Already discontinued in Europe because of cybersecurity regulations, the current-generation Porsche 718 is not long for this world. The gasoline-fueled Boxster and Cayman duo will be discontinued globally by next year. What comes after? An all-electric sports car. However, there's reportedly a possibility of a gap between when the ICE dies and when the EV indirectly takes its place in the lineup.
Automobilwoche, the German branch of Automotive News Europe, claims Porsche is having problems developing the 718 EV. The engineers from Zuffenhausen are apparently "well behind schedule," so there's a real risk the electric sports car's launch could be delayed. The mid-mounted battery is believed to be the culprit, with Porsche "constantly requesting adjustments" from supplier Valmet Automotive.
The Finnish company is doing as asked, but it's incurring additional costs that Porsche allegedly doesn't want to pay or only partially covers. Based on our oldest spy shots, the electric 718 has been undergoing testing for at least two years. Nevertheless, it's increasingly likely that the Boxster and Cayman without a combustion engine will not be ready for primetime in 2025 to supersede the gas cars swiftly.
But that's just the tip of the iceberg. According to Automobilwoche, the next-gen, electric-only Cayenne could also be delayed from its original programmed debut in 2026. Porsche has already stopped chasing its lofty goal of having EVs account for 80% of annual sales by 2030. In addition, the German luxury brand has pledged to keep the V-8 engine well into the next decade.
The report mentions that the Panamera could get a next-generation model with combustion engines, given the company's current slowdown in electric sales. Taycan deliveries were down 50% globally through September. On a more positive note, the 911 is said to continue with gas engines into the 2030s. On numerous occasions, Porsche has said the 911 will be its final ICE car.
Elsewhere, the large electric SUV known internally as the "K1" could be pushed back by a few years. Alternatively, Porsche is reportedly considering extending the Cayenne's platform for a three-row SUV with gas engines since the Volkswagen Group Scalable Systems Platform (SSP) doesn't support conventional powertrains. Last month, the Chief Financial Officer, Lutz Meschke, admitted that future models that were supposed to be electric-only could get gas engines:
"We are currently looking at the possibility of the originally planned all-electric vehicles having a hybrid drive or a combustion engine. We are currently in the middle of making conceptual decisions. What is clear is that we are sticking with the combustion engine for much longer."
Porsche is in a delicate situation. The next-gen Macan was supposed to be released about two years ago, but software glitches prevented the electric crossover from being released on time. It's now finally out. To make matters worse, the ICE version—which has always been among the firm's top sellers—will be phased out worldwide in 2026. It has already been axed in Europe due to the same cybersecurity regulations that killed the 718.
As if that wasn't bad enough, demand in China has collapsed this year, with deliveries falling by nearly 30% in the first nine months.
We've reached out for a comment from Porsche. The article will be updated if we hear back.
Source: Automobilwoche
