FRANKFURT, Germany — Porsche engineers are working on an electric-powered sports car, said Porsche's new President and CEO, Michael Macht, at the 2009 Frankfurt Auto Show. The Porsche, bearing the imprimatur of one of the most venerable performance marques in the world, would go head to head with the Tesla Roadster.
As if in reply, Tesla on Tuesday at the show announced the delivery of its 700th vehicle. The vehicle was delivered to a German law student in Bonn and came less than a week after Tesla opened a store in Munich, Germany — its first regional sales and service center in continental Europe. Such a center clearly infringes on Porsche's home turf, although Macht carefully made no note of competitors in his official statement.
Porsche had no electric vehicle to unveil here — or even anything as basic as a sketch to show off. But Macht emphasized that the debut of a Porsche electric vehicle was not a pipe dream.
"I am also convinced that one day Porsche will have an electric sports car in its lineup," he said during the automaker's press conference. Macht underscored that, so far, the battery technology is not "sufficient to meet Porsche's strict requirements," adding that "our engineers are already working hard on this challenge."
"An electric sports car would therefore only make sense for Porsche if it offers performance and a cruising range similar to that of current sports cars in the market," Macht said. "We are therefore taking the first step in this direction with a full hybrid — in the Cayenne, the Panamera and maybe in the not-too-distant future also in a racing car or a production 911. Why not?"
Macht reported that Porsche has already received 4,500 orders for the Panamera. The Panamera has been on sale for three days here and goes on sale in the U.S. on October 17.
source: edmunds
