Porsche has confirmed that its next-generation 718 Boxster and Cayman will launch in 2028 as purely electric sports cars, ending speculation that combustion power would be retained in high-performance variants. The decision, taken by new chief executive Michael Leiters, reverses an earlier plan to adapt the new electric architecture to accommodate a petrol engine.
The 983-generation models were originally due last year, when the fourth-generation combustion-powered 718 went out of production. Porsche delayed the launch because of constraints on battery cell supplies and uncertainty over customer demand for electric sports cars. The new cars will sit on a bespoke electric architecture called PPE Sport, developed in-house and shared with the production version of the Audi Concept C.
Rather than a conventional electric skateboard layout with batteries under the floor, the 718 EV uses what Porsche calls an e-core arrangement. The battery is stacked in the middle of the car, where the combustion engine would sit in a petrol Boxster, preserving the weight distribution and balance that define a mid-engined Porsche. The layout also allows the driver to sit lower than in a typical electric vehicle.
Porsche had announced last year that it would continue to offer combustion power in top variants of the 718, a plan that would have involved retrofitting a petrol engine into the new architecture. Leiters scrapped that approach while setting out his Sportwagenschmeide 35 strategy, citing the shifting electric vehicle market and the performance potential of the electric machines. He said the cars would win over doubters.
Leiters admitted he had been sceptical about the vehicle until he drove a development car for validation. «Being very honest, I was very, very sceptical about this vehicle,» he said. «But that only lasted until I drove a development car for validation. Since then I’ve been thrilled: it is an absolutely fantastic sports car.»
Rally legend Walter Rohrl, who has previously expressed doubts about electric technology for performance cars, was also won over after working on the Boxster EV project as a Porsche development driver. «I told them they had to put this car into production,» he said. «It’s just so much fun to drive.»
Autocar joined Rohrl for a high-speed passenger ride in a development model at Porsche’s Weissach test track. The car was fitted with around 50kg of extra monitoring equipment, yet still felt nimble through fast chicanes. Acceleration was rapid but linear and natural, avoiding the queasy surge of some high-powered electric cars. The car reached at least 130mph on the straight.
From the passenger seat, the experience felt like a Boxster. The low seating position, enabled by the e-core layout, contributed to a sense of agility rare in cars weighed down by large batteries. The development car also mimicked the sound and feel of a combustion-engined model, complete with paddle-shift responses, although any visible exhaust pipes were fake bodywork.
Porsche has released few technical details, with no specifics on power, torque, top speed or range. Robert Meier, Porsche’s vehicle architecture boss, said the challenge was «to preserve the defining character that customers expect from a mid-engined Porsche sports car.» He argued that battery figures alone are insufficient. «Porsche does not only sell kilowatt hours,» he said. «Porsche delivers repeatable performance, driving dynamics, and emotions.»
The launch of the 718 Boxster and Cayman EV will mark a significant step in Porsche’s electric strategy, balancing tradition with the demands of a changing market. The cars are expected to arrive in 2028.