Porsche's CEO has confirmed that the electric 718 models will be built, despite earlier reports suggesting they might be scrapped.
Michael Leiters, who took over as CEO at the start of this year, described the electric 718 as a fantastic car and said it will be produced because it is the best economic solution.
The next-generation 718 will still be offered with combustion engines, alongside the electric versions.
Economic Viability and Group Synergies
Leiters emphasized that Porsche evaluates each project on its own commercial merits before considering any Volkswagen Group synergies.
This statement came in response to claims that Porsche is sticking with the electric 718 because Audi needs to borrow components for its own next-generation sports car, expected to be an all-electric TT successor.
Leiters pushed back on that reading, saying he initially looks at each project exclusively from Porsche's perspective: does it make economic sense or not?
Only after that do potential synergies within the group play a role.
Although Porsche will still launch the electric 718 Boxster and Cayman, their role in the company's broader lineup won't be as important as initially planned.
When Porsche first started work on the electric sports cars, the plan was to sell them exclusively as EVs.
However, partway through development, Porsche revealed that flagship versions would continue to be offered with combustion engines, likely using the same naturally-aspirated six-cylinder units as models like the Cayman GT4, GT4 RS, and 718 Spyder RS.
Soon after, Porsche revealed it was also reverse-engineering the new 718 family to offer combustion engines lower down in the model range.
As long as these ICE models are priced competitively, it's hard to imagine them not easily outselling the EVs.
Flagship Plans and Taycan's Future
Leiters also signaled that Porsche is still weighing a flagship sports car positioned above the 911.
He raised it as one of several future opportunities for the US market rather than a confirmed program, and didn't elaborate on the project.
Separately, he dismissed suggestions that the Taycan could be dropped from the lineup as the company trims complexity.
Leiters said Porsche has no plans to discontinue the Taycan in the short term.
He noted that they have invested heavily in the model and want to monitor how demand develops.
