New Boxster E in the works?

Porsche Boxster E will serve as rolling test lab for future EV model

Posted 2/15/2011 4:41 PM

Although its arrival has more to do with new government-backed electric mobility test program than any direct production plans, Porsche has taken the wraps off of a Boxster E prototype model that will be used for evaluation in the Stuttgart region around the automaker's home base.  Three of these Porsche Boxster E testers have been constructed, and according to Matthias Müller, CEO of Porsche AG, all will serve as "mobile laboratories to help in solving the practical problems of electric vehicles the way that our customers expect."
Each of the new Porsche Boxster E models is fitted with a pair of high-torque electric motors that drive the rear wheels using power supplied by a 29kWh lithium-ion battery pack that sits behind the passenger compartment where the Boxster's engine would normally be located. The motors produce a combined 241 horsepower, and reportedly give the Boxster E similar performance to a Boxster S model. If so, it should be able to hit 60 mph in less than 5.5 seconds and top out around 170 mph.