It was in 2010 that Porsche first announced plans for an all-electric car, which it followed up a year a later by rolling out a battery-powered prototype based on its Boxster sports car.
Porsche Boxster E electric car prototype
Enlarge Photobased on its Boxster sports car. Since then, Porsche has been testing the waters for electrified performance cars, starting initially with hybrids and more recently moving into plug-in hybrids. According to a new report out of Germany, Porsche’s next major move in the area of electrified vehicles will see it come out with a battery-powered model.
The information was reported by Manager Magazin , citing industry sources. The battery-powered model is said to be based on a new mid-size sedan to be launched towards the end of the decade. Nicknamed the Pajun, short for Panamera junior, the mid-size sedan is being developed as a rival for the Maserati Ghibli and high-end versions of the BMW 5-Series and Mercedes-Benz E-Class, and in all-electric guise would challenge Tesla Motors' [NSDQ:TSLA] Model S and upcoming Model 3.
The new report also claims that fellow German automakers Audi and Mercedes-Benz are also planning all-electric Tesla rivals of their own. Audi is thought to be planning a battery-powered SUVto take on the upcoming Model Xwhile Mercedes is thought to be looking at a Model S-style battery-powered sedan.
As for the Pajun, it’s likely to debut in gasoline and diesel guises, with the battery version to arrive later. The vehicle is expected to ride on a shortened version of the MSB platform, which debuts in the next-generation Panamera, and could be on the market by 2018 or 2019. Thanks to lightweight construction, battery-powered versions of the Pajun should be considerably lighter than the Model S, which weighs 4,647 pounds.
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