Already officially announced, the all-electric Boxster won't debut until 2025. Nevertheless, Porsche has been repeatedly spotted testing the sporty convertible without a combustion engine. What makes this new batch of images different is that the 718 EV has now been caught by car paparazzi cold-weather testing near the Arctic Circle. We're being told temperatures dropped to -25°C (-13°F), which are less than ideal conditions for an electric car.
The prototype seemed to have a mishmash of old and new parts, some hiding under body-colored camouflage. As with test vehicles of the Taycan and 2024 Macan EV, Porsche decided to have a bit of fun and add a fake exhaust tip in the rear bumper's center, below the license plate. Its shape tells us the folks from Zuffenhausen were trying to emulate the look of the base Boxster. The 718's mid-engined proportions are still there despite the ICE's removal.
2025 Porsche 718 Boxster EV spy photos near the Arctic Circle
Last year's Mission R concept provided an early look into the design of Porsche's electric cabrio. Granted, that was more along the lines of a Cayman EV for the track, but some of the design cues are likely to be inherited by the road-going 718 duo. Porsche has said the zero-emission machines will ride on a dedicated platform but with some bits and pieces from other cars.
The Mission R sat on modified chassis adapted from the current Cayman. However, rest assured the subsequent 718 EVs will represent an all-new development as Porsche has said it won't carry over any hardware from the gasoline-fueled models. By the way, the ICE-powered vehicles are expected to bow out in 2025 when their electric successors are slated to arrive. With the Macan, the German brand is doing things differently since the crossover will be sold for a while with both types of propulsion.
Weight is always a concern with performance cars, and EVs are notoriously heavy. However, the Mission R tipped the scales at approximately 1,500 kilograms (3,306 pounds), thus making it only about 85 kg (187 lbs) heavier than a Cayman GT4 RS. It had a dual-motor configuration, meaning a potential entry-level variant with a single electric motor would be slightly lighter.
Hopefully, it won't put on a lot of weight from concept to production. With advancements made in energy density, the weight penalty caused by the battery will be kept in check. The 718 Boxster/Cayman EV won't be an experiment to test the waters for an electric sports car, but rather a stepping stone to an ambitious goal. Porsche projects 80 percent of annual sales by the end of the decade will be generated by vehicles without an ICE.
