Porsche 911 hybrid "more than four years away"

Porsche says it will wait at least four years before it releases the first hybrid version of the iconic Porsche 911 sports car, conceding that current prototypes are “not satisfactory”.

August Achleitner, vehicle line director for the new 992-generation Porsche 911, told carsales.com.au that the 2019 model’s new eight-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission – adapted from the Panamera – is ready to house an electric motor, allowing the latest 911 to go hybrid in future.

“If you take the PDK gearbox out of the car and look into the gearbox, you will see a place where there is nothing. This gearbox is prepared to adapt to an electric motor, maybe later,” he revealed.

“It allows us to develop this car further to a hybrid version. We won’t do it right now because of battery reasons and some other things, but this car is being readied for a hybrid solution.”

As for when, Achleitner said: “Let me say, it will be at least four years”.

Asked whether the 992 911’s mid-life update posed as the most obvious timing, Achleitner said: “Most likely. It’s not yet decided since we’re still in development and we’re deciding which solution could be the right one for us.

“Of course we could release a hybrid version today but this hybrid version would have to be so convincing that our customers like to buy it. They’d need to go into showrooms and take it for a test drive and say I’d take the hybrid version.

“Right now, we are not satisfied with the total performance of this hybrid version. Of course we have done simulation and we can say we are far or we aren’t so far.”

Porsche has long toyed with the idea of taking its most famous sports car hybrid, however, so far weight issues have staved off any immediate prospects.

Achleitner said the new 992-generation 911 was geared to accommodate additional weight, employing larger wheels (20-inch front and 21-inch rear) along with revised front-to-rear weight distributions.

With Carrera S versions of the new Porsche 911 now ready to roll out to global markets, Achleitner said the company’s focus would shift to the all-new Porsche Taycan EV, while simultaneously developing the 911 hybrid.

“For sure, this is a very good development within our house and working with Porsche [motorsport division],” he said.

“It’s also a question of capacity. Right now, to develop the new 911 and the Taycan, we do not have enough people to make a hybrid version of the 911 yet.”