Porsche begins testing electric Boxster E

You know hybrid and electric vehicles have gained influence when Porsche steps into the mix. Last year, Porsche's announcement of a possible 918 Spyder Hybrid was met with enthusiasm from Porsche fans around the world. Fast forward to this week and Porsche's unveiling of the Boxster E prototype, which was met with similar enthusiasm from its fan base.

The Porsche Boxster E prototype will help the company fine tune its electric vehicle technology for use in a future electrified model. Porsche chief executive Matthias Muller was quoted in an article for the UK-based Expert Reviews website.

"The electrical vehicle is a central challenge of the coming years, and the engineers at Porsche would like to contribute with their usual excellence to help it to be resolved," claimed Porsche chief executive Matthias Muller at the prototype's unveiling ceremony, as reported on the Expert Reviews website. "The Boxster E prototypes will help us, serving as mobile laboratories in solving the practical problems of electric vehicles the way that our customers expect."

The engine in the Porsche Boxster E comes with approximately 240 horsepower, good for a 0-60 mph time of 5.3 seconds and an estimated driving range of 100 miles per charge. Since the prototype is an all-electric vehicle, the quick trip from 0 to 60 also comes with zero emissions and zero eco guilt.

While Porsche works on fine-tuning its electric engine, the company is also continuing to expand its hybrid vehicle lineup. The Porsche Panamera S Hybrid will be available at dealerships later this year. The four-door hybrid vehicle is also quick, with a 0 to 60 mph time of 5.7 seconds and a top speed of 167 mph. This is obviously a hybrid vehicle designed for the typical Porsche driver. Porsche is awaiting the official EPA fuel efficiency estimates for the Panamera S Hybrid but the vehicle has achieved 7.1 L/100 km (approximately 33 mpg) fuel efficiency in European testing.

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