The company’s design chief said designing an electric 911 would be easier than a gasoline powered one
Porsche had previously said it didn’t intend to make the 911 electric
Both a gasoline and an electric version could be sold simultaneously
Porsche has said many times it didn’t intend to make the 911 electric anytime soon, maybe even ever, but this might change according to the company’s chief designer.
Michael Mauer, the design chief at Porsche, recently hinted at a possible electrification of the brand’s iconic 911 for its next generation, set to appear around the year 2030.
According to him, there are conflicting opinions about the matter at the heart of Porsche’s culture, with some directors wanting to retain the emotions attached to the car’s flat-6 engine, and other who want to push the company towards the future, which means the possibility of an electric 911 isn’t off the table after all.
The designer even said he believes styling an EV 911 would be easier than a gasoline powered one because there are less parts to fit inside the silhouette, like exhaust systems, which is positive because design teams have to be very careful about keeping the same shape that has been part of the 911 for 57 years.
Still, such a vehicle is unlikely to appear until at least 2030 ant there is a possibility the company will decide to sell both an electric and a gasoline powered version of the next generation of the 911 in order to gage interest and to avoid shocking the model’s afficionados.
The current generation will probably get a plug-in hybrid version soon, judging by a prototype seen driving around the Nürburgring. This could lead the way to a slow electrification of the whole 911 lineup at some point in the future.
Source: Autocar