Porsche Boxster E: Dipping a Toe In the Electric Sports Car Arena

When we look towards the future what do we see? Well, it might not be the flying cars of the “Jetson’s” or “Back to the Future II,” but it certainly does seem to have the presence of the electric vehicle (EV). We figure ten years from now range anxiety is going to mean someone who wants to travel more than 500 or 600 miles on a charge, not the magic 100 that we seem to see in the current generation of production electric vehicles. But what about sports cars?  If the Tesla, Audi R8 E-tron and now the Porsche Boxster E are any indication there will be just as capable performance EVs as there will be gasoline powered vehicles. Haven’t heard of the Boxster E? Let us fill you in.

The Porsche Boxster E is part of the Intelligent Performance program and is family to the 911 GT3 RS Hybrid and 918 Spyder. Currently, there are only three Boxster E prototypes in the Porsche test fleet, with only two of them being identical and the third being a slightly different take. The first two are rear-wheel drive electrics that utilize one electric motor via a rear end borrowed from their VW brethren. The third version has, count them, two electric motors and what has been described as a “more complex” four-wheel drive system that borrows from the 911 Carrera 4. All three prototypes are rated to achieve 106 miles on a single charge and replenish that charge on the European 240-V in about eight hours.

From a performance perspective, the single electric motor versions will achieve 0-62 mph in 9.8 seconds while reaching a limited top speed of 93 mph. The two electric motor version will inspire more hope for the future of the sports car by reaching 0-62 mph in 5.5 seconds—noted as being just 0.2 seconds slower than the current Boxster S. Top speed is also increased to 120 mph. Inside Line recently drove the prototype in Porsche’s hometown of Stuttgart. The review can really be summed up by this quote: “More than the performance, though, it's the completeness of the Boxster E that's most satisfying.” Yes, in true fashion for the high-end sports car manufacturer, the prototype was as well put together as a production car you might see in a showroom.

Bottom line—the continued development of feasible sports cars in the EV market give driving enthusiasts hope. The only thing we can’t get away from is the fact that you need an Active Sound Management (ASM) system to give the sound accustom to sports cars of the past generations.