Porsche: Light Electric 718 Cayman Is Priority

Porsche Aims for Low 4,400lb Weight

As per Porsche, instead of a range-based approach, the forthcoming 718 EV has been designed with a lightweight material. The Drive interviewed the vice president of both the 911 and 718 model lines to reveal this detail.

Frank Moser declared that he would opt for a lightweight design over a long range one any day of the week. “We don’t want to win the championship in range,” he stated.

“Range is important, of course, but that’s not the car to use for a 500-mile drive from Munich to Hamburg,” Moser stated. “It will have a good enough range, however, my priority is to keep the weight down in two-door sports cars, even when it comes to electrification.”

Essentially, Porsche must be tremendously wary when opting for a battery pack for the imminently electric Boxster and Cayman. To date, the Taycan is Porsche’s solitary EV which comes fitted with two battery packs. The least costly model has a 79.2 kWh battery while the Battery Plus variation contains an immensely stupendous 93.4-kWh unit. Sadly, despite these substantial battery packs, the range of the Taycan is not especially noteworthy when measured up to the Tesla Model S.

The primary issue with an expansive battery stockpiling unit is weight. A Taycan with a more modest battery evaluates 4,568 lbs, while the most weighty variant adds up to 5,077 lbs. The 718 Boxster acme scales at 3,156 lbs in particular, and the burliest 718 Cayman crests the scales at 3,234 lbs. This would be nearly 2,000 lbs class between the two heaviest Taycan and 718 models. Certainly, the Taycan is a bigger vehicle, yet the vast majority of that load originates from the battery.

Not an abundance is acknowledged on Porsche’s imminent electric sports cars. We’ve viewed some spy images evincing the assembly headlights, and we’re quite assured the novel entirely digital cockpit will be used within, yet we understand close to nothing definitive concerning the powertrain. If Moser plans to stop the load down, these transport necessitate having a meager battery unit.

In a fortunate turn of events, Porsche decided to start investing in innovative next-generation battery technology during 2021, thus owning a portion of the major electric vehicle producer in the auto business, Rimac. Understandably, these new electric vehicles will likely be a great asset for Porsche’s oncoming 918 successor.

Moser’s ambitions are evident. “We must keep the weight as low as possible. We cannot make a two-ton, two-door sports vehicle,” he states. That equates to around 4,400 lbs. It is likely that Porsche would want to get as near to a conventional ICE counterpart such as the Toyota Supra, which weighs in at 3,400 lbs. This is going to be an arduous challenge.

“The legacy of all our sports cars is that they are light,” declared Moser. “That is the primary aim – to keep the weight down. However, we have to take into account the regulations in terms of crash protection, pedestrian protection and other matters, which makes the cars heavier. It’s a real challenge to make them as light as possible.”

It’s remarkable that two relatively minor carmakers have demonstrated that electrification does not necessarily equate to added heft. The Alpine A110 E-ternite concept is even lighter than a Porsche 718, and the Caterham electric vehicle weighs less than the Toyota GR86 – leaving the world astonished.

Porsche stands out as the exception if we’re talking about one particular firm; no doubt, they’ll do anything to keep their combustion engine on the famed 911 for as long as practicable. Such dedication to electric-powered sports cars inspires our assurance that this prolific brand will make it a reality.