We’ve already seen our fair share of spy shots with prototypes of the Porsche 718 EV undergoing testing even though the production car won’t go on sale until 2025. Replacing the turbocharged flat-four and naturally aspirated flat-six with an electric motor and a battery necessitates a completely new platform dedicated to the zero-emission sports car. It still looks like a diamond in the rough, mainly because there’s so much camouflage applied.
Although the famous crest is not visible at the front or on the wheels while the rear “PORSCHE” lettering is also missing, those brake calipers finished in black have the company’s name spelled out in white. A couple of spy shots show the charging port in its full glory, positioned above the license plate. The German brand insists to put a fake central exhaust tip in a failed attempt to trick us into believing this is nothing more than a base 718 Boxster.
The spy images shot at night depict prototypes at a Tesla charging point where one of the test drivers was using the car’s front trunk. It’ll be interesting to see whether the EV will also have a rear trunk like its ICE predecessor or whether Porsche will use that area to better package the hardware. In other photos sent to us by car paparazzi, we have the rare opportunity to see no fewer than four prototypes testing together.
The cleverly disguised test cars likely employ a single-motor setup with rear-wheel drive as a potential dual-motor, AWD-equipped version could arrive later in the life cycle. Porsche has said it’ll utilize new underpinnings for the electric Boxster and Cayman successors, but some components could be borrowed from existing models. An educated guess would be to use bits and pieces from the Premium Platform Electric (PPE) architecture that will underpin the next-generation, electric-only Macan due in 2024.
It should be noted we haven’t seen any prototypes of the electric Cayman just yet, which could be a sign that Porsche intends to roll out the Boxster EV first. Following the launch of the Macan and 718 duo with no combustion engines, there will also be a three-row SUV and the next-gen Cayenne planned as EVs.
By the end of the decade, Porsche projects more than 80 percent of its annual sales will be generated by electric cars.
