While Porsche‘s first plug-in hybrid will be the exclusive and expensive 918 Spyder due next year the sports car manufacturer will be introducing even more plug-ins in the future.
While a plug-on hybrid version of Porsche’s Cayenne SUV would likely make the most sense as a hybrid with the size to carry a heavy battery and electric motor setup, insiders have revealed that a plug-in hybrid Panamera could be launched in the next two years, ready for 2014.
Speaking to Automotive News, the sources commented that the production of the vehicle will commence in 2014 and is likely to then be sold in the U.S.
The technology will be based on a modular plug-in hybrid setup being developed for the entire Volkswagen Group, with brands such as Audi, Bentley, and Volkswagen all set to benefit as well. Rupert Stadler, Audi CEO has already confirmed that the auto manufacturer has launched plug-in hybrid versions of the A3, A4 and Q7 also for 2014. That’t not all. In addition, sources have revealed that a plug-in version of the next-generation European Passat will be launched in 2015.
The plug-in hybrid setup to be utilized by Porsche, as well as its Volkswagen Group siblings, is likely to be similar to the one currently featured in the Toyota Prius Plug-In Hybrid where both the internal combustion engine and electric drive systems can send power to the wheels directly. As a result, when travelling short distances with low load situations, electronic driving can be used and when the driver requires sports car performance, as one would from a Porsche, an internal combustion engine kicks into gear.
