A Porsche 911 hybrid is coming, but it won’t be a plug-in.
“It will not be a plug-in hybrid, but a very sporty hybrid from motorsport,” Porsche boss Oliver Blume told German publication Automobilwoche (translated).
Porsche currently offers plug-in hybrid versions of the Cayenne and Panamera – badged E-Hybrid – but has no conventional hybrids, though it has offered them before.
The motorsport hint suggests the 911 hybrid could take inspiration from Porsche’s upcoming LMDh race car, set to hit the track in 2023.
Per class regulations, hybrid prototypes have a minimum weight of 1030kg and use a 50kW Bosch hybrid system. Total system output is capped at 500kW.
Though the hybrid system is standardised, participating automakers can select the engine it’s mated to and wrap the whole thing in a design of their choice, provided it meets the regulations.
Porsche’s racer will use an LMP2 chassis built by Multimatic.
Porsche also raced a LeMans Prototype 1 hybrid, the 919 Hybrid, from 2014 to 2017. It won in three of those years, though Porsche withdrew from the LMP1 program to focus on Formula E.
The 919 Hybrid’s turbocharged four-cylinder powertrain employed two kinetic energy recovery systems (KERS), which converted this to electrical energy stored in a lithium-ion battery pack.
919 Hybrid
Blume didn’t share any technical details of the upcoming model, though he said no decision has been made yet about fully electrifying the 911.
Automobilwoche understands an electric 911 should appear with new battery technology by 2030 at the latest.
Porsche has reportedly been reluctant to introduce an electric 911 due to concerns regarding the weight of batteries, despite the Taycan getting off to a strong start in the sales race.
Before an electric 911 appears, we’ll likely see a battery-powered successor to the current 718 Boxster and Cayman.
Mission R concept
It’s expected to draw from the Mission R concept revealed earlier in 2021, and Porsche is understood to be targeting a weight of 1655kg and an electric range of at least 400km as well as mid-engine-like weight distribution.
The Mission R features a dual-motor all-wheel drive electric powertrain, with a 320kW motor powering the front axle and a 480kW motor at the rear. Both motors, like the battery, feature direct oil cooling.
The concept produces a constant power output of 500kW in race mode. In what Porsche calls “qualifying mode”, the Mission R produces up to 800kW of power.
It has a claimed 0-100km/h time of less than 2.5 seconds, as well as a top speed of over 300km/h.
900V technology allows the driver to charge the 80kWh battery at up to 340kW, with a 15 minute stop in the pits allowing you to charge it from five to 80 per cent.
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