We’ve been wondering what Porsche has planned for the next-generation Boxster and Cayman and now we may have an idea. Porsche is reportedly going to release a full range of electrified Boxster and Cayman models by 2022.
The big news is that the Boxster and Cayman will be offered with a fully electric powertrain by 2022. If you still would rather to have a gas powered engine sitting behind you, well Porsche is also thinking about offering hybrid and plug-in hybrid versions.
“We have prototypes of the 718 running in electric now, and a hybrid prototype is being built,” Porsche chairman Oliver Blume told Autocar. “If you look to the next generation of those cars it is possible, although it is not yet clear whether it would be plug-in hybrid or hybrid.”
Porsche will likely offer a hybrid or plug-in hybrid version of the Boxster and Cayman, since the fully electric version won’t have a driving range over 186 miles. This is largely due to limitations with the mid-engine platform, so the hybrid or plug-in hybrid versions will be offered for buyers that need a bit more driving range.
If Porsche does go ahead with the idea, the electric Boxster and Cayman will be entirely new, while the hybrid versions will be based on the current generation. Porsche recently announced a similar plan with the Macan, since the next-generation Macan is going to switch to a fully electric powertrain, but buyers will still be able to buy the current generation as a hybrid.
It’s also being reported that the hybrid versions will use the current four-cylinder engine in the 718. The hybrid versions will also use a 48-volt mild hybrid system.
