The battery will be placed where the engine is on current Porsche models
This decision has been made to keep the same weight distribution as the gasoline powered Cayman
This platform could also be used by Audi and Lamborghini
Porsche is known for its mid-engined sports cars, and the electrification of its range won’t change that.
Indeed, the company has announced it plans to install the battery of its upcoming 718 Cayman EV between the driver and the rear axle, where the gasoline engine is located on current Porsche models.
This decision is motivated by the fact that the battery is one of the heaviest components of an electric car, so its placement has a dramatic effect on the vehicle’s handling and driving dynamics.
In order to keep the same driving characteristics, it has been refining for over 60 years, Porsche chose to keep the same weight distribution for the new Cayman, which means its battery pack had to be placed where the gasoline engine would have been.
Another reason that pushed for the adoption of this battery layout is the desire to make the new car as low as possible, to reduce drag. If the batteries were located under the floor of the car, as is the case with Porsche’s own Taycan, the seats couldn’t be installed low enough in the chassis to allow for a low roofline.
This new platform will not be a conversion of an existing internal combustion engined design because Porsche believes this solution would come with too many compromises, thus the brand’s EVs will all ride on totally new platforms engineered specifically for electric drivetrains.
The mid-engined, electric vehicle layout could also be used by Audi and Lamborghini, also part of the VW Group, for their own electric sports cars.
The 718 Cayman EV is expected to be introduced by 2025, at which point it will replace every gasoline powered 718 models.
