 718 Cayman. 

However, Porsche has a habit of pricing its offerings at a premium. 

Alongside the entry-level Taycan variants, with the growing popularity of sport utility vehicles in the U.S., European and Chinese markets, Porsche will most likely stick to focusing on an electrified version of Macan SUV instead of working on developing a battery-powered sports car. 

Porsche said earlier that an all-electric variant will join Macan's lineup in 2021, as part of the next-generation model's portfolio. 

On the other hand, if the 718 is competitively priced with intelligent weight distribution and a powerful electric powertrain, the electric Cayman would make for quite an exciting EV.

Manish Kharinta

Manish Kharinta is a automotive writer based in the Los Angeles area. He has worked for automotive industry websites TheSmokingClutch.com, CarDekho.com and CarBikeindia.com. His experience ranges from covering auto shows, to car reviews and breaking automotive news. Manish aims to bring forth his unique perspective on automotive design and technological innovations in the automotive industry.