The petrol-powered Porsche 718 Boxster and Cayman models will cease to be manufactured in Europe as the debut of an all-electric model approaches.
After announcing plans to retire its best-selling SUV in Europe, the Macan, Porsche will do the same with its 718 Boxster and Cayman models.
Porsche has recalled the petrol Macan due to new cybersecurity regulations. Their availability ends in July 2024. The 718 petrol Boxster and Cayman are now doomed to the same fate.
In a communication to Auto Express, Porsche said that as a result of the rule change, “the sale of 718 internal combustion engine models is being halted in the EU and in some states that now apply EU legislation, ensuring that the cars can be delivered to consumers and registered on time.
Porsche said the 718 Cayman GT4 RS and 718 Spyder RS are affected “due to small series regulations. “
Although the regulations apply to all cars (ICE and EV), Porsche will launch a 100 percent electric 718 model. There is not expected to be any disruption with the new rules.
As with the Macan, upgrading the petrol edition would be too much anyway with the deployment of an electric model.
Porsche’s electric 718 is nearing production ahead of its debut. This week we got a glimpse of the electric vehicle after we discovered it being tested with production headlights in the Arctic Circle.
“Renewing gasoline would be too expensive”
I’m happy with this argument in favor of the Macan, but the Boxster includes so many parts with the 911 that applying the 911 upgrades to the Boxster is worth a relatively small effort. Either Porsche surely has no religion in ICEVs and isn’t worth even the minimum effort, or it’s just an excuse to get rid of ICEV enthusiasts (or investors). Either way, it’s a positive sign that Porsche believes in electric vehicles.
The German automaker is expected to unveil the 718 electric model before the end of the year and deliveries will begin in 2025. Porsche has already prepared its Zuffenhausen plant for the new electric vehicle.
Porsche CEO Oliver Blume has shown plans to begin deliveries of the Macan EV later this year. The next style will be an electric 718, followed by the highly anticipated Cayenne EV.
Porsche said it is expanding “upwards” with plans for an ultra-luxury electric SUV, which is expected to sit in the most sensitive part of the Cayenne. Blume called it a “very sporty interpretation of an SUV. “
Despite several automakers pulling out, Porsche is sticking to its goal of an 80% delivery percentage of electric cars by 2030.
Peter Johnson covers the automotive industry’s step-by-step transformation to electric vehicles. He is a seasoned investor, money writer, and electric vehicle enthusiast. His enthusiasm for electric vehicles, primarily Tesla, is one of the main reasons he pursued a career in investing. If he doesn’t tell you about his latest discoveries in the 10K, you can spot him enjoying the outdoors or exercising.