Porsche Panamera Plug-in Hybrid to Launch in 2014

Colum Wood
by Colum Wood

With the Panamera Hybrid already on sale, Porsche is planning its next step in the electrification of its lineup with a plug-in hybrid version of the performance luxury sedan set to arrive in 2014.

No powertrain details are yet available, with the current Panamera S Hybrid making 380 hp from a combination of an electric motor and a supercharged V6 engine. Porsche claims a 0-60 time of 5.7 seconds with a price of $95,000.

In addition, a similar plug-in hybrid powertrain is expected to be fitted to Audi’s Q7 SUV, and a version for the Cayenne is then also likely.

Volkswagen AG, which owns Audi and 49.9 percent of Porsche, is also planning plug-in hybrid versions of the European version of the VW Passat as well as the Audi A3.

Speaking with Automotive News, VW electric drive boss Rudolf Krebs commented that, “We are really convinced that the future of hybrids won’t be pure hybrids, but the plug-in hybrids.” Rather than relying primarily on an electric engine for power, like, say, the Toyota Prius, VW’s strategy will be to put the focus on the electric drive system with a gasoline engine used to deliver extra range.

[Source: AutoNews]

Colum Wood
Colum Wood

With AutoGuide from its launch, Colum previously acted as Editor-in-Chief of Modified Luxury & Exotics magazine where he became a certifiable car snob driving supercars like the Koenigsegg CCX and racing down the autobahn in anything over 500 hp. He has won numerous automotive journalism awards including the Best Video Journalism Award in 2014 and 2015 from the Automotive Journalists Association of Canada (AJAC). Colum founded Geared Content Studios, VerticalScope's in-house branded content division and works to find ways to integrate brands organically into content.

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