Considering the electric Porsche Taycan is right around the corner, this is an odd statement from the automaker.
Porsche’s new 911 sports car stunned the crowd at this year’s Los Angeles Auto Show and that’s hardly a surprise. Every new generation of the iconic model causes a stir with its premiere, but the 992 generation is even more special as it could become the very first hybridized 911 in the entire history of the German manufacturer.
Honestly, we are slightly confused about the potential electrified 911. Porsche is giving us mixed signals – first, it was announced the hybrid 911 will come by 2022, but now it turns out that might not happen in this generation of the car. Apparently, the automaker is not happy with today’s battery technology and that fact could force it to wait further until the batteries get better.
“Today the battery technology wouldn’t be satisfying for us, and if it doesn’t satisfy us then we won’t offer it,” August Achleitner, the head of the 911 range, told Drive at the Los Angeles Auto Show last week. “It doesn’t make sense to offer a hybrid version which will just stay in the showroom.”
Of course, if the technology improves significantly in the next years, Porsche is open not only to hybridize the 911 but also to give it purely electric propulsion. “If you had asked me two years ago if I had imagined an electric 911 I would have answered ‘forget it, no chance’,” Achleitner commented. “But in the meantime, we have had several test rides with the Taycan and this is quite an enjoyable thing. So now why not in the 911?”
Obviously, Porsche is not ready with a hybrid powertrain for 911 yet. However, the 992 generation of the model has been designed with electrification in mind – the eight-speed dual-clutch automatic, for example, can accommodate an integrated electric motor. Whether Porsche will launch a range-topping, 911 Turbo-matching hybrid 911, or a mid-range Carrera alternative, remains a mystery for now.
Source: Drive
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