Over the past few years, it's become clear that the German prestige makers are determined to offer plug-in electric vehicles across their various ranges.
Some makers are more aggressive (BMW), some less so (Mercedes-Benz)--but by the end of next year, there will be a dozen or more vehicles with plugs from the combined forces of Audi, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Porsche, and Volkswagen.
The latest to be officially announced is the 2015 Porsche Cayenne S E-Hybrid, which adds a plug-in hybrid powertrain to the sports car maker's large, fast, and very profitable sport-utility vehicle.
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The Cayenne, now in its second generation, has been offered both with hybrid and diesel powertrains, though neither has sold in particularly high numbers in the U.S. market.
![2014 Porsche Panamera S E-Hybrid 2014 Porsche Panamera S E-Hybrid](https://images.hgmsites.net/lrg/porsche-panamera_100424284_l.jpg)
2014 Porsche Panamera S E-Hybrid
The plug-in hybrid system used in Porsche's SUV for 2015 is identical to that already on sale in the 2014 Porsche Panamera S E-Hybrid.
It comprises a supercharged 3.0-liter V-6 with a 70-kilowatt (95-horsepower) electric motor sandwiched between the engine and an eight-speed automatic transmission.
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The company's engineers say the conventional automatic works more smoothly with the E-Hybrid's electric motor than the dual-clutch transmission used in gasoline models would.
A 9.4-kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery pack powers the electric motor; it replaces the 1.7-kWh nickel-metal-hydride pack used in the Cayenne S Hybrid. Total output is above 400 hp.
![2015 Porsche Cayenne S E Hybrid 2015 Porsche Cayenne S E Hybrid](https://images.hgmsites.net/lrg/porsche-cayenne_100473831_l.jpg)
2015 Porsche Cayenne S E Hybrid
The plug-in hybrid version of the Porsche Panamera luxury sedan has actually replaced the previous Panamera S Hybrid version, though it's not clear whether the same will apply to the Cayenne SUV model range as well.
The plug-in hybrid Panamera is selling in slightly higher numbers than its plain hybrid predecessor.
That's likely due to incentives that include carpool-lane access and a purchase rebate in California, a Federal income-tax credit, and various other state and local programs to encourage sales of plug-in electric vehicles.
MORE: 2015 Porsche 918 Spyder Plug-In Hybrid Supercar Driven
Oh, and that third plug-in vehicle from Porsche?
That would be the limited-edition Porsche 918 Spyder, the very high-performance plug-in hybrid supercar--at price approaching one million dollars.
The plug-in hybrid Cayenne, on the other hand, will likely come in somewhere between $75,000 and $100,000.
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