Electric Porsche 911 could be powered by solid state batteries

An all-electric Porsche 911 is one of those EVs that futurists may dream about, and staunch lovers of the powerful sporty classic may spurn, but news of its possible production seem to keep ticking along.

Only last October we saw Porsche design chief Michael Mauer hinting that the 911’s future development would give far more freedom with an electric drivetrain, although as reported by Autocar, he didn’t think he would see it happen before the end of the decade.

But new comments from Porsche CEO Oliver Blume suggest that an electric Porsche 911 could already be in development. A firm launch timeline has not yet been confirmed by the German carmaker.

According to German Manager Magazin, Blume wants to steer Porsche to the pinnacle of electric mobility, and these plans include an electric 911 possibly before the end of the decade.

It’s a change of tune, it would seem: in 2020, Blume told Porsche’s internal communication team in an interview that while 50 percent of all Porsche vehicles would have an electric or hybrid drive by 2025, “Porsche will always offer combustion engines, particularly in the 911.”

“But,” he said at the time, “we can’t stop the onward march of electromobility.”

This onward march now apparently includes solid-state batteries being developed in collaboration with Quantumscape.

Having secured investments worth $US100 million in 2018, then $US200 million in 2020, from Porsche’s parent company Volkswagen AG, the firm in February said it had cleared a significant hurdle on the path to commercialising solid-state batteries, which are a holy grail for the EV industry for the potential to substantially increase driving range and charging speed.

Naturally, solid-state batteries in an electric 911 would help to position it at the top of the electric sportscar mountain, if only it will take the fastest path.