The Porsche 911 Won’t Go Hybrid For Fuel Efficiency

The Porsche 911 won’t go hybrid during this generation

Speaking to Autoblog, Oliver Blume said the current 911 is “a concept of a car prepared for internal combustion engines, and it’s not useful to combine it with pure electric mobility.”

This statement pretty much rules out an electric 911 during the 992 generation. “We believe in purpose-designed cars; either electric mobility or combustion engines, which can be combined with a hybrid system,” he added, hinting that the current 911’s platform cannot be electrified.

The 992-generation 911 was introduced in 2019 as the eighth incarnation of the iconic sports car. The German GT remained loyal to the iconic flat-six engine, but Porsche dropped the naturally aspirated mill in the Carrera models, replacing it with a twin-turbo, 3.0-liter powerplant. The Turbo models continue to feature the larger, 3.8-liter flat-six, now with more power and torque. The upcoming GT3 and GT3 RS might still feature a naturally aspirated flat-six, while the GT2 will continue on the turbo path.

The Porsche 911 will only be electrified to increase performance

While Blume didn’t completely rule out a hybrid 911, he did say that such a model wouldn’t be a hybrid designed for increase fuel economy. Instead, Porsche would electrify the sports car only to enhance its performance.

“To think in the future for the 911, there are good ideas for a special kind of hybrid, a very performance-oriented hybrid where we use, for example, a 400-volt system for our electric motor and for the power electronics, like we use in our plug-in hybrids, with a high power density. We want to have a very high power output with very big performance and driving ability. That’s more our less our idea of how to continue with the 911,” he said, adding that the 911 will retain its internal combustion engine “for a long time to come.”

But Porsche could develop an all-electric, two-door sports car

The 911 might not feature an electric motor anytime soon, but Blume says that Porsche could introduce an all-electric sports car. The German company is already offering the Taycan, a four-door coupe, but it could soon be followed by a two-door EV that would eliminate the need of an electric 911.

“In the future, there is also space for a very sporty pure electric two-door sports car. We haven’t decided yet, but there will be space, especially because of the driving advantages of electromobility. The acceleration, and the opportunities you have to use electromobility for your chassis and your driving dynamics. There are a lot of opportunities, as you can already see in the Taycan; big opportunities,” Blume summed up.

Porsche is already selling three electrified vehicles

Porsche has been selling electrified vehicles since 2010, when it introduced the Cayenne S Hybrid.

The Panamera spawned a hybrid version in 2013, while 2014 saw the introduction of the 918 Spyder hybrid supercar. As of 2020, the Cayenne is available in two hybrid variants, with the range-topping model, the Turbo S E-Hybrid, generating up to 671 horsepower and 664 pound-feet of torque. The Panamera is also offered in similar trims, with the Turbo S E-Hybrid variant good for a combined 671 horses and 627 pound-feet of twist.

Porsche launched its first all-electric model in 2019, four years after it showcased the Mission E concept at the Frankfurt Motor Show. Related to the upcoming Audi e-tron GT, the Porsche Taycan is available in five different configurations, with output ranging from 402 to 751 horsepower. The quickest model hits 60 mph in 2.6 seconds, while the most efficient delivers more than 200 miles per charge on the EPA cycle.

Source: Autoblog