The concept of a hybrid or electric 911 isn’t a new one – Porsche has been working on a 911 hybrid for years. We even discussed whether or not there’s a legitimate case for an electric 911 in mid-2019. After all, the Porsche 718 Cayman is expected to go electric or at least hybrid when the next-gen model launches, so the 911 should be next, right? Well, it’s not exactly that simple as the 911’s general design all but prohibits efficient use of electric components. Let me explain a little further…

The Porsche 911's Compact Nature Makes Electrification Beyond Difficult

The Porsche 911 is a 2+2 sports coupe, and it provides decent room for its size, but when you sit down and look at its dimensions, it sits in the larger-compact segment. The EPA even classifies it as a "mini compact car," which is – of course – about three sizes larger than the mini-cars outside North America.

But I digress

In order to push the 911 in hybrid territory, Porsche has to add in the new electrical components (like the battery, inverter, and motor), but it must also package them together in as small a unit as possible to save space. This is important, too, because Porsche can't change the 911's size, 2+2 layout, or general shape as that would ruin the car's iconic nature.

That quote comes directly from the boss of Porsche's 911 lineup, Frank-Steffen Walliser, in his interview with Autocar.

When you consider the lack of space in the rear where the engine calls home and the fact that Porsche doesn't want to sacrifice front cargo room, engineers have quite the challenge. After all, the 911's frunk is already small enough as it is. And, let's not forget about weight.

When Will the Porsche 911 Hybrid Launch

At this point, the Porsche 911 hybrid's launch date is a complete mystery, and to be honest, Porsche doesn't know either. With all the hurdles it has to overcome in shifting the 911 into hybrid territory without ruing the car's design or driving dynamics, a conservative launch date would be sometime in 2023 or 2024, but it could take until as late as 2026 before we see a hybrid 911 – probably just four years before we see the first Porsche 911 EV.

What Will the Hybrid Drivetrain Bring to the 911?

Porsche isn't looking to make the 911 a hybrid (or EV, for the matter) just for the sake of fuel economy. Reports suggest that it could have as much as 522 kilowatts (700 horsepower) combined between the turbocharged engine and electric powertrain. That was according to Porsche CEO Oliver Blume, but that's as close as we came to confirmation of that. It will also be a PHEV so that the electric motors are more powerful and can deliver better range thanks to a larger battery. Where that battery will be, however, is still a big mystery.

Final Thoughts

For now, we'll just have to wait and see what happens, but we're guessing we won't even see prototypes of the 911 hybrid until late-2023, and we'll maybe see it debut in 2025. Porsche has a difficult job in maintaining everything that makes the 911 so iconic while integrating a whole lot of new technology and weight without taking up too much space. It'll take longer than anyway hoped for, but the end product will be well worth the wait.

2020 Porsche 911 specifications