Electric Porsche 718 coming in 2022?

It will allegedly be built alongside the current 718 for several years.

Porsche will include the 718 Cayman and the 718 Boxster in its electrification offensive, according to a recent report. The company confirmed it's already testing the technology in real-world conditions, and the battery-powered models could arrive in showrooms during the early 2020s.

Company boss Oliver Blume told British magazine Autocar that engineers are testing an electric 718, and they're in the process of building a hybrid prototype. Replacing the flat-four engine with an electric motor is easier said than done, however. The publication learned that making the current-generation 718 electric yields a maximum range of about 186 miles, which isn't enough. Bumping that figure up would require making significant modifications to the platform in order to fit a bigger battery pack, and that solution has been ruled out.

Porsche has a plan B. While this isn't set in stone yet, the company is seriously considering building the next-generation 718s on the modular PPE platform it's developing jointly with Audi to underpin electric cars. And, much like it's going to do with the Macan, it would update the current 718s with hybrid powertrains and build both versions of the nameplate side-by-side to let buyers decide the degree of electrification they feel comfortable with.

According to Blume, Porsche hasn't decided whether the 718s will use a mild hybrid powertrain, a full hybrid powertrain, or plug-in hybrid technology. Sources within the company told Autocar that Porsche's mid-engined two-seaters will receive the 48-volt mild hybrid technology developed for the 911.

Porsche's electric 718 Boxster and 718 Cayman will allegedly go on sale in 2022.