Porsche demonstrated two electrically powered variants of the Boxster as part of the Michelin Challenge Bibendum in Berlin - a large-scale trial exploring the practical applications of alternative-fuel vehicles.
Electric motors power the cars; two in the case of the four-wheel drive model. One drives each axle, although the power split is varied depending on the traction available. The rest of the car's cabin and luggage capacity remain relatively standard - although there is no gear lever, of course - so that everyday practicality is unaltered.
Performance is strong for the four-wheel drive version with 100km/h coming up in 5.5 seconds and a (limited) maximum speed of 200km/h thanks to 180kW (equivalent to 244hp) of power and maximum torque of 540Nm, the majority of which is available instantly, in near-silence and with no gear changing.
The rear-wheel drive model has only one motor, 90kW (122hp) and 270Nm so is slower, taking 9.8 seconds to reach 100km/h and a top speed of 150km/h.
Porsche is keen to address the obstacles of range and charging and claims that the Boxster E can travel for 172 kilometres on one charge thanks in part to regenerative charging while the driver is braking. One neat trick is that recuperation - the recovery of energy by using the electric motors as generators - can be altered by the driver via buttons on the steering wheel, giving the effect of an on-demand engine brake.
The battery, fitted where the engine used to be, is charged through an on-board charger and can be taken from empty to fully-charged in nine hours via a domestic electricity supply, so could be done overnight.
Pedestrians are vulnerable due to the near-silent running so Porsche fitted an 'Active Sound' system that not only alerts other road users to the Boxster's presence but also provides the driver with acoustic feedback.