Porsche Doesn’t Seem Hurry to Launch Its Electric Roadster

Announced in 2024 and expected in 2025, the fully electric Porsche 718 Boxster and Cayman are experiencing a delay at launch.

We often forget that in the early 1990s, Porsche was on the brink of disaster, facing plummeting sales and unsustainable production costs. Its survival depended on a radical change. It is in this context that the Boxster, introduced in 1993 and launched in 1996, played a key role. This roadster, inspired by legendary models like the 550 Spyder, offered attractive design and sporty performance at a more affordable price than the 911. Its success was based on a modular design strategy: the Boxster shared many parts with the 911, reducing costs while preserving Porsche’s identity.

The Boxster expanded the brand’s customer base and generated essential revenue, allowing Porsche to recover financially. From generation to generation, becoming the 718 and even gaining a fixed roof with the Cayman variant, the small two-seater coupe has constantly evolved successfully. But now, it’s no longer about evolution but about revolution, with the shift to electric.

Initially scheduled for late 2024, Porsche’s 718 electric project has repeatedly faced delays. Porsche has promised to deliver a lightweight and powerful car, consistent with the “911” spirit that has always driven the brand. Of course, we can set aside the cases of Cayenne, Panamera, and Taycan. To achieve this added lightness, the key is to source the lightest batteries. Porsche was counting heavily on the European company Northvolt, but the bankruptcy of this high-density battery supplier has closed a door. The next step is to find the right supplier, possibly CATL, but this requires complex adjustments to the vehicle’s design and delays its launch.

Meanwhile, the definition of the vehicle’s powertrain remains uncertain, adding an additional layer of complexity to the project. These delays are part of a broader context of challenges for Porsche, as the brand revises its electrification strategy and now plans to extend the production of some combustion models.

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