Rumors are flying about a new Porsche Boxster EV concept car. The automaker has flirted with electric versions of the Cayman and Boxster for years. Could this be one step closer to a production-ready design? Buyers might see traditional combustion, hybrid and electric versions of some models sold simultaneously.

Porsche reaches further into the electric market with Boxster EV

German automaker Porsche has been dipping its toes into the EV waters for more than a decade. The all-electric Taycan hit the market in 2020. It’s blown expectations out of the water, a luxury EV. The all-electric Macan has been stirring up excitement leading up to its release. The rumors of new electric models have done the same.

The luxury brand is rumored to be in the development of both an all-electric Boxster and Cayman. The newest electric concept will be built on the brand new PPE platform and feature the smaller-capacity flat-four engine that powered the 2016 models of both cars.

This isn’t the Boxster’s first EV rebirth

Porsche Executive Board Member Michael Steiner told Car and Driver that the brand is really pushing to put forth an all-electric Boxster concept. Porsche has been in talks to develop a production concept of an all-electric Boxster for ten years. The Boxster E project was only the first step in a development project more than a decade in the making.

Porsche created two electric Boxsters in 2011. The first boasted a dual-motor AWD setup. The other featured a single-motor rear-wheel-drive layout. Both Boxter E models had the same fatal flaw. Porsche says the car is too heavy for a production EV. Both models were powered by a 121 BHP electric motor and could travel 106 miles on a full battery.

Recent prototypes of electric Boxsters suffered the same weight-related performance issues. Porsche chairman Oliver Blume confirmed a running all-electric Porsche 718 Boxster. This prototype proves that current generation Boxsters could not get more than 186 miles of range at their current weight.

Could the Boxster EV follow the Macan’s lead?

Porsche plans to sell EV versions of the Taycan and Macan alongside their gas-powered counterparts. The maker may have the same future in mind for both the Boxster and Cayman. Electric versions could be prepared for production and sold alongside hybrid and gas-powered versions.

Blume said this of Porsche’s forecast for the Macan: “For at least two to three years, we will have both. At that point, we can decide whether to upgrade the combustion engines to the new Euro 7 standard or go full electric. The pace that countries are changing is different – China wants electric now, Russia is in less of a hurry, for instance.”

Porsche buyers will soon have an impressive selection of EV and hybrid models to choose from. Producing an electric Boxster that’s ready for the sales floor is a matter of if, not when. Once the car has a competitive range, it will be ready for the production line.