Porsche 911 to be internal combustion ‘for a long time to come’; 400-volt hybrid powertrain studied – Blume

Porsche 911 to be internal combustion ‘for a long time to come’; 400-volt hybrid powertrain studied – Blume

In contrast to the definitely numbered days of the internal combustion engine in future Bentley models, there will be plenty of life remaining in the fossil-fueled Neunelfer as Porsche chief Oliver Blume said that the iconic sports car “will have a combustion engine for a long time to come,” Bloomberg reported.

“Let me be clear; our icon, the 911, will have a combustion engine for a long time to come. The 911 is a concept of the car that is prepared for the combustion engine. It is not useful to combine it with pure electric mobility. We believe in purpose-designed cars for electric mobility,” Blume told Bloomberg.

The current, 992-generation model’s platform can accommodate electrification, though beyond the idea of a pure sports car, even hybrid electrification does not provide a satisfactory end product, despite having made hybrid prototypes. Porsche board member Michael Steiner told Top Gear in March that the weight penalty incurred by drive batteries “is not something we are satisfied with today.”

Porsche 911 to be internal combustion ‘for a long time to come’; 400-volt hybrid powertrain studied – Blume

Half of all Porsches sold will be electrified by 2025, either fully or partially, Blume said. A fully electric 911, should that come to fruition, won’t arrive before 2030, said Porsche Porsche sports car line director Frank-Steffen Walliser to Autocar. However, Porsche is more likely to birth an all-new model for a two-door sports car to take the fully electric route, Blume indicated.

“I think, for the future, there is also space for very sporty pure electric sports cars to join other sports cars. There are big opportunities,” he said. Porsche has committed to investing 15 billion euros (RM73.2 billion) in e-mobility, sustainable production and digitalisation over the next five years, the brand chief added.

Porsche is also looking for partners for the development of synthetic fuels, or eFuels using 100% renewable power sources in order to comply with increasingly restrictive emissions regulations that will eventually outlaw internal combustion engines altogether.

Porsche 911 to be internal combustion ‘for a long time to come’; 400-volt hybrid powertrain studied – Blume

According to Porsche, eFuels are produced from CO2 and hydrogen using renewable energy. These will be similar to kerosene, diesel or petrol processed from crude oil in terms of eFuels’ basic properties, but will be more climate neutral. A breakthrough in this development will help sustain the 70% of Porsches in operation today for the next 10 to 15 years, Bloomberg observed.

“To stop internal combustion engines isn’t the right discussion. We come from both sides – electric mobility and eFuels – [in the approach] to CO2 [reduction], Blume said.

As for the electrified Neunelfer, the research for hybrid-electric powertrain systems carries on. “In the future for the 911, there are good ideas for a special kind of hybrid, a very performance-oriented hybrid, where we use, for example, a 400-volt system for our electric engine. That’s more or less our idea of how to continue with the 911,” Blume revealed.

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Mick Chan

Open roads and closed circuits hold great allure for Mick Chan. Driving heaven to him is exercising a playful chassis on twisty paths; prizes ergonomics and involvement over gadgetry. Spent three years at a motoring newspaper and short stint with a magazine prior to joining this website.

 

Comments

  • that’s right.

    mobility solution for all consumer demands.
    Variety of Gasolines Engine, Transmission, HEV, PHEV and EV.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
  • https://paultan.org/2020/10/20/porsche-sold-191547-vehicles-in-the-first-nine-months-of-2020-5-dip-from-2019-nearly-11k-taycan-sold/

    EV is the future?
    at least not for 2020/2021.

    Not much Porsche Fans like Porsche Taycan EV.
    only 5% Porsche sold is the Taycan.
    EVs fans are disappointed.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 2
    • dream_125 on Nov 09, 2020 at 9:15 pm

      “only 5% Porsche sold is the Taycan. EVs fans are disappointed.”

      EV fans are disappointed, because Porsche customers don’t buy EV’s?

      Well, how many Taycan’s you bought for your family?

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 2 Thumb down 0
  • the thing about 911 is a characteristics: a flat-6 way at the back, the sport car shape and the drive because of that engine setup. making into a electric 911 is not going to cut it. plus, one of the best characteristic is the unique sound because of the unique engine layout. that throaty sound when in sport or sport plus mode. there will be an electric sports car from porsche, but it won’t be a 911. it will be something else.

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